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SAVE $200: As of Sept. 4, the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air M4 is on sale for $999 at Amazon. That's $200 off its list price and the lowest-ever price for this model.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple 13-Inch MacBook Air M4 (16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $999 at Amazon
$1,199 Save $200 Get Deal

We're keeping a close eye on the MacBook Air situation at Amazon, because there are a couple of important factors at play here. First, we know that a lot of shoppers are seeking deals on top-quality laptops right now to prepare for back-to-school season. We also know that a range of new Apple devices are prepped for launch in the coming weeks, so everyone is keeping track of deals on older models.

Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air M4 has been $200 off at Amazon for a number of weeks now, sitting at an impressive record-low price. But that looks to be changing. The 256GB models have all jumped up in price, but you can still save on select colors of the 512GB MacBook Air. There's no need to panic, but the signs suggest that 512GB models might follow suit and increase in price soon, so if you're interested in buying, we recommend acting fast to secure the best-ever price.

As of Sept. 4, you can still score the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air M4 (16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) for $999 at Amazon. That's $200 off its list price and the lowest-ever price for this model.

SEE ALSO: The Swift 16 Air is Acer's new MacBook challenger

We think the 13-inch MacBook Air M4 is the best choice for budget shoppers. In our review, Stan Shroeder said the MacBook Air M4 is "powerful, silent, and comes with a couple of much-needed upgrades." Summed up, we like it a lot.

Act fast to secure a $200 saving on the Apple MacBook Air M4.

TL;DR: Live stream Argentina vs. Venezuela in World Cup qualifiers for free on SBS On Demand. Access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Qualification for the 2026 World Cup has been routine for defending champions Argentina. They sit at the top of the South American standings, with a 10 point cushion over Ecuador in second place. Next up for Messi and co is Venezuela, a team that's currently straddling qualification. Only six teams will qualify automatically for the World Cup, and Venezuela currently sit in seventh place. They'll be ready to give everything in this crucial fixture.

If you want to watch Argentina vs. Venezuela in World Cup qualifiers for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Argentina vs. Venezuela?

Argentina vs. Venezuela in World Cup qualifiers kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sept. 4. This fixture takes place at the Estadio Monumental.

How to watch Argentina vs. Venezuela for free

Argentina vs. Venezuela in World Cup qualifiers is available to live stream for free on SBS On Demand.

SBS On Demand is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming service with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can access free live streams on SBS On Demand from anywhere in the world.

Lve stream Argentina vs. Venezuela 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 Australia

4. Visit SBS On Demand

5. Stream Argentina vs. Venezuela for free from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Argentina vs. Venezuela in World Cup qualifiers without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select World Cup qualifiers before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for SBS On Demand?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

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

• Strict no-logging policy 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 also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (including money-back guarantee).

Live stream Argentina vs. Venezuela in World Cup qualifiers for free with ExpressVPN.

You will soon be able to edit videos on the go with one of the most popular editing tools — for free.

Adobe announced Thursday that it would be rolling out Adobe Premiere app for iPhone users. Premiere is one of the top editing tools used by creators, especially those who need to edit on the go, and having the ability to do so could prove extremely useful.

SEE ALSO: Instagram launches Edits, a new video editing app for creators

Wrote Adobe in a blog post:

"That's why we’re bringing Adobe Premiere to mobile: the trusted editor of your favorite YouTubers, filmmakers, music video editors, and more — now reimagined as a fast, free, and intuitive app that puts pro-level creative control in your hands, without the pro-level complexity."

The app promises to make things easier for editors who might not be sitting at a desktop. It will allow users to record AI-assisted audio, save work for later desktop editing, and export directly to platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or Instagram. You'll also be able to use Firefly, Adobe's generative AI tool.

Adobe pitched the new app as an upgraded, pro-level editor, compared to its current offering, Premiere Rush. Adobe said the new Premiere iPhone app would launch later this month, and the listing on the App Store notes it's expected Sept. 30.

Want to make sure your file browsing and management with KDE Dolphin is as efficient as it can be? I use the popular free and open source file browser on Linux every day, and there are a few neat features I've uncovered while working with it.

TL;DR: Live stream Uruguay vs. Peru in World Cup qualifiers for free on SBS On Demand. Access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Qualification for the 2026 World Cup has not gone to plan for Peru. They sit in ninth place in the standings, with only a tiny chance of making the inter-confederation playoff spot. Uruguay haven't yet secured an automatic spot, but that's almost guaranteed at time point. Fans will expect Uruguay to gain three points against Peru, but you never know.

If you want to watch Uruguay vs. Peru in World Cup qualifiers for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Uruguay vs. Peru?

Uruguay vs. Peru in World Cup qualifiers kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sept. 4. This fixture takes place at the Estadio Centenario.

How to watch Uruguay vs. Peru for free

Uruguay vs. Peru in World Cup qualifiers is available to live stream for free on SBS On Demand.

SBS On Demand is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming service with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can access free live streams on SBS On Demand from anywhere in the world.

Lve stream Uruguay vs. Peru 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 Australia

4. Visit SBS On Demand

5. Stream Uruguay vs. Peru for free from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Uruguay vs. Peru in World Cup qualifiers without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select World Cup qualifiers before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for SBS On Demand?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

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

• Strict no-logging policy 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 also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (including money-back guarantee).

Live stream Uruguay vs. Peru in World Cup qualifiers for free with ExpressVPN.

This year's Apple event is just around the corner, but we're already getting a potential sneak peek at what's to come.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is planning on launching an AI search tool, deeply integrated with its voice assistant Siri, known internally in the company as World Knowledge Answers.

The "answer engine" is Apple's attempt at its own version of what OpenAI and Perplexity are doing with their AI search tools. 

Using large language models, Apple's AI search tool will allow users to look up information across the web with text, photos, videos, and "local points of interest."  The AI search tool will provide users with the relevant information via an AI-generated summary from an overhauled Siri voice assistant. Along with its Siri integration, Apple plans to also integrate the tool in its Safari web browser as well as its Spotlight search tool on iOS devices.

However, while Apple is reportedly working with OpenAI to bring the latest GPT-5 model to Apple Intelligence in iOS 26, the company is turning to Google to help with its AI search project, at least according to Bloomberg's well-sourced Apple forecaster Mark Gurman.

Bloomberg notes that the iPhone maker entered into an agreement recently to test out the search giant's latest Gemini AI model with its Siri voice assistant. Interestingly, news of this deal comes after a federal judge barred Google from entering exclusive search deals with companies like Apple.

A major AI update on the way for Siri?

In its current form, Apple's voice assistant Siri appears extremely outdated when compared to its AI counterparts like OpenAI's ChatGPT. Siri is left providing basic information to users while competitors can provide longer, more deeply researched, back-and-forth responses in a conversational tone. 

Since Apple announced its own AI suite of tools, Apple Intelligence, a long-awaited Siri overhaul has been planned, but has yet to come to fruition.

That very well may change soon, as Apple is in the midst of rebuilding Siri for the AI era.

While the current Siri is built upon Apple's own technology, the company is looking towards utilizing third-party AI models for the new version of its voice assistant. Bloomberg reports that Apple is leaning towards utilizing Google's Gemini model, which would run on Apple's own servers, for the summarization of Siri's output to users. In addition, Apple has reportedly been utilizing Gemini, Anthropic PBC’s Claude, and its own in-house models for summarization and AI search.

As Bloomberg reports, Anthropic's request of $1.5 billion annually from Apple might push the company to go with Google instead.

The new Siri still isn't scheduled to debut for some time, though. However, Apple's upcoming September event could include a first look at the new AI-powered Siri.

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.

As fall sets in, don't forget to refresh your Netflix watch list with the platform's most anticipated releases for this month. Get cozy with these new shows, spanning genres like horror, comedy, mystery, and thriller drama.

In 2022's The Black Phone, Ethan Hawke terrified audiences as the masked kidnapper known as "the Grabber." Now, he's back to do it all over again in Blumhouse's Black Phone 2.

Viewers of the first Black Phone know that the film ended with — spoiler alert! — the Grabber's death. But horror fans should know better by now that no horror antagonist is ever truly dead. Especially not when that antagonist is at the center of a box office hit like The Black Phone.

SEE ALSO: 2025 fall movie preview: Every upcoming film you ought to know about

So how does the Grabber come back in Black Phone 2? Apparently, by emulating another horror icon: Nightmare on Elm Street's Freddy Krueger.

Just like dear old Freddy, the Grabber can now attack kids in their dreams. His target is Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), the younger sister of The Black Phone's protagonist Finney (Mason Thames). Gwen receives disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at Alpine Lake winter camp, and she enlists Finney to help her investigate. At the camp, they find an unsettling family connection to the Grabber. They also learn their tormentor has grown even stronger in death, resulting in some terrifying ghostly fight scenes in the trailer above. Can Gwen and Finney take down the Grabber once and for all?

The Black Phone director Scott Derrickson returns to helm Black Phone 2. He and C. Robert Cargill co-wrote the screenplay, adapted from the short story by Joe Hill. The film also stars Demián Bichir, Miguel Mora, Jeremy Davies, and Arianna Rivas.

Black Phone 2 hits theaters Oct. 17.

EarFun has announced its new Wave Pro X headphones, which are set to release in February 2026 for a starting price of $100. Even though the price is somewhat low for wireless over-ear headphones, you still get ANC, Google Fast Pair support, and other premium features.

You can grab the Ugreen MagFlow 10,000mAh Power Bank for a solid discount, knocking 22% off the normal price. This brings the price down to a surprisingly low $70 on Amazon, from its usual list price of $90, which makes it a great deal for a portable power bank that can charge multiple devices.

While Interview with the Vampire fans anxiously await the show's third season (now titled The Vampire Lestat), AMC has another spooky treat in store for us: Talamasca: The Secret Order. The series joins Interview with the Vampire and Mayfair Witches in AMC's Immortal Universe, based on the works of author Anne Rice.

SEE ALSO: Fall TV preview: 25 TV shows you need to know, and where to stream them

Talamasca's titular secret society devotes itself to keeping tabs on the supernatural, from vampires and witches to ghosts and ghouls. Interview with the Vampire already gave viewers a hint of what to expect from the society in its second season, when it introduced Talamasca agent Raglan James (Justin Kirk). However, Talamasca promises a much deeper dive into the society's inner workings.

The series centers on NYU law school graduate Guy Anatole (Nicholas Denton), who meets the mysterious Helen (Elizabeth McGovern). She recognizes that he has a rare talent: He can hear things others cannot. That ability makes him the perfect candidate to be a Talamasca agent.

It's not long before Guy is thrown into a supernatural spy thriller, one that leads him to cross paths with Interview with the Vampire fan favorite Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian). Now a vampire himself, Daniel warns Guy that the Talamasca is using him. What else would you expect from an organization whose motto is "We watch, and we are always there"?

Check out the trailer above to watch Guy's full discussion with Daniel, and to learn more about the secrets Talamasca has in store. The series also stars William Fichtner, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Céline Buckens, and Jason Schwartzman.

Talamasca: The Secret Order premieres Oct. 26 at 9 p.m. ET on AMC and AMC+.

Immich, the self-hosted alternative to Google Photos and other media cloud storage services, just released a big update. Immich version 1.140 has a new read-only mode, a way to add missing GPS data to many photos at once, and some other helpful improvements.

Samsung's main S-series releases are almost always followed by a cheaper "FE" version. The S25 has been out for a while, and now, we're finally getting the FE version at long last—and it's packing all the changes you'd expect.

There’s no question that physical media is making a comeback. However, one of the more unlikely formats that’s seen a small surge in recent years is cassettes. The problem is there’s a definitive lack of good modern cassette players. We Are Rewind is one company trying to change that, and it just announced a very cool-looking boombox.

I sometimes use two apps in split-screen mode on my Android phone. It was a hassle to launch those apps and then enable the split-screen mode every single time. I found a better way to do things, and I’ll show you how you can use it, too.

Acer is upgrading one of its premium convertible Chromebooks with more AI prowess. Announced Wednesday at IFA 2025 in Berlin, the latest Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 (CP514-5HN) packs a new MediaTek Kompanio Ultra chip that has a neural processing unit (NPU) with up to 50 TOPS (or trillions of operations per second), enabling a pair of exclusive software features.

The Spin 514 is the only Chromebook Plus with an NPU besides the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, which has the same processor. Like its counterpart, the Spin 514 comes with a free trial of Google AI Pro that unlocks 12 months of access to advanced AI tools like Veo 3 Fast and NotebookLM. It's an AI smorgasbord.

"With powerful performance, AI tools, and robust and premium build, the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 will empower creators, employees, and teachers to create, work, and be productive from anywhere," James Lin, General Manager of Notebooks at Acer, said in a press release.

One configuration of the Spin 514 is now available on Acer's website for $799.99; another will hit Best Buy's shelves later this month for $100 less, and I was one of the first people to try it before its launch. I've only spent an afternoon with it so far, so I haven't given it a formal rating just yet (as per our laptop testing methodology), but my initial impressions of it are positive. Splashy AI features aside, it's just a really nice budget 2-in-1 laptop.

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 specs and availability Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

Acer sent me a Spin 514 (model number CP514-1HN-K6DY) with the following specs:

• MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 processor

• Arm Immortalis-G925 MC11 integrated graphics

• 12GB RAM

• 256GB UFS storage

• 14-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS touchscreen display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 16:10 aspect ratio, and stylus support (sold separately)

• 1080p webcam (see below)

• WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4

• Non-backlit keyboard

• Two USB-C ports and a headphone jack on the left side; two USB-A ports and a Kensington lock slot on the right

While my review unit came equipped with a 1080p webcam, the final version you can soon purchase at Best Buy will have a better 5MP webcam. It's priced at $699.99 and set to launch sometime later this month.

Acer started selling another configuration on its website for $799.99 on Sept. 4 (model number CP514-5HN-K4ZE). It comes with 16GB of RAM, a fingerprint reader, and a backlit keyboard, and its display has a higher 2.8K resolution but a lower 60Hz refresh rate.

Opens in a new window Credit: Acer Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 (CP514-1HN-K6DY) $699.99 at Best Buy
Learn More Opens in a new window Credit: Acer Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 (CP514-5HN-K4ZE) $799.99 at Acer.com
Shop Now Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 design Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The 2025 Spin 514 measures 12.32 x 9.13 x 0.61 inches and weighs three pounds, making it only slightly bulkier than an M4 MacBook Air. (Apple's 13-inch model weighs 2.7 pounds and measures 0.44 inches thin.) It's certainly svelte and portable, even if it's not the most thin-and-light laptop available.

The Spin 514 is on the pricier side for a Chromebook, but its design feels aptly premium, and I'm impressed by its build quality. There's zero give to its lid when I press down in the center of it. Its hinge wiggles a little bit when I adjust or tap its screen, but it holds very sturdy and doesn't creak when I flip the display around into tent mode. The Spin 514's lid can rotate a full 360 degrees to lay flat in tablet mode, too.

Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The Spin 514 is military-grade MIL-STD810H compliant, which basically means it's been tested for extreme durability. Acer says it can survive four-foot drops and 25,000 open/close cycles, to which I say: Let's get YouTube's tech-it on the case.

Aesthetically, the Spin 514 is an attractive laptop that's just flashy enough for my taste. It has an aluminum exterior with reflective metallic accents on its hinges and the outer edges of its top cover, which match the iridescent "Acer" logo in the middle of the lid. Its Platinum Silver finish picks up fingerprints pretty easily, though.

The Spin 514's keyboard cover is made from matte plastic, but it doesn't feel cheap and matches the rest of the chassis for a cohesive look. I had to hold it right up to my eyeballs to even notice that it's a different material.

Display Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The Spin 514's upper and lower bezels are a little chunky, but the touchscreen itself is pretty and responsive. My review unit didn't come with a stylus, so I did all of my scrolling and tapping with a fingertip. Big ups to the fact that it has a 120Hz refresh rate, which made a Fortnite match and a few fast-moving scenes in YouTube videos look silky smooth. (The Spin 514 isn't technically a gaming Chromebook, but it's workable for light cloud gaming.) It's always nice to see this spec on cheaper laptops.

Text and tinier details didn't seem blurry on my Spin 514, so without having tried its other configuration, I wouldn't spend an extra $100 for a higher-res display with a worse refresh rate. Maybe consider upgrading if you desperately need the extra four gigs of RAM, but 12GB is already a lot for a Chromebook (and so is $700).

The screen on my Spin 514 is rated at only 300 nits of brightness, so I usually used it cranked all the way up to max. The pricier model's display offers up to 340 nits, which is a negligible difference.

Keyboard and touchpad Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The Spin 514's keyboard is great, for the most part — snappy, comfortable, and well-spaced — but it gets docked a few points for having a hollow-sounding space bar and lacking backlighting as well as a fingerprint reader. Again, both are available in the pricier configuration.

Of special note, there are dedicated keys for the Launcher (a searchable start menu) and for a "Quick Insert" tool. The latter shares a spot with the caps lock.

The keyboard is made from Acer's "OceanGlass" material. It's technically ocean-bound plastic, but it really does feel quite a lot like glass: It's soft and smooth like velvet. Acer says it's moisture-resistant, so accidental coffee spills probably won't be a cause for panic.

Speakers Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The Spin 514 has upward-firing speakers running down both sides of its keyboard. They're a little tinny, but they're not the worst-sounding laptop speakers I've ever tried (and there are some absolute stinkers out there). I've been listening to Fleetwood Mac's 1997 live performance of "Silver Springs" almost every day for the past couple of weeks while learning it on the piano; on the Spin 514, the audio is missing some bass and depth but otherwise clear. The positioning of the speakers prevents them from sounding muffled.

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 performance

The Spin 514 has a fan, unlike Lenovo's Chromebook Plus 14, but I couldn't get it to turn on during a quick stress test with 20 Chrome tabs open and two apps running (YouTube and Recorder). It ran quiet and almost completely cool; the fan vent on the bottom side of the machine barely got warm.

In the Android version of Primate Labs' Geekbench 6 CPU benchmark, our other performance test for Chromebooks, the Spin 514 got a multi-core score of 7,187. That makes it the second-fastest model we've tried after the heftier Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE, which notched a score of 7,660. It beats eight other models we've tried over the course of the past two years, including an $819 HP Chromebook x360 14c (4,318) and a $699 Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (5,223).

Google AI features

Chromebook Plus models support a suite of AI features that you won't find on regular Chromebooks. The Spin 514's NPU adds two extra exclusives to the mix: a tab-sorting project management tool called "smart grouping" and an on-device image editor within the Gallery app. I briefly tried both.

To test smart grouping, I pulled up five tabs about the same topic (horseback riding near me) and three unrelated tabs in a single Chrome window. When I pressed the F4 key, a bubble appeared in the lower left-hand corner, prompting me to organize a topic called "Chicago Horse Riding Information" in a new "desk." Clicking that button pulled all of the horseback riding-related tabs into a separate workspace while keeping the other tabs in my original desk. I tend to be a tab minimalist, but I can see how this would be immensely useful for multitaskers who keep a mishmash of websites and windows open at once.

Left: Before and after smart-grouping my tabs. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable Right: Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The Gallery app's AI image editor includes tools that can expand and remove pictures' backgrounds, erase parts of a scene, and make stickers. I played around with them using a photo of a hot dog I took at a Cubs game last month, and most of the results were pretty clunky and fake-looking.

My original picture of the beautiful Chicago dawg. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable The picture with its background "expanded" using AI. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable The picture with its background removed. (The "make a sticker" tool produced an identical result.) Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable I tried to erase the pickle in this one. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

Smart grouping and the Gallery app's image editor are both still "experimental" (in beta) and may improve with time.

Battery life

I haven't run a formal battery life test on the Spin 514 yet, but Acer has it rated at up to 17 hours of web browsing per charge. If it lives up to that number, that would put it well over the nine-hour minimum we expect to squeeze from Chromebooks.

Who should get the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514? Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

Based on my few hours with the Spin 514 so far, I think it's a great pick for early AI adopters, but also just anyone who wants a solid budget 2-in-1 laptop with a premium design and good amount of power for the price. Its main rival is obviously the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, which offers a brighter (non-touch) OLED display, quad speakers with Dolby Atmos, and a backlit keyboard for $649.99, or $50 cheaper. However, it starts with half the storage and can't double as a tablet.

The Spin 514's battery life will be a big determining factor in my final analysis, so stay tuned.

UPDATE: Sep. 4, 2025, 1:05 p.m. EDT Listings for the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 (CP514-5HN) are now live. Acer originally priced the upgraded model at $749.99, but it's actually retailing for $799.99 on its website. We've updated this story accordingly.

PayPal and Venmo users in the U.S. and certain global markets are getting free early access to Perplexity Comet, the search engine startup's AI-powered browser.

On Wednesday, PayPal, which owns Venmo, announced a partnership with Perplexity as part of its new subscriptions hub, for managing subscriptions linked to PayPal. This is part of an offer for a free 12-month trial of Perplexity Pro, which offers premium features like unlimited searches with advanced models and access to third party models from OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, and Grok. This subscription normally costs $200 a year.

Perplexity launched Comet in July as a browser that weaves generative AI into the web-browsing experience. Specifically, that includes stuff like an AI assistant in the sidebar and AI models that can do the searching for you across the web and open tabs. Comet can also take action on your behalf, such as adding items to your shopping cart and managing your inbox and calendar. Of course all of these features require extensive access to your data, so any semblance of privacy basically goes out the window. Even though Perplexity stores most of the data on your device, you're still giving Perplexity access to your email, browsing behavior, and more.

When Comet launched, it was initially available only to Perplexity Max ($200 a month) users, but has since rolled out to Perplexity Pro subscribers. Mashable got early access to the AI browser and tested out some of its features. We liked some of the summarization features and the sidecar AI assistant, but the agentic capabilities, i.e. the features that can do shopping and ordering for you, simply didn't work well enough to replace the handful of quick steps a human normally does.

However, Venmo and PayPal users no longer have to weigh the cost-benefit analysis of signing up for Perplexity Comet. Now you get a whole year to try it out. Just remember that the true cost might be what's left of your privacy.

How to sign up

There are a few different ways to redeem your free Perplexity Pro trial:

• Directly in the PayPal app or Venmo app

• Through a marketing email you may have received

• A dedicated Perplexity landing page

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.

In a move it's calling "one of the most significant changes in the company’s 16-year history," ExpressVPN has switched to a tiered pricing structure. As of Sept. 2, the popular VPN provider now offers three types of subscriptions with varying levels of features, more simultaneous connections, and lower long-term pricing options.

ExpressVPN previously had one membership option that cost $6.67 to $12.95 per month, depending on the length of the subscription and available promotions. It was generally one of the most expensive premium VPN services available (something we knocked it for in our review).

Going forward, ExpressVPN is offering three different membership tiers starting well under $5 per month, putting it more in line with competitors like NordVPN and Surfshark. ExpressVPN has also increased its cap of eight simultaneous connections per subscription to a minimum of 10, making one plan usable across more devices.

ExpressVPN introduces tiered pricing plans. Credit: ExpressVPN

"This marks a fundamental shift in how ExpressVPN is offered, built on the reality that the internet has changed along with your privacy needs," the company wrote in a blog post.

The new tiers are:

• Basic Plan: Subscribers get access to the VPN on up to 10 devices at a time. It comes with a kill switch, a tracker blocker, split tunneling on most platforms, and ExpressVPN's Lightning protocol, which is designed for speed and efficiency. Prices range from $3.49 per month for 28 months to $12.99 on a monthly basis.

• Advanced Plan: In addition to the VPN, users get a built-in ad blocker, a password manager, and an ID theft tool suite called "Identity Defender" that includes fraud alerts, theft protection, and a credit scanner. ExpressVPN Advanced subscribers can use the service on up to 12 devices. Prices start at $4.49 per month for 28 months and max out at $13.99 month to month. Yearly subscribers get a bonus three days of unlimited international mobile data via eSIM.

• Pro Plan: On top of everything included in the Advanced tier, ExpressVPN Pro subscribers get a dedicated IP address, two extra Identity Defender features (a data removal tool and monthly credit reports), and up to 14 simultaneous connections. Prices range from $7.49 per month for 28 months to $19.99 per month. Long-term subscribers get five days of unlimited international mobile data via eSIM.

Advanced and Pro subscribers also receive discounts on ExpressVPN's AirCove WiFi 6 routers, which come with its VPN pre-installed. All of the new ExpressVPN plans are covered by its existing no-logs policy and usual 30-day money-back guarantee.

SEE ALSO: There are only 2 free VPNs I actually recommend. Ignore all the rest.

Existing ExpressVPN subscribers' plans won't change unless they want them to, the company said. "When your renewal comes up, you’ll have the option to switch to Basic, Advanced, or Pro," it wrote in the blog post. "But you won’t lose features you already rely on, and you won’t be downgraded without your consent."

This subscription change doesn't come with any new features. Credit: ExpressVPN

It's worth noting that ExpressVPN hasn't rolled out any new features as part of this subscription shakeup — it's just redistributing its existing offerings. (Also, its dedicated IP is no longer an add-on that requires a separate purchase.)

It's important to remember that these features won't make the VPN itself any better or more customizable, but they're nice to have if you're trying to improve your overall online security. ExpressVPN alluded to this in its blog post: "All of our plans are built on the same foundations: speed, privacy, and trust," it wrote. "But now you can choose how far beyond VPN you want to go."

ExpressVPN was founded in 2009, making it one of the oldest providers on the market. It has servers in 105 countries worldwide and offers apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Apple TV, and select routers. Last month, it published its latest transparency report detailing its responses to legal requests so far this year.

Read Mashable's full review of ExpressVPN. It was written before the new pricing tiers took effect, so we'll update it soon.

SAVE UP TO $20: As of Sept. 4, the day the NFL season kicks off for 2025, NFL+ annual plans are on sale for 20% off. Get NFL+ for $39.99 per year (reg. $49.99) or NFL+ Premium for just $79.99 per year (reg. $99.99).

NFL+ annual plan deals: SAVE 20% NFL+ $39.99 per year (save $10) Get Deal SAVE 20% NFL+ Premium $79.99 per year (save $20) Get Deal

The 2025 NFL season kicks off tonight. If you haven't sorted out the complicated streaming lineup yet, you might want to get on it. Don't say I didn't warn you. While you'll need a handful of different subscriptions in order to watch every game, you can get a good chunk of them using NFL+. And if you sign up in the next week and a half, you'll save 20%.

Through Sept. 15, yearly NFL+ and NFL+ Premium plans are on sale for just $39.99 per year (reg. $49.99) and $79.99 per year (reg. $99.99), respectively. That's 20% in savings on either plan. Promotional pricing applies to this year only; once the year is up, you'll automatically be charged full price ($49.99 or $99.99 annually) until you cancel.

NFL+ is the NFL's official subscription service, and it offers two tiers: NFL+ and NFL+ Premium. The basic tier gives you access to national broadcasts and in-market games, as well as NFL Network. NFL+ Premium also unlocks access to NFL RedZone and game replays (full, condensed, and all-22 coaches film). Neither option includes out-of-market games (you'll need the NFL Sunday Ticket for that).

Our main qualm with NFL+ is that live games can only be viewed on mobile devices, regardless of which tier you choose. While I'm sure you can figure out a way to cast your phone or tablet to your TV, it's certainly not the most streamlined choice for watching games. Nevertheless, it does offer access to a solid amount of in-market games for a decent price. If you're rooting for your home team, it's a deal worth looking into. At 20% off, we're definitely more inclined to recommend it.

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