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SAVE $70: As of Oct. 15, the Anker Prime Charger is on sale for $99.99 at Amazon. That's a 41% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Prime Charger $99.99 at Amazon
$169.99 Save $70.00   Get Deal

If you're fed up with your desk looking like a nest of knotted cables, Anker's Prime Charger is the answer to your organizational prayers. It’s a compact power hub with six ports, a tiny display that shows what’s charging, and enough power to charge up your laptop, phone, and tablet all at once, without a bunch of cables getting tangled. And it's on sale for a limited time.

As of Oct. 15, this charger is at its lowest-ever price, so you're getting a real steal. Save $70 with the new price of $99.99.

SEE ALSO: I never go camping without this $24 portable charger

Let's break down the specifics. It's a 250W desktop charger that can power multiple devices at once, with four USB-C and two USB-A ports. The main USB-C port delivers up to 140W which is enough to charge a 16-inch MacBook Pro to 50% in about 25 minutes. Impressive, right?

It also has a 2.26-inch LCD display that tells you real-time charging information, and the control dial lets you adjust output for each device. It even supports connection to the Anker app for additional features.

Ready to tidy up your desk space? Get this great charger deal from Amazon while it's still on sale.

FREE HALLOWEEN LEGO: Build a Halloween Witch model at participating stores and take it home with you for free. Find participating stores here.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Free Lego Halloween Witch   Learn More

Another month, another free giveaway from Lego. For those not in the know, Lego regularly runs make and take events in which fans can build and take home exclusive models for absolutely nothing. We're sorry to say that you do need to actually visit a store, but this is your chance to get your hands on something that money literally cannot buy. We're sure you can manage.

The next free giveaway takes place from 12-2 p.m. on Oct. 26. Participants in the U.S. and Canada can build a Lego Witch model and take it home with them for free. We recommend checking participating stores here before you set off in search of this spooky model. We don't want you to leave the comfort of your home unless absolutely necessary. It's getting cold out there.

SEE ALSO: Our 15 favorite Lego sets, sourced from actual Lego fans

This event is intended for participants aged 6+ years, and the free model is available on a first-come-first-serve basis, at participating locations, while supplies last. Participants are limited to one build each.

Free Lego is free Lego, but what makes these events so special is that these models are not available for purchase. By taking part, you're getting a truly exclusive model that money cannot buy.

TL;DR: These magnetic, fast-charging USB-C Stay Cables ($34.99 for three) help keep your space organized and your devices powered.

Opens in a new window Credit: Function101 Stay Cable: 1M USB-C Charging Cable with Magnetic Connector (3-Pack/White) $34.99
$53.85 Save $18.86   Get Deal

Most of us have experienced a similar scenario to this one: you finally sit down to charge your phone, only to find your cable has vanished behind the desk or tangled itself into a knot. While this is not the end of the world, it can definitely slow you down and even make you sweat while you dig around to find it.

The Stay Cable three-pack (just $34.99, down from $53.85) can help end that daily battle once and for all. These ultra-durable USB-C cables don’t just charge fast — they actually stay put.

SEE ALSO: The 5 best portable power stations to stay charged up at home and on the go

Each Stay Cable includes a magnetic base that snaps securely onto included metal plates (or any magnetic surface). That means your cable stays right where you left it — at your desk, bedside table, or car dashboard — neatly in place and ready when you need it. No slipping, no searching, no frustration (and more importantly, no random sweating).

Of course, practicality doesn’t mean you’re giving up performance. These cables deliver up to 60W of fast charging power and 480 Mbps transfer speeds, making them ideal for phones, tablets, and laptops alike.

And with a braided nylon build tested to handle 20,000+ bends, they’re designed to outlast every flimsy cord you’ve ever had to begrudgingly throw away.

At 3.3 feet long, each cable hits a good balance between flexibility and tidiness — great for keeping one at home, one at work, and one in your bag.

Buy them as stocking stuffers if you want, but fair warning: once you try them, you’ll probably keep them.

Pick up a three-pack of Stay Cables (blocks are not included) while it’s on sale for just $34.99 (reg. $53.85) for a limited time.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition requires some knowledge of some athletic moves to get past a defender.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Strategies

• Green: Online game-related

• Blue: Short names

• Purple: Same second word

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Basketball defenses, in short

• Green: Fantasy football positions

• Blue: Big 12 Schools, abbreviated

• Purple: ___ hitter

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #387 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Basketball defenses, in short - 2-3, MAN, PRESS, ZONE

• Fantasy football positions - D/ST, FLEX, QB, WR

• Big 12 Schools, abbreviated - BYU, TCU, UCF, WVU

• ____ hitter - CLEANUP, DESIGNATED, NO, PINCH

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: How to play Pips, the newest NYT game

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025:

AcrossChromebooks, but not MacBooks

• The answer is PCS.

"Yippee!"

• The answer is Wahoo.

Reveal, as juicy gossip

• The answer is Spill.

With 2-Down, chef who helped popularize chicken cordon bleu in the U.S.

• The answer is Julia.

Toss in

• The answer is Add.

Down___ New Guinea

• The answer is Papua.

See 7-Across

• The answer is Child.

State of matter for most elements at room temperature

• The answer is Solid.

Business-focused newspaper, for short

• The answer is WSJ.

Hello, in Portuguese

• The answer is OLA.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Mini Crossword.

Read our full review of Pokémon Legends: Z-A.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon Legends: Z-A Switch 2 (Physical) + Free Preorder Pin   Pre-order Here

Walmart is winning Pokémon Legends: Z-A preorders thanks to a free starter Pokémon pin bonus with every physical copy of the game. It's a cut above retailers like Best Buy.

Sadly, these preorder pins have suffered stock issues, but Walmart has reopened the preorder flood gates once again. Best of all? Walmart is still offering a release day shipping time, so trainers won't need to wait for their dose of new Pokémon for the sake of a Chikorita, Totodile, or Tepig pin.

SEE ALSO: 'Pokémon Legends: Z-A': Everything you need to know before release

Pokémon Legends Z-A is set to be the biggest shake up ever for mainline Pokémon games. Moving battle mechanics towards real-time, trainers will need to shift their focus to movement, how long attacks take to cool down, and collecting mega energy orbs to Mega Evolve their own Pokémon.

It's great to see Mega Evolution return after 12 years, and there's even brand new Mega Evolutions of fan-favorite Pokémon such as Dragonite. Set in Kalos' Luminose City, it's a far cry from the usual region touring adventures and Legends Arceus "open-zone" gameplay.

Using rooftop traversal and sections of the city fenced off as wild areas for Pokémon to live in, it's an interesting take on moving Pokémon games forward whilst keeping that winning formula that's kept it in first place. Instead of gyms and the Pokémon League, the Z-A Royale has trainers earning ranks by facing off against trainers in battle zones, working from ranks Z to A with promotional battles at every rank increase.

All in all, it's a promising concept and a sign of the Pokémon Company moving in the right direction. Still on the fence about Pokémon Legends: Z-A? Our review goes into more detail.

Oh, baby. Dust off your blue suede shoes and get ready for more Elvis puns than you know what to do with. In keeping with the revival of sorts that old-school analog cassettes have been having, retro audio gear makers We Are Rewind are about to get you all shook up, announcing the launch of its Limited Edition Elvis Presley Cassette Player box set.

Being a reliable leader has its perks, but it can also make you the default pick for every stray assignment. Over time, that “magnet effect” drains your focus and fuels burnout. Here’s how to stop attracting extra work.   Prioritize without overcommitting. When given a new task, don’t default to saying yes. Assess how it fits […]

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If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Worn while cooking.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

APRON

Hurdle Word 2 hint

An expert.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 4, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

ADEPT

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A thick, clear liquid.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 4 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for August 4, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

RESIN

Hurdle Word 4 hint

To be at ease.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for August 4 Hurdle Word 4 answer

RELAX

Final Hurdle hint

Surrounds a picture.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

FRAME

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.

In this age of on-demand everything, hookup apps are the go-to for casual dating. If we can stream movies (thank you, Netflix) and order a takeaway with a few quick taps, why shouldn't we be able to find a potential partner the same way?

Sometimes all you want is some fun, and fortunately there's an app for that.

How do you find a hookup?

It's still possible to find a connection in the real world. Meeting in bars, clubs, parks, and other real-life locations still happens, whether you believe it or not. You're simply shortening your odds by subscribing to a dating site.

Dating sites and sex apps allow you to get your information out there to a massive network of like-minded individuals. Plus, you can save a lot of time, energy, and cash by testing out a potential relationship on an app before meeting up. We know that some dating apps can be expensive, but just think about all those wasted coffees you could avoid by chatting through an app first.

SEE ALSO: The best sexting apps for sending naughty messages

Using dating apps and sites is also a whole lot less intimidating than meeting someone face to face. If you find the idea of meeting people slightly terrifying, these apps can help you dip your toe into the world of dating from the comfort of your own home.

Should you use free dating apps?

The good news is that there are a lot of free dating sites and apps out there, and the likes of Tinder and Hinge are popular options with massive networks of users. Plus, most of the biggest and best dating sites have free versions with limitations on certain features. So yes, you can easily enter the online dating game without spending anything. However, as with most things in life, you get what you pay for with dating apps. And sometimes free apps just don't cut it.

For the best experience with the greatest possibility of finding exactly what you're looking for, you are going to have to cough up some cash. We're sorry to break it to you, but the best dating sites don't come cheap. It all comes down to access to advanced and premium features. You can still find a hookup with a free app, but if you're looking for compatibility tests, chat rooms, videos, and a greater level of control, we recommend upgrading.

What makes an app good for hooking up?

There's no one-size-fits-all when it comes to hookup apps. What works for your friends might not work for you. Your best bet is to download a handful of options and see which one clicks with your vibe.

Skip the apps that are all about romance and happily ever afters (we're looking at you, eharmony). Instead, keep an eye out for apps that get straight to the point. The best hookup apps make chatting quick and easy (messaging, video calls, all that good stuff), and even the free ones should have features like profile verification to help keep you safe.

If you really want to pay for a premium membership, that's up to you. But we recommend starting with the free versions of cult faves like Tinder, Grindr, and Hinge. These popular dating apps give you just enough functionality to connect with potential partners for casual encounters — all without spending anything.

What is the best sex and dating app for hooking up?

The good news is that there are absolutely loads of dating sites and sex apps out there for every type of dater and dating situation. The problem with this wealth of options is that deciding on the right site for you can be difficult. This is where we can help.

Whether you're looking to have a one-night stand, exchange nudes with strangers, or have some phone sex before you doze off, we've rounded up the most reliable hookup apps for every type of single. You can download them via Google Play or the App Store and start swiping in minutes.

These are the best hookup sites and apps in 2025.

The moon is getting smaller and smaller this week as we head towards to the New Moon. There's still a small crescent visible, however, so keep reading to see what you can spot tonight.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Wednesday, Oct. 15, the moon phase is Waning Crescent. Tonight, only 31% will be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

Waning Crescent is the last phase before we reach the new moon, and with each day until then, the visibility will decrease. There's a little less to see without any visual aids tonight, but there's still something. Look to the top left to see the Oceanus Procellarum and the Kepler Crater. If you're in the Southern Hemisphere, these will be in the bottom right. With a telescope, you'll also see the Reiner Gamma, a lunar swirl on the moon's surface and the Schiller Crater.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Nov. 5.

What are moon phases?

The Moon goes through a repeating cycle roughly every 29.5 days as it orbits Earth. These changes happen because the Sun, Earth, and Moon are constantly shifting in relation to one another. From our viewpoint on Earth, the Moon might appear full, partially illuminated, or completely dark, but we always see the same face. What changes each night is the amount of sunlight reflecting off its surface.

The eight main moon phases are:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Dan Howell and Phil Lester — mega stars of a mid-2000s cohort of British YouTubers that blazed the trail for what we now know as the creator economy — are in love. 

Yes, those of the terminally online ilk, it's true. No, people who had been half paying attention to Tumblr trends for a decade, they hadn't really confirmed it before this. But, don't take my word for it, take theirs. And maybe you'll learn something about yourself (and fandom), too. 

In a 46-minute satirical "conspiracy" documentary, skillfully evoking the popular 2010s YouTube format, the creator duo confirmed what fans have speculated for nearly 16 years: that the creative partners, roommates, and best friends have been romantically linked the whole time, and that they've remained silent about it because of intense societal pressure. In less than 24 hours, it racked up more than 1.8 million views. 

SEE ALSO: Instagram Teen Accounts are now rated PG-13

The duo, ship name Phan, has been at the center of one of the internet's most fervent romantic conspiracies for more than a decade. They spawned entire blogs and fan accounts and a relitigation of what's known online as "RPF," or "real person fiction," a fan fiction phrase that grew to encompass an ardent belief that two real-life celebrities are actually infatuated with each other. 

RPF is a taboo subject in many fandom spaces. Recall Larry Stylinson — CALM DOWN — the decades-long conspiracy that Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson of One Direction fame are secret partners. Both parties in the relationship have long denied a romantic fling, with Tomlinson emphatically begging fans to cease their speculation and even blocking mentions of the ship name on social media. A decade since the band's hiatus, and with one of the members tragically gone, Larry shippers are still posting anyway. 

Not all RPF is so extreme. In fan fic, it's an exceedingly common category that is usually constrained to the lead actors of a fan-favorite TV show or random cross-industry pairings between musicians and F1 drivers. In Hollywood, it can be an ingenious marketing tactic. Some online speculated that Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell's Anyone But You press tour was an attempt to generate RPF buzz that could push the movie's box office numbers up.  

But, for many, RPF bleeds too closely into the boundaries of real life. "Sometimes I felt like when I looked at Phil, I felt the gaze of these people in my head," Howell opined in the video, calling it a state of "apocalyptic constant stress." 

Howell and Lester are resetting the boundaries.

At a time when celebrities are increasingly pushing back on parasocial relationships and calling out the entitled behavior of fans, it would be justifiable for the two YouTube phenomena to leave it at that. To face the camera and tell fans — bluntly — that it's their fault. That many of them took it way too far (they did). That it was incredibly invasive to stalk them online (it was) and even more so to stalk their movements in public (nearing a literal crime). It became impossible to separate their budding careers from each other, fearing that a romantic association would consume their individuality; they rejected promotional events and censored themselves in videos to keep personal information away from fans. To confirm the RPF conspiracy would be to validate the near-abusive behavior. Reflect on that a bit, Phan-dom.

Howell and Lester have spent too many years online, and love their fans way too much, to fall into that binary. 

A modern blueprint for responding to parasocial bonds, Howell and Lester spend the first 30 minutes of the video telling fans what they already know, parroting back their own behavior over a decade. It's not really to shame them. They stand outside their old flat, where fans scoped out Google Street View specs to recreate it in incredible detail. They wear tin foil hats while pointing at a conspiracy board, filled with references only Phan stans should know. They concoct the perfect ship in a lab. They've been aware of it all. 

Then, they turn the metaphorical camera to the viewer and themselves. "A lot of the 'bad guys' weren't bad people," says Howell. "They were just young people that had absolutely no idea what the effects of their actions were."

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Howell had a complicated childhood, he explained, closeted and clouded by an extremely homophobic upbringing. Now he wants a fresh start, based on authenticity. Lester, who was privately out before Howell, was there for him through it all — much like Phan was for their viewers. "This is not a video for you to be like, 'I need to beat myself up about this. I feel so bad. I need to stop watching.' It's not about that," adds Lester. 

They reiterate this because Dan and Phil, the duo, truly understand what fandom entails. They were helping architect modern fan spaces with their peers in the 2000s, and participating in it themselves, right as YouTube and the idea of a "creator" being a celebrity came to fruition. Combine this with what fandom can mean for queer youth, specifically, and the wishful thinking of a generation of similarly closeted LGBTQ+ fans. It's much more nuanced than one may think.

Fandom researchers have long explored the intensity and importance of fandom, even before the internet complicated the relationship. In a 2023 interview with Mashable, researcher Nancy Baym explained how previously normalized fandom behaviors are actively being renegotiated: "The expectation that you ought to be online engaging your people, showing them these more private moments, has opened up a constant need to negotiate boundaries, part of a much broader blurring of boundaries between work and home, professional and personal, public and private."

So, at the 30-minute mark, the partners reestablish the rules: Shipping is fine, fan fiction ("creative writing") is all good, but no digging into their private moments and certainly no sexual speculation. 

Howell and Lester are resetting those boundaries, rooted not in anger but in compassion for their younger selves — and the fans who changed the trajectory of their lives. "Forgiveness and growth is such an important part of life," says Howell, a point he repeats later. "In the same way we want the people in our lives to give us patience and grace and the benefit of the doubt if we ever make a mistake, I have to extend that to the world."

Watch the full video below — It's worth every minute.

This article reflects the opinion of the writer.

Chase DiBenedetto is the Social Good Reporter at Mashable.

Meet The Mashable 101: The top creators keeping the internet interesting in 2025. From meme-makers to movement-starters, these are the people powering our timelines today.

We don't know whether Apple will even hold its October launch event this year, but at least one tech giant has stopped playing coy. Samsung announced "Worlds Wide Open" Tuesday, streaming to a screen near you on October 21.

The grandiose name and soaring orbital invite image, above, may be justified. This is a Galaxy Event in which we'll finally get to see Project Moohan (and hopefully start calling it something other than Project Moohan), the Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality Android XR headset billed as a cheaper, more high-definition rival to the Apple Vision Pro.

Project Moohan is "the first product built for the open and scalable Android XR platform," Samsung stated in the announcement. "Project Moohan blends everyday utility with immersive new experiences, unlocking a whole new dimension of possibility and setting a new benchmark for XR."

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy XR headset early report: Project Moohan beats Apple Vision Pro in 2 key ways

And if that's not enough to whet your appetite, how about a discount? Customers who reserve their Galaxy device at any time before the event "are eligible to receive $100 credit to use toward any additional eligible products," the company said. After reserving by Oct. 20, the device must be purchased between Oct. 21 and Nov. 16.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Reserve the Project Moohan device by Oct. 20 Get a $100 credit Get Deal

We still don't know how much this Project Moohan will cost, however. Previous leaks have placed the number in a range between $1,800 and $3,000 — a hefty price tag, but still cheaper than a Vision Pro.

Other leaks have suggested the headset will have more than 4K of resolution in each eye, which would also best Apple's device.

We'll find out for sure in one week. According to Samsung, the Galaxy event will be streamed on Samsung.com/us and Samsung’s YouTube channel on Tuesday, October 21 at 10 p.m. ET.

The titleholder for most powerful robot vacuum evolves every six months or so as the top robot vacuum brands throw an elevated new flagship into the ring. For most of 2025, the suction power number to beat was 22,000 Pa (Pascals) — but in August 2025, the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller became the new apex robot vacuum with its 30,000 Pa of suction power (among other noteworthy upgrades).

Though I currently serve as president of the Roborock Saros 10R fan club, that vacuum has been out for nearly 10 months now. It was only a matter of time before a new darling came through my doors to upstage it as the best robot vacuum to buy right now, and on paper, the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller's specs are definitely superior. I've been testing it at home for a week and have some initial results to share with the class.

Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller $1,279.99 at Amazon
$1,599.99 Save $320   Shop Now at Amazon Shop Now at Amazon

If we want to take the "looks" part of "first look" literally, the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller might just be the best-looking robot vacuum I've ever tested. My roommate, who is virtually unfazed by any new vacuum after the constant influx she's witnessed over the past three years of me turning our apartment into a testing lab, immediately noticed it. "Oh, THIS one is pretty."

Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

Its crisp white and silver palette matches my landlord classic all-white apartment with a nod to our stainless steel appliances. The clean design is only to be rivaled by the Saros 10 that I tested earlier in 2025, which was pretty great, but still not as powerful as this Dreame model.

Is the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller good on carpet?

So far, the Aqua10 Ultra Roller has been a beast on both rugs and hard floors. If the 30,000 Pa of suction power benchmark doesn't mean much to you, here's a frame of reference: That's more than double the 13,000 Pa of suction power of the flagship Roomba with a roller mop, the 2025 Roomba Max 705 Combo.

Again, it's also notably stronger than the next-strongest vacuums on the market with 22,000 Pa, like the Roborock Saros Z70 with an arm, the Narwal Flow (also a roller mop robot vacuum), and the Dyson Vis Nav (which doesn't mop, self-empty, or avoid small obstacles). When you Google "most powerful robot vacuum," don't be fooled when those models come up — even AI hasn't caught up to Dreame's imminent takeover yet.

SEE ALSO: I found the most impressive robot vacuum under $500. You've never heard of it.

The Aqua10 Ultra Roller's strength has really translated to pet hair pickup, large crumb pickup, and even fine powder pickup across various rugs in my apartment. It fully cleared a mess I made on purpose on my plush Tumble fur rug involving crushed Goldfish crackers, spilled dry rice, and tough tufts of cat hair collected from the cat tree. I think the parallel spinning roller brushes underneath really help its efficacy on dry debris.

How it started... Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable How it's going. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

Even when I thought the Aqua10 Ultra Roller missed a few hairballs, it literally seemed to go back and grab the leftovers at the end of the session. Chances are high that it'll be bumped to the absolute best robot vacuum for carpet on my list.

Is the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller good at mopping?

A new question has quickly become the face of shopping for a robot vacuum and mop combo in late 2025: Are paintbrush-style roller mops better than spinning mopping pads? For the most part, I think the rumors are true: Roller mop robot vacuums are great at sopping up droplets and larger splatters without dragging spill remnants across the floor.

The Dreame Aqua10 Ultra rinses the roller mop with water from inside the vac in real time, ensuring that the fibers doing the "cleaning" aren't merely soaked in the juice or buffalo sauce that they just wiped up elsewhere. Of course, the self-emptying dock also self-washes the roller mop each time it returns to the dock. For mop washing mid-session, you can toggle a certain amount of time or square footage to elapse between trips back to the dock. Still, the live roller rinsing is a much-needed cushion against streaking.

In another purposeful disaster I created on the floor, the Aqua10 Ultra Roller tackled my wine spill and left the hardwood spotless in just one pass.

From wine... Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable ...to no wine. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

But as you may notice in these photos, there was another level in this kitchen cleaning test: shredded cheese. We go through bags of shredded cheese embarrassingly fast in my household, and there always seems to be new pieces of cheese lying under the counter, even if I just vacuumed the day before. To my surprise, the Aqua10 Ultra Roller left a lot of that shredded cheese behind — mere hours after it aced my cat hair test. The missed spots were all along edges, either along the wall or along the rug edge.

A lot of vacuums struggle with corner cleaning, not due to weak suction but due to the shape and reach of their edge brushes. I'm going to play around with settings in the Dreame app to try to right this — sending the robot vacuum for multiple passes, boosting suction power, and tweaking zone placement are all ways I've found to make a robot vacuum work better. Strategic tweaking of settings for sufficient corner cleaning probably shouldn't be a thing you have to do with a 2025 flagship robot vacuum, though.

The Aqua10 Ultra Roller mop does reach out a little bit, but doesn't get super close to the wall. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable The Roborock Saros 10R's flexible spinning pad digs into corners much better. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

So, it seems like there's something to be said for the flexibility of spinning pads vs. rollers. Not only do they scrub closer to the wall to grab more out-of-the-way droplets that I could see Dreame's roller missing, but those mopping pads' ability to scoot along edges is also handy for pushing dry debris out of corners into the vacuum's cleaning path.

(Next up on my testing docket: The new Dyson robot vacuum, the Spot+Scrub Ai, adopts the same roller mop technique — but the streets are saying it only has 18,000 Pa of suction power.)

Huge W: No phone chargers have been harmed so far

I never expect any robot vacuum to have 100 percent perfect small obstacle avoidance, even if it's one of the fanciest on the market. But even the high-end Roborocks that impressed me otherwise still consistently struggled with avoiding cords and phone chargers, even though they're spot on with other items like shoes and socks. So it's been really comforting to watch the Aqua10 Ultra Roller successfully dodge cords and cables on multiple occasions. From Halloween light extension cords on my living room floor to phone chargers that I throw in its path on purpose, I haven't had to yank anything from the Aqua10 Ultra Roller's jaws yet.

My next order of business is to see how it does around clumps of brown sugar or soil — the best makeshift pet waste.

It still can't climb stairs, but we're getting closer

Since the release of the X50 Ultra at CES in 2024, Dreame's main robotic vacuum claim to fame has its ProLeap system. That's the technology that originally stirred conversations about robot vacuums that can climb stairs, but the "stairs" in question could barely be more than two inches tall to be "climbable." That threshold has been bumped to 3.15 inches with the Aqua10 Ultra Roller, but that's still not really staircases.

For instance, my parents are currently adding a sunroom to their house, which will eventually be accessible from the living room via a sliding door (and maybe one shallow step down). The Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller would be one of the few robot vacuums that could safely scale that threshold and clean that room with the rest of the house without someone physically setting it in there. Every bedroom closet in my apartment has two large mirrored sliding doors, so it's nice to be able to send the Aqua10 Ultra Roller to sweep under my clothes without worry that it'll bust a wheel on the metal tracks. Still, it seems disrespectful to minimize the robust Aqua10 Ultra Roller to just a "stair climbing robot vacuum."

Eufy is trying to get in on the same climbing market with the Eufy Marswalker. However, it's not a standalone robot vacuum that can climb thresholds — it's a platform device that can take the Eufy Omni S2 robot vacuum up the stairs. That'll also be a 30,000 Pa robot vacuum, so pitting it against the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller will be fun when it comes out in January.

Is the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller worth it?

I would already recommend the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller robot vacuum to anyone who is open to splurging on their next vacuum purchase, especially for pet hair. Forget a robot vacuum with an arm that picks up socks sometimes — this is the practically-priced innovation I've been looking for in a premium robot vacuum.

If you've already purchased a high-end robotic vacuum in the past year or so, you're probably safe to skip this one. But if you're in the market and ruling out cheap robot vacuums, the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller is probably the best robot vacuum and mop out there right now — despite the lazy edge cleaning I've noticed in the first week.

For specs like 30,000 Pa of suction, the self-cleaning roller mop, and reliable small obstacle avoidance, its $1,599.99 MSRP is inarguably reasonable. Many weaker 2-in-1 robot vacuums have debuted around that same price over the past two years. But it's definitely worth noting that the Aqua10 Ultra Roller has been on sale for less than $1,300 for nearly the entire time since its release in August. While I still love the Roborock Saros 10R, its identical $1,599.99 price tag rarely gets a discount — and it has weaker suction power and less attentive cord and phone charger detection than the Aqua10 Ultra Roller.

Where to buy the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller Amazon Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller $1,279.99 at Amazon Shop Now Dreame Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller $1,279.99 at Dreame (save $320 with code A10U320) Shop Now

I know we've probably had way too many Samsung events. But they're never enough. And apparently, we're getting one more this year—and it's not for phones, laptops, or earbuds, for a change.

SAVE $500: As of Oct. 14, the Samsung 49-inch Odyssey G9 curved gaming monitor is on sale for $799.99 at Amazon. That's 38% off its list price of $1,299.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Odyssey G9 curved gaming monitor $799.99 at Amazon
$1,299.99 Save $500   Get Deal

Just like a good TV can enhance your cinematic experience, a good monitor can level up your gaming setup. If your current monitor feels lifeless and dull, it's probably about time for an upgrade. And it happens to be a great time, as one of our favorites from Samsung is on sale for $500 off.

As of Oct. 14, the Samsung 49-inch Odyssey G9 curved gaming monitor is on sale for $799.99 at Amazon. That's 38% off its list price of $1,299.99 and about $60 shy of its best price ever.

While you may think 49 inches is overkill when it comes to a gaming monitor, the Odyssey G9 features a 1000R curve, which basically wraps the screen around your head. It immerses you in the action without forcing you to scoot back to see the whole picture. "While the curve of this monitor is the main attraction, it's not the only highlight," former Mashable shopping reporter Dylan Haas wrote in his review. Other perks include solid visuals with the 5,120 x 1,440 pixel display, a quick 240Hz refresh rate, HDR 1000 support for brightness and contrast, sturdy build quality, Eye Saver mode that reduces screen flickering, and the ability to use it as a two-in-one display.

Our only drawbacks with this massive monitor are the response time (1ms, which could be faster) and the sheer size. As Haas pointed out, "You need a lot of room to fit this monitor and then some if you don't want to risk shoulder-checking it by accident when you get up." If you don't have the real estate to house this bad boy, you may want to opt for something a bit smaller. But if you want to immerse yourself in your games and have the desk space to do so, it's a pretty epic option — especially since it's $500 cheaper than usual.

SAVE $250: As of Oct. 14, the 75-inch Insignia QF QLED 4K Fire TV is on sale for $399.99 at Amazon. That's its same price from Prime Big Deal Days last week, and a 38% savings.

Opens in a new window Credit: Insignia Insignia 75-inch QF QLED 4K Fire TV $399.99 at Amazon
$649.99 Save $250   Get Deal

The cheapest 75-inch QLED TV we saw during Prime Big Deal Days in the first week of October is still at that price. You can still grab the massive 75-inch Insignia QF QLED Fire TV for $399.99 at Amazon — a nearly 40% price cut, dropping the TV to its lowest price ever. Amazon probably won't start teasing Black Friday deals until mid-November, so this is your chance to upgrade during the year's most elite cozy binge-watching months.

With this big of a steal on the table, you don't have to ride or die for your old LED TV anymore. Curse it out one last time, recycle it at Best Buy, and start building a new fall watchlist for you and your new big screen. We recommend Tim Robinson's The Chair Company, or if you're strictly in spooky season right now, we have a full interactive horror recommendations builder — just tell us what you're into, and we'll give some suggestions. We've seen everything.

SEE ALSO: If dark scenes are too dark on your TV, play around with these settings

If you've never had a QLED TV at home before, it's hard to envision what "quantum dots" even mean. In the simplest sense, they're an extra layer of tiny light-reflecting crystals on top of the LED backlight that your old TV had. QLED TVs are best known for brightness and boosted color saturation, and you'll notice that difference in vibrancy the first time you turn on a football game midday... and can actually see what's going on.

There's hardly ever such a thing as truly free money. We pay for everything, in some way: with labor, with time, with suffering.

So getting a payment from a tech or social media settlement isn't exactly free — it's likely the company messed up in some way and it legitimately owes you that cash — but it certainly can feel like getting free money. And if you're already using the tech or platform, then you might as well get paid for the issue.

Here are four major settlements you might want to look into — just to see if you're owed money.

AT&T

AT&T this summer settled data breach lawsuits between 2019 and 2024. If you are an AT&T customer, you might be entitled to some of the $177 million agreement. The company said it would be contacting customers between August and October. If you haven't been contacted, it might be worth reaching out to check. You can also check out a website devoted to the settlement, which has the proper forms, deadlines, and information you need to claim a settlement.

Facebook

Pretty much everyone used Facebook at some point, which means you could be due for a payment. Settlement payouts related to the Cambridge Analytica scandal actually began to roll out last month and could go on for several more weeks. There was a deadline in 2023 to submit a claim — to be honest, who could remember if they filed something two years ago — but those who will get a payout should get an email alerting them to the fact that a payment is forthcoming.

Amazon

The retail and tech giant agreed last month to pay $1.5 billion to an estimated 35 million customers over alleged deceptive practices regarding Prime membership. You could be eligible for a payment if you signed up to be a Prime member between 2019-2025 and did so using one of the so-called "challenged enrollment flows." Certain customers will automatically get paid while others may be sent a claims form by Amazon, depending on their eligibility.

For more information on the Amazon settlement payments, check out Mashable's coverage.

Anthropic

AI company Anthropic agreed last month to pay authors $1.5 billion over allegations that it used their work to train its model. So yes, you'd have to be one of the authors in the case to get paid by this settlement, but the Books3 dataset at issue in the case contains tens of thousands of works. The judge in the case, however, has expressed reservations about that settlement — so it remains to see what will actually result from it.

In the meantime, more class-action suits against AI companies are likely to come soon, including a recent case involving Apple and allegedly pirated books. You can check to see if your work was included in the notorious Books3 library at The Atlantic's searchable database.

One of the biggest highlights of Amazon's most recent announcements was the introduction of a brand-new Fire TV Stick, the Fire TV Stick 4K Select, which comes with a brand-new, Linux-based operating system, Vega OS. Apparently, though, it needs some time before you can use Plex on it as well as you currently can on older Fire TV devices.

It's that beautiful time when Netflix viewers worldwide tune into Love is Blind and wonder, "How is everyone missing all these red flags?"

Season 9 of Netflix's blockbuster dating show, in which couples pair up after getting to know each other sight unseen, kicked off Oct. 1. And just like with prior seasons, Season 9 is not skimping on the drama. From Patrick and Kacie's bizarre breakup to Anna and Blake ghosting their potential connections in the pods, there is a ton of juicy awkwardness to unpack.

Luckily, viewers will have the chance to further unpack all of Love is Blind Season 9's shenanigans at the upcoming reunion, coming to Netflix Oct. 29. In the reunion announcement video, hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey get in their obligatory ghosting joke, telling fans, "the only thing scarier than [ghosting] would be missing the reunion."

You heard them! Something tells me it's going to get messy.

Love is Blind Season 9: The Reunion premieres Oct. 29 at 9 p.m. ET on Netflix.