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The sweaters and jackets are out of storage, the furnace is rumbling, and Netflix's October slate of TV shows is heating up, with returning hits like The Diplomat on the way, as well as some anticipated new documentaries.

Avatar: Seven Havens launches the Avatar franchise into a post-apocalyptic future, and in its second episode, it may have unveiled one of the apocalypse's biggest threats.

The episode, fittingly titled "Into the Storm," sees a massive lightning storm encroach upon the desert haven of Ellora. As the Ellorans worry about the lightning coming from above, they also face a strange threat coming from below. Red bursts of lightning tear across the ground of the city, stopping when they reach a large square. There, they coalesce into a red and black diamond that leaps from the ground and flies around the city, shooting a beam of light at everyone from Brigade Commander Bountan (voiced by Clyde Kusatsu) to twin Avatars Pavi and Nisha (voiced by Saheli Khan and Aishu Devan).

SEE ALSO: 'Avatar: Seven Havens' review: The Avatar apocalypse is a bold, brilliant addition to the franchise

The first three episodes of Avatar: Seven Havens don't reveal exactly what this strange energy monster is. But based on its brief appearance here, we can make some educated guesses. Let's dig into what this threat — which Bountan calls a "demon" — could be.

Is the energy monster in Avatar: Seven Havens Vaatu?

First things first: When I see a frightening red and black energy creature in the Avatar world, I immediately think of Vaatu, the spirit of chaos and darkness first introduced in The Legend of Korra. Could Seven Havens' demonic diamond be related to him in some way?

Based on the color scheme, the answer seems like it could be a yes, especially since the energy monster's diamond shape also shares a lot in common with Vaatu's pointy kite form. Still, it's unlikely that this creature is Vaatu himself. It takes 10,000 years for Vaatu and his counterpart Raava's power to peak during Harmonic Convergence, and it's only been a little over 200 years since the last Harmonic Convergence during The Legend of Korra. Unless Seven Havens' cataclysm reordered the planets, it's unlikely that Vaatu himself will be back so fast. Instead, it's more likely that this spooky diamond is some kind of corrupted spirit.

SEE ALSO: 'Avatar: Seven Havens' trailer combines bending power with 'Mad Max' vibes What did the spirit diamond want with Pavi and Nisha?

The spirit diamond seems to be incredibly content wreaking havoc around Ellora until it runs into Pavi and Nisha. Then, it just stops and takes them in for a moment, before shooting them with a beam.

The beam transports Pavi and Nisha to a strange vision, where they see themselves being separated in a desert during what appears to be a sandstorm. They also see a flash of the Republic City skyline riddled with explosions: perhaps a sign of the world undergoing the cataclysm. Once Pavi and Nisha awaken from their vision, the spirit is gone, its diamond pattern embedded in the earth.

What did the energy monster want with Pavi and Nisha, and why did it vanish after somehow communing with them? The answer is likely tied to the fact that they're both Avatars, as the Avatar is meant to be the bridge between the human and spirit world. Clearly, the divide between those worlds has grown hazy in Avatar: Seven Havens, but perhaps spirits like this one are still seeking the Avatar out. As for the vision, perhaps this spirit is trying to communicate some memories to Pavi and Nisha — both their own, and maybe even Korra's.

What happens if you come into contact with the spirit monster?

While Pavi and Nisha emerge from their encounter with this spirit unchanged, the same can't be said for Commander Bountan. By the episode's end, he's overcome with what seems like a strange possession: His eye has gone red, and he warns Commander Karthik (Akshay Khanna) that "it is coming." Whether the "it" is another spirit demon or something else entirely, Seven Havens has yet to answer.

The strange spirit demon shenanigans continue in episode 3, when a camel-dillo goes rogue in the city. Like Bountan, its eyes are red, although Pavi manages to calm it down through the power of song. Did the camel-dillo also get blasted by the spirit's ray? Or did it pick up Bountan's strange possession some other way? After all, the diamond left a series of glowing red geometric crystals behind it. Perhaps being around those is enough to affect someone.

The first three episodes of Avatar: Seven Havens are now streaming on Paramount+. New episodes premiere every Friday through Oct. 30.

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Formatting an SSD seems like the obvious thing to do if you want to sell it, give it away, or even just give it a new job doing something else. I'm not here to dispute that, but I think that many people are unaware that formatting isn't the 100% fail-proof solution some think it is.

Most people assume the cable that ships with a flagship phone is built to match the phone's actual capabilities. That's a reasonable assumption since it comes straight from the manufacturer, and most companies don't want to look bad if they want repeat customers. Samsung spent years developing fast charging technology that cuts charge times significantly, and you probably wouldn't guess that the cable in the box is what's holding it back.

When your PC starts to lag, it is normal to start searching the web for solutions only to be met with a deluge of apps that promise to "speed up your PC" and "optimize Windows" with a single click.

