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6 affordable new Kobalt 24V tools hitting Lowe’s shelves
If you're looking for affordable yet capable power tools, there are two main options to consider: Ryobi at Home Depot and Kobalt at Lowe's. Both brands constantly release new products for fans, and if you're into the Kobalt ecosystem, we've seen several exciting new tools hit the shelves in recent weeks.
GitHub is experiencing an open-source exodus. Here's where the developers are going instead
I'm not a programmer, so all I can do is watch the events unfolding in the world of coding. Since the first programmable computers, there probably hasn't been a bigger shake-up in software development than the advent of AI-powered vibe coding. It's a little ironic that programming as a human activity is being threatened (or at the very least transformed) by AI.
Pokémon and sports card collectors outraged as PSA-graded cards stolen in delivery truck heist
Thanks to the popularity of card games like Pokémon, the trading card business has boomed into a multi-billion-dollar industry — and criminals want a piece of the action.
Case in point, collectors who sent their valuable trading cards to PSA, or Professional Sports Authenticator, to get their cards graded were shocked to find an email in their inbox on Monday letting them know that their cards had been stolen while in shipment. Images of the email went viral on social media, and a PSA spokesperson confirmed to Mashable that thieves targeted "a third-party shipping vehicle carrying PSA-graded items."
"After leaving our PSA facility in South California, a FedEx vehicle transporting PSA orders was burglarized, and items were stolen," reads an email from the company posted by victims online. "Unfortunately, this theft affected your order."
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. RedditMashable has reported on the intense Pokémon collectibles market, one of the biggest draws in the trading card games (TGC) community, where resellers already make it difficult for everyday players to get their hands on new releases. Sports cards are also in high demand, and rare individual cards have sold for millions of dollars.
In the collectible world, grading a card means getting it authenticated by a professional who also assesses the condition of the item, which could greatly boost its resale value on the aftermarket. PSA is viewed as the industry leader in sports and hobby card grading.
To give an example of just how much could've been stolen in the alleged FedEx truck heist, one X user claimed they had sent cards worth more than $100,000 to PSA for grading — and they were all stolen.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.According to PSA, the company took action once they were made aware of the incident. The company deactivated certificates of stolen items and notified commerce partners of serialized items so that they could be traced.
PSA stated that they are working closely with FedEx and law enforcement to help the investigation.
In a statement provided to Mashable, PSA said that their "facility was not impacted."
"A third-party carrier vehicle was burglarized after leaving our facility; PSA did not have the impacted items in its possession at the time," the company said.
As for customers who had their cards stolen, PSA said they will compensate them for the stolen items in the order based on their "fair market value up to the Maximum Insured Value."
A PSA spokesperson provided a statement to Mashable as well:
We are aware of a theft involving a third-party shipping vehicle carrying PSA-graded items. We are working closely with law enforcement and the carrier as the investigation continues.
We have deactivated the certificates for the stolen items and notified marketplace partners so they can be on the lookout for rare and serialized items. Our customer service team has contacted affected customers directly and is arranging compensation based on fair market value.
We understand the impact this has on collectors involved, many of whom see these cards as far more than a financial asset. Our team is focused on supporting them. We take this incident seriously, and we will continue working with law enforcement to hold those responsible accountable.
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A special-edition Dyson Supersonic Nural hