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Most people think of PowerPoint only as a tool for creating slide decks, but it's capable of much more. If you have some free time this weekend, these three hands-on projects will help you build more polished, interactive presentations while teaching you useful features along the way.

TL;DR: You can score a free pair of Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones (worth $450) when you purchase an eligible Microsoft Surface Laptop or Surface Pro through July 31.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Surface and Sony Headphone Bundle   Get Deal

Back-to-school shopping season is officially kicking into high gear (it's literally still July, but here we are), which means tech bundles are popping up all over the place. So if you're looking for a deal that'll save you some cash on a much-needed upgrade, you should definitely check out Microsoft's Back-to-School Sale.

SEE ALSO: The 12 best headphones of 2026 — we tested the top contenders from Sony, Apple, Bose, and Beats

Now through July 31, Microsoft's giving any customer who buys an eligible 12th-edition Surface Pro or 8th-edition Surface Laptop (from the Microsoft Store) a pair of the Mashable Choice Award-winning Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones on the house. That's a $459.99 value.

Here's how it works:

• Step 1: Purchase an eligible Surface Pro (starts at $1,499.99) or Surface Laptop (starts at $1,599.99) from the Microsoft Store by July 31.

• Step 2: Microsoft will email you a Sony redemption code within seven business days of your purchase.

• Step 3: Head over to Sony's site and plug in your code by December 31, 2026, and they'll ship the headphones straight to your door.

Just keep in mind that there's a limit of one redemption code per household, and your shipping address must be a physical address within the contiguous U.S. (this promotion unfortunately excludes Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. territories, and PO boxes).

SAVE $130: As of July 17, my favorite headphones, the Bose QuietComfort, are on sale for just $229. That saves you $130 off its list price of $359.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort Headphones $229 at Amazon
$359 Save $130   Get Deal

When people find out I review products, their next question is always "What do you recommend?"

Quickly, I spitball through the list of my most used and loved products and the headphones that are always on it are the Bose QuietComfort. I've convinced more than one friend to pick up these headphones for their combination of stellar sound and comfort. I'd tell you to buy them when they're full price, but on sale? Run to grab these headphones.

As of July 17, the Bose QuietComfort headphones are just $229. That saves you $130 off its $359 list price for 36% savings.

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Comfort is in the name of these headphones, and it lives up to it. The Bose QuietComfort come with me whenever I travel. On a trip to Greece, they blocked out the busy bustle of travel whether that be on planes or ferries. Plus, they helped me catch some sleep on my 11 hour flight. My only complaint with these headphones is that they loosen slightly over time, however, the noise cancellation remains just as strong.

Shop my favorite headphones, the Bose QuietComfort, for just $229 at Amazon.

Are you a weekend tinkerer with a love for microcontrollers? Make your network even better this weekend with these simple ESP32 projects—no solder required!

SAVE $24: Through July 30, new and returning subscribers can get three months of Audible Standard for just 99 cents per month. That's $8 per month in savings for a total of $24.

Opens in a new window Credit: Audible Audible Standard $0.99/month for 3 months (save $8/month) Get Deal

If you missed out on Audible's excellent Prime Day offer, a new deal just dropped as a consolation prize. It's not free this time around, but it's still a great offer (and one I took advantage of myself).

Through July 30, new and returning subscribers can score three months of Audible Standard for only 99 cents per month. Usually $8.99 per month, that's a total of $24 in savings.

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I don't think Audible's Standard tier is worth it at full price. The new plan, which launched in March, lets you select one audiobook each month for the full Audible collection. But unlike the Premium plan, you can't keep those titles if you cancel your subscription. Oh, and if you forget to select a book in the allotted time period one month, you basically forfeit that month entirely. So at the full cost of $8.99 per month, that hardly seems fair. Less than $3 total to "borrow" three premium audiobooks from Audible's expansive catalog, on the other hand, is a dang good deal.

Along with the three premium titles, you'll also get to enjoy unlimited Audible Originals and nearly 200 of the most popular titles from Wondery+. So you technically get more than just three audiobooks for 99 cents each month.

As I mentioned above, I took advantage of this three-month deal myself and plan on listening to the entire Wayward Pines trilogy during my promo period, then canceling. Pro tip: Set a calendar alert when you sign up to remind yourself to cancel before the promotional period ends. And remember, you need to finish listening before you cancel your subscription, or else you'll lose access forever.

For better or worse, cars have gotten pretty smart. While many come with Android Auto alongside the manufacturer’s infotainment system, sometimes, that infotainment system itself is built on Android. This platform is called Android Automotive, and it has an interesting history.

BOGO DEAL: For July 17 only, Krispy Kreme is offering a special birthday promotion. You can get a dozen glazed donuts for 89 cents with the purchase of any dozen donuts.

Opens in a new window Credit: Krispy Kreme Krispy Kreme BOGO Buy any dozen donuts and get a glazed dozen for 89 cents Get Deal

Few things in life are better than a fresh Krispy Kreme donut, especially if you can snag one for free when the hot light is on.

For today, however, you won't have to catch the donut shop at the opportune time to score a great deal. July 17 is Krispy Kreme's 89th birthday, and to celebrate, customers can get a dozen glazed donuts for just 89 cents with the purchase of any other dozen donuts. Come July 18, the deal is gone, so you'll want to make your way to a Krispy Kreme if you're intent on scoring the savings.

SEE ALSO: 7-Eleven and Hot Wheels just dropped an exclusive Nissan GT-R collectible — here's how to get it

You can order ahead online for pickup or delivery, and grab the deal by adding the special promotional option off the menu, and entering the code BDAY at checkout. When ordering online, you're limited to one discounted dozen. Customers who go in person to order at the counter or drive through can get up to two dozen of the 89 cent donuts.

While Krispy Kreme does offer special promos year round — just last month, you could grab one free donut and BOGO glazed dozen for $2 in honor of National Donut Day — but if you're trying to get as many donuts as possible, it's hard to beat this deal.

There's an assumption that free software means you're settling: fewer features, no support, and a worse experience overall. However, the open-source world is full of free apps that match—and sometimes beat—their paid counterparts. If you've got some free time this weekend, here are three worth installing.

With the frequency of wildfires impacting air quality in North America, plenty of us are wondering how we can protect our homes and our health. If you live in an impacted area, if you're going outside make sure to mask up, but smoke can make it inside the home, too. That's why a quality air purifier is a wise investment, as frequent wildfires become a reality in the face of climate change.

A $200 air purifier isn't an easy everyday purchase, but if you're in a pinch and need to buy one for your home ASAP, we want you to find the best price on them. We found the best deals on air purifiers to cleanse your home's air protecting it from smoke, pollen, pet dander, and more.

The best air purifier deal Opens in a new window Credit: Shark Shark BreatheClear Smart Air Purifier $249.99 at Amazon
$329.99 Save $80   Get Deal

Shark makes impressive air purifiers that you can set and forget about. With its signature NeverChange filters, you can go six years without changing the filter. With a LCD screen, the Shark displays air quality in real time so you can assess it and watch the air purifier respond. It works to react faster, continuously filtering for smoke, pollen, dust, dander, and VOCs from paint and aerosols.

Right now, the get the Shark BreatheClear Smart Air Purifier for 24% off, bringing it down to $249.99. That saves you $70 off its $329.99 list price.

Want to explore your options? There are plenty more air purifiers ata variety of price points to shop right now.

More air purifier deals

• Levoit Mini-P — $39.99 $49.99 (save $10)

• Levoit Core300-P — $84.99 $99.99 (save $15)

• Blueair Blue Pure 511 — $84.99 $99.99 (save $15)

• Levoit Vital 100S-P — $109.99 $139.99 (save $30)

• Levoit Vital Pet Pro — $159.99 $199.99 (save $40)

• Levoit Vital 200S-P — $169.98 $189.99 (save $20.01)

• Shark BreatheClear Compact Pro — $179.99 $229.99 (save $50)

• Levoit Core 400S-P — $181.92 $219.99 (save $38.07)

• Dreo MC710S Air Purifier Tower Fan — $296.96 $329.99 (save $33.03)

SAVE $700: As of July 17, the Hookii Neomow X robot lawn mower is on sale for just $1,499 with an on-page coupon at Amazon. That's a saving of 32% or $700 off its list price of $2,199.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hookii Hookii Neomow X $1,499 at Amazon
$2,199 Save $700 *with on-page coupon* Get Deal

If mowing the lawn is a chore you'd rather not do, I suggest looking into a robot lawn mower. Yes, they're expensive, but if you keep your eyes peeled on Amazon, you can often find a sweet deal. Case in point: an on-page coupon knocks $700 off the Hookii Neomow X.

As of July 17, the Hookii Neomow X robot lawn mower is down to just $1,499 from its usual $2,199. That's a 32% price drop and the cheapest this model has ever been, according to our favorite price-tracking tool.

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This robot mower uses AI Vision, 3D LiDAR, and visual recognition to distinguish your lawn's boundaries and avoid obstacles in real time. It may take some time for it to map out your yard initially, but once it's familiar, you can view the layout on the map, manage your zones, set exclusion areas, draw virtual walls, and more. Mashable's sister site CNET tested this mower and found that it had some issues in certain areas, so they recommended properly setting boundaries for exclusionary zones.

It's suitable for flat or slightly sloped lawns up to 24 degrees and can mow up to .75 acres (about 32,000 square feet). A single charge will give you about two hours of operation.

If that sounds like your yard, the Hookii Neomow X could be the ideal mower to take over your lawn care duties this summer. Snag it while it's $700 cheaper than usual — and don't forget to check the box next to the on-page coupon price.

Are you ready for another round of weekend homelab projects to try out? This weekend, I'm showing you a unique note-taking app, how to add third-party cameras to HomeKit, and also how to keep track of your Jellyfin server's stats.

ZorinOS has been getting a lot of hype ever since Microsoft dropped support for Windows 10. Turns out the hype is justified. Linux Mint has been my go-to recommendation for Windows users, but testing ZorinOS changed my opinion.

TL;DR: Stuff Your Kindle Day is live on July 17-18. Summer Solstice, hosted by Stuff with Fantasy, is offering fantasy books for $0.99 or less.

Stop what you're doing — Stuff Your Kindle Day is back.

Once upon a time it felt like we were shouting about these free giveaways every week, but between Prime Day and a little break in the busy schedule, it's been a while. So we're delighted to confirm that a new event has just gone live.

Summer Solstice, hosted by Stuff with Fantasy, is offering participants the chance to download fantasy books for $0.99 or less. And better yet, everything that you download is yours to keep forever on your Kindle or Kobo. If you're invested in the world of dragons, dark magic, and forbidden romance, this is the event for you.

SEE ALSO: T-Mobile is giving away the new Motorola Razr for free — how to get yours

Looking to make the most of the latest Stuff Your Kindle Day? We've lined up everything you need to know about this popular event.

When is Stuff Your Kindle Day?

Summer Solstice takes place on July 17-18. Unlike a lot of these giveaways, you've got two whole days to stock up on reading material. We get a lot of 24-hour drops, which can create some stress for bookworms. This is a much more comfortable pace.

Which books are free?

Summer Solstice is a fantasy book blast with everything listed for $0.99 or less. There's a helpful hub page with filters for Age Category, Spice Levels, Content Triggers, Representations, Tropes, Genres and Subgenres, Language Level, and Audiobooks, so you can head directly to what you want to download.

Is Stuff Your Kindle Day the same as Amazon Kindle Unlimited?

Everything you download on Stuff Your Kindle Day is yours to keep forever, and there's no limit on the number of books you can download. Stuff Your Kindle Day downloads don't count towards the 20 books that Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscribers can borrow at the same time.

The best Stuff Your Kindle Day deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Kindle (16GB) + Kindle Unlimited (3 Months) $109.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now Why we like it

These popular e-readers let you take your entire library on the go. With weeks of battery life and an anti-glare display, you can read anywhere and anytime with the Kindle. Plus, you can get three months of Kindle Unlimited for free with your purchase for a limited time.

It's not even a debate: GPUs are the most exciting component in any PC. That's been the case for years and years.

TL;DR: 7-Eleven and Hot Wheels are back with another exclusive collectible, this time a 2017 Nissan GT-R (R35). It's available now for $7.11 at participating 7-Eleven, Speedway, and Stripes stores, as well as online at 7Collection, while supplies last.

Opens in a new window Credit: 7-Eleven / Hot Wheels 7-Eleven Hot Wheels Nissan GT-R $7.11 at 7Collection
  Shop Now

If you're a Hot Wheels collector, your next stop might be 7-Eleven.

The retailer has teamed up with Mattel for a second year to release an exclusive Hot Wheels 2017 Nissan GT-R (R35). The limited-edition collectible is available now for $7.11 at participating 7-Eleven, Speedway, and Stripes locations, as well as online at 7Collection. Don't wait too long, though — it's only available while supplies last.

Credit: 7-Eleven / Hot Wheels Credit: 7-Eleven / Hot Wheels What makes this Hot Wheels exclusive so special?