Marvel's whiplash New York Comic Con announcements have brought fans disappointing cancellation news, sneak previews, and, of course, more secrecy.

Taking to the stage Oct. 8, Marvel execs announced the end of Daredevil: Born Again, which will conclude with its third season next year. The team also gave attendees a taste of the upcoming third season of X-Men '97 and VisionQuest, the last installment of the Scarlet Witch's television saga. But the online buzz is all about its mysterious new show, Zodiac, set to debut in 2028.

SEE ALSO: What's new to streaming this week? (Oct. 9, 2026)

Flashing the new logo on the big screen, Marvel Television head Brad Winderbaum wouldn't say much about the show's plot or characters — perhaps some meta marketing for what is being dubbed a Marvel universe spy drama — but he did hint there was more than meets the eye. "If you're a fan of the comics, there is a lot hidden in that logo," Winderbaum nudged.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is sprawling, and it has long blurred the lines between comic canon and Hollywood fantasy. For comic lovers, the phrase "Zodiac" conjures a myriad of puzzling possibilities. Winderbaum, we may need some help.

What is the 'Zodiac' logo hiding?

Marvel appears to be teasing an Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. connection, using part of the counter terrorism and intelligence organization's logo as its "A."

It's the "O" — some kind of mechanical circle that appears to be breaking apart — that's thrown fans or a loop. One Mashable editor likened it to Tony Stark's arc reactor, pre-Iron Man 3. Others online described it as a broken shield or a spinning wheel.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Who is in 'Zodiac'?

The cast has yet to be announced, but some fans have already theorized that it will see the return of familiar favorites, including Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg).

How does 'Zodiac' appear in the Marvel comics?

The phrase first appears in the original Avengers comic series, referring to a criminal organization made up of villains named after the 12 Zodiac signs. The name was donned by several illicit organizations across the comic universe thereafter, and then revived in its original celestial form, but with a new name, in Jonathan Hickman's "Secret Warriors" and "S.H.I.E.L.D." comics. 

Zodiac has also appeared in Agent Carter as the name of a chemical weapon.

Here are the internet's current running theories on what Zodiac is about:

'Zodiac' is a 'Secret Invasion' do-over

Nick Fury's re-entry into the Marvel universe, Secret Invasion was widely considered a disappointment among fans. But it did feature the same conspiracy-filled, espionage-laced plot lines that Zodiac seems to be teasing, and fans want to see it done right.

So could the new show be another attempt to have Fury lead a team of covert operatives against a global, political threat? In the Hickman comics, Zodiac is refashioned into an organization called "The Great Wheel" and is comprised of the world's top spymasters, including S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra leaders. In this story, the Great Wheel was started by — this is not a joke — a time traveling Leonardo da Vinci.

Maybe Fury's younger brother, the yet-to-be portrayed Jake and his alter ego Scorpio, could finally make an appearance? And instead of time travel, maybe we have some more multiverse tomfoolery ahead of us?

'Zodiac' is Marvel TV's stab at the Secret Avengers

Some on the Mashable team suggest it could be a loose adaptation of the Secret Avengers, a 2010 comic series that convened a black-ops group of Marvel heroes including Moon Knight, Black Widow, Ant Man, and War Machine, as well as X-Men icon Beast. Series writer Nick Spencer asserted it was squarely in the universe of S.H.I.E.L.D. at the time, calling out both Nick Fury and Agent Coulson in early promo.

We saw two versions of this plot play out already in the MCU, however, through Steve Rogers' rogue Avengers crew in Captain America: Civil War and the latest rag tag team of villains-turned-heroes in the Thunderbolts.

'Zodiac' is literally about the Zodiac Killer

"Wild prediction: Zodiac (2028) is a spiritual successor to Zodiac (2007) and is set in between Infinity War and Endgame, in which Tony Stark, Bruce Banner and a disguised Quentin Beck team up to find a serial killer," wrote one reddit user.

Ok, so this one may just be for fellow fans of David Fincher's 2007 masterpiece Zodiac, and likely isn't what's going on here. But I would be remiss if I didn't point out that Zodiac (2007) stars Mark Ruffalo as a seasoned investigator on the hunt for a killer. Maybe Bruce Banner has some spy skills in him?

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

Ryobi's 18V and 40V tools are extremely popular with homeowners and DIYers, and for good reason. I'm a huge fan myself and have been buying Ryobi tools for more than 20 years. However, not every tool is a winner, and there are a few Ryobi tools I regret buying. If you're wandering through Home Depot, here are a few to avoid and what to buy instead.

There’s something ridiculous about how much I trust Google Maps while driving. I’ll be in an unfamiliar part of town, approaching a road I’ve never seen before, and somehow I’m expected to believe a tiny blue arrow knows exactly where I should go. Most of the time, I just follow it and hope I don’t end up making a last-second turn.

According to a new report from the Financial Times, OpenAI has informed investors that the company is expected to make $50 billion in revenue for the year.

That's a lot of money, but it's also a full $20 billion less than earlier projections from just last month, which predicted the company would earn $70 billion in annual revenue.

AI companies like Anthropic and OpenAI are in the midst of an unprecedented infrastructure spending spree, with the AI industry spending trillions on data centers and other resources. And as CNN noted, the Financial Times' report could "rattle investors" worried that these companies won't be able to turn a profit after all.

Tech stocks took a hit on the market after the revenue shortfall was reported.

According to the Financial Times, the $70 billion figure didn't come from OpenAI itself, but rather from investors comparing OpenAI's revenue with its main competitor, Anthropic. The latter's revenue projections include revenue from cloud providers, whereas OpenAI does not include this in its revenue numbers.

OpenAI raised $122 billion in March at a valuation of $852 billion. OpenAI has recently been seeking an additional $30 billion in funds at a valuation of around $1.4 trillion.

However, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced last month that he was delaying the company's IPO and that it would not be coming in 2026. Altman cited concerns regarding AI safety as the reason for the delay.

While Anthropic still plans to go public sometime this year, the OpenAI competitor's prospectus points to some revenue troubles as well. The company lost $42 billion in 2025.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

Samsung's next batch of flagship phones now has a tentative price tag.

A leaker on X going by @phonefuturist (cited by AndroidHeadlines) posted starting prices for the four phones that are currently expected to make up the Galaxy S27 lineup. These would be the base S27, the S27+, the new S27 Pro, and the S27 Ultra, for the uninitiated. The prices are as follows:

• Galaxy S27: $899

• Galaxy S27+: $1,099

• Galaxy S27 Pro: $1,299

• Galaxy S27 Ultra: $1,399

SEE ALSO: Here we go again: Samsung raises Galaxy S26 smartphone prices This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

It should be noted that this information is not coming from Samsung directly and should be taken with a grain of salt. Even if the prices are real at this point in time, they are also subject to change before the phones launch early next year. The global memory crisis is still ongoing, and a lot could change in just a few months.

That said, there are some interesting insights here. First, the S27 and S27+ are said to be $100 cheaper than the S26 equivalents currently cost. Samsung recently jacked up the prices on the 2026 models by $100, so if the leaked prices for the S27 lineup are true, that price increase will not necessarily carry forward to the new phones at launch.

However, the S27 Ultra's reported $1,399 price is consistent with the recent price increase of the S26 Ultra. It seems like the S26 Pro, which is a new device, will slot in between the S27+ and S27 Ultra as a slightly more affordable premium flagship phone. AndroidHeadlines noted that the display specs shared in the X post indicate the S27 and S27+ will not necessarily be true flagships compared to the S27 Pro and Ultra, but we'll have to wait until closer to launch to learn exactly how true that is.

Best Buy is in the middle of its own fall savings event right now, as its Techtober sale is starting off strong. For the gamer, the one product that jumps off the screen is this impressive Acer Nitro Gaming curved monitor—the ideal choice for those looking to up their experience with a bigger screen. With a discount of $280, it's one you'll definitely want to take advantage of before it's too late.

The civil lawsuit claiming that Jane Doe was drugged and raped by seven Chi Phi fraternity members at Cornell University has caused an eruption of content on social media, from the "I am Jane Doe" campaign to help conceal the woman's identity to celebrities like Florence Pugh posting about the allegations.

Now, a coalition of feminist and tech justice organizations claim Meta is censoring content about the case.

SEE ALSO: New York’s ‘voluntary intoxication loophole’: The legal gap at the center of the 'Cornell 7' case.

"We're in the midst of a classic censorship cycle designed to silence survivor voices," said Jenna Sherman, campaign director at women-led gender-justice organization UltraViolet, in a press release shared with Mashable. "First, Cornell tried to cover up this horrific case. Then, legacy media ignored it."

Jane Doe's lawsuit brings several claims against the university, including negligence and negligent supervision. Student journalists at The Cornell Daily Sun are credited with amplifying the story.

"Now, after Jane Doe and brave student journalists finally brought this story to light, Meta appears to be censoring content about the case across its platforms," Sherman continued.

Shortly after Pugh posted a statement in support of Jane Doe, she said Instagram placed a "sensitive-content" warning on her post, which prevented some people from seeing it and scrolling through the carousel. "Am I being censored for talking about rape?" she asked. Meta confirmed to TMZ that it initially placed the warning on the post, but has since lifted it.

But the coalition states that even a second post about the case was covered by the same label. "Pugh is one of many users claiming that their posts are being censored, labeled, or shadowbanned by Instagram, Facebook, and Threads," they wrote.

UltraViolet, as well as other gender justice, tech accountability, and pro-democracy organizations, have launched a joint campaign in response. In a petition with over 29,000 signatures at the time of this writing, they call on Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri to stop censoring posts about the Cornell case.

"Meta has no business making it difficult for users — and particularly women users — to engage in these conversations. Blocking this content sends a dangerous signal that sounding the alarm on rape culture is worse than rape itself," the ActionNetwork petition reads. "It feels blatantly obvious that women’s safety is not actually Meta's priority, but that silencing us is."

A Meta spokesperson told Mashable over email, "To protect victims and survivors, and to give people the choice whether to view content they may find upsetting, our policy is to apply a warning screen to detailed descriptions of sexual assault and limit that content to adults. Because of the newsworthiness of this case, we quickly lifted that warning screen for adults to better allow free discussion."

In addition to UltraViolet, the full coalition includes Democracy for America Advocacy Fund, Kairos Fellowship, National Campaign for Justice, National Organization for Women (NOW), National Women's Defense League (NWDL), Reckoning Action, ReproAction, Repro Uncensored, Safe Horizon, Sexual Violence Prevention Association (SVPA), TakeItBack.Org, The Juggernaut Project, and Women's March.

In addition to signing the petition, the coalition encourages people to report post takedowns and flags to the nonprofit Repro Uncensored (RU), which tracks instances of post and account removal. RU founder and executive director, Martha Dimitratou, said the reports RU is receiving are deeply concerning and expose harms to freedom of speech and democracy.

"These reports reflect a wider pattern documented by Repro Uncensored in thousands of digital censorship cases across more than 50 countries affecting feminist advocacy, reproductive health information, and communities facing discrimination, with critical information removed, accounts disabled and advocates left without clear explanations or meaningful appeals," she said. Mashable reported on these instances in May.

"When social media platforms bury conversations about sexual violence, they don’t just limit speech; they help create the silence in which rape culture thrives," NOW president Kim Villanueva stated in a press release.

UPDATE: Oct. 9, 2026, 5:14 p.m. EDT This article has been updated with a comment from a Meta spokesperson.

Previously, How-To Geek reported that Amazon’s ambitions in low-Earth orbit extended beyond traditional home broadband toward direct-to-device satellite connectivity. While satellite phone connectivity is still far away, Amazon is getting ready to launch its satellite internet service later this year.

Netflix has an extensive collection of award-winning movies, and some of its best picks are also great for a relaxed weekend watch. From a sweeping wartime romance to a hip-hop underdog story, these films offer very different reasons to settle in for your movie night.

Building a comprehensive Obsidian Knowledge Base has become a discipline for me lately. I already use several different methods to build it. Some of them are pretty standard, like using the web importer plugin. Others are a bit more unexpected. And I do a great deal of it without touching the editor for the most part. But I wanted to go further. So I found a few rather unconventional sources to use to continue building my "second brain".

If you’re running out of storage on your Android, there's a good chance Chrome might be the silent culprit. While the app’s base size is roughly 150MB to 275MB, its storage footprint can grow significantly as your browser accumulates Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), offline media caches, and persistent web data over time. In my case, this was the reason for my browser having around 6GB of storage on my phone.

The PC market was already rough, but it just got worse. IDC estimates that PC shipments plunged 20.1% year-over-year in the summer (third quarter) this year, and that the situation isn't likely to get better any time soon.

It's easy to forget that Sony launched a fancy, expensive VR headset for PlayStation 5 just a few years ago. It's seemingly only going to get easier going forward.

That's because Sony just sold 419 VR-and-XR-related patents to Meta, per a report from ZDNet Korea. 43 of those were filed in the United States alone, and they include patents for things like head-mounted displays.

It's unclear what exactly this means for Sony's future VR efforts, but doing this just three and a half years after the launch of PlayStation VR 2 (amidst product shortages, per GamesRadar) suggests that the company isn't especially interested in making another headset anytime soon. It should be noted that PSVR2 has not been officially discontinued, even if it has been difficult to find in stock recently.

SEE ALSO: Meta brings Muse to iPad with new tools for small businesses

This isn't terribly surprising, even if it is a bit of a bummer for those who value high-end console VR experiences. The PSVR2 headset was hailed as an excellent piece of hardware by Mashable and other outlets when it launched in 2023, but a critical lack of software support over the years has made it feel like a dead platform, even if it technically isn't one at the time of publication.

On Meta's side of things, acquiring several hundred VR patents is interesting given the company's recent up-and-down relationship with the technology. Earlier this year, Meta laid off more than 1,000 employees from its Reality Labs division and shut down the VR portion of its Horizon Worlds app. However, the company also just announced VR glasses, a new product category, so it seems like Mark Zuckerberg's VR ambitions haven't died just yet. This latest development is another point of evidence in that direction.