This year's release spotlights the iconic 2017 Nissan GT-R (R35), one of Nissan's most recognizable performance cars. The 1:64-scale die-cast features a clean white finish with 7-Eleven branding on the hood and sides, giving the sports car a playful convenience-store makeover that's made for collectors.

The collectible is part of Hot Wheels' Silver Series, which means it comes with extra detailing compared to the brand's standard cars. It also arrives in exclusive 7-Eleven-themed packaging, making it just as display-worthy as the car itself.

If you miss out on the 2017 Nissan GT-R (R35), there's more on the way. 7-Eleven says an expanded collection of limited-edition merchandise will arrive soon.

Throughout Season 1 of Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, Paula Sanders (Tatiana Maslany) has been through hell. She's been scammed and arrested. She's shot a man and become embroiled in a criminal conspiracy. And through it all, she's been enduring a nasty custody battle with her ex, Carl (Jake Johnson), over her daughter, Hazel (Nola Wallace).

SEE ALSO: 'Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed' review: The power of Tatiana Maslany makes this thriller a must-watch

That all comes to a head in Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed's Season 1 finale, which sees Paula and Carl officially go to court. Spoiler alert: Paula manages to keep custody of Hazel, but not before she's publicly chewed out for her transactions with cam boy Trevor (Brandon Flynn).

In a Say More interview with Mashable Entertainment Reporter Belen Edwards, Maslany broke down the heated moment.

"Reading [the scene], I'm like, oh, Paula's in a situation where Carl would never be questioned for the affair he had, because his affair has landed him with a woman who has a lot of money and a good life," Maslany explained.

While Carl's affair has brought him stability, Paula's own sex life has "derailed" her, Maslany explained, putting her desires under the microscope.

"The impulse to seek out connection or sexual gratification — that's almost more on trial than anything else," Maslany said of the custody hearing. "It's a wonderful thing [for Paula] to be able to articulate, in sort of clumsy language, a retort to that, and that she doesn't just acquiesce [and say], 'Yes, I shouldn't have done that, and I'm bad, and I'll never do it again.'"

To hear more about Maslany's reaction to Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, and how she found the character of Paula, watch the full interview above.

All episodes of Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed are now streaming on Apple TV.

The most dedicated movie fans with cash to splash can sometimes get their hands on real movie props, but even mass-produced replicas demand a premium. With a 3D printer and a bit of spare time, you can make your own.

Public transportation can feel intimidating, especially when you're visiting a new city, exploring more efficient routes for your daily commute, or simply trying to reach your office on time before rush hour swallows you up. Thankfully, Google Maps has many public transit-focused features that can make your journey feel hassle-free and strip the stress from navigating unfamiliar routes and locations. Here are four features that you should check out now.

I get it, Raspberry Pi prices have gone through the roof, and what was once a cheap little single-board computer you could buy on a whim is now practically an investment. But, what about the cheaper alternatives?

TL;DR: Chipotle is giving away 100,000 free entrées during the 2026 World Cup final on July 19. During the match’s second hydration break, fans can watch a video on Chipotle’s Instagram, grab the code revealed at the end, and text it to 888-222 for a chance to claim free food.

Chipotle is bringing some free food to the biggest football match of the summer.

During the 2026 World Cup final on Sunday, July 19, the restaurant chain will give away 100,000 free entrée offers as part of this special giveaway.

The idea for this promotion comes from a long-running Chipotle fan joke. Some customers have been known to “accidentally” fill their complimentary water cups with lemonade at the drink station, and the restaurant has leaned into the joke on social media over the years.

“The best brand ideas start with a fan truth,” said Stephanie Perdue, Chipotle’s senior vice president of marketing.

How to get a free Chipotle entrée during the World Cup final

Getting the freebie is pretty simple:

1. Tune into the World Cup final on July 19

2. During the match’s second hydration break, head to Chipotle’s Instagram account (@Chipotle)

3. Watch the cup-shuffling game, where three identical Chipotle water cups move around the screen

4. Follow the cup hiding the lemonade and grab the code revealed at the end

5. Text the code to 888-222

The first 100,000 people to successfully text the code will receive a free entrée offer, valid on any regularly priced entrée (subject to availability) through July 24, 2026. The offer is available in the U.S. for fans 13 and older. Standard text and data rates may apply.

If you’re already watching the final, it’s worth keeping your phone nearby — your next Chipotle meal could be just a text away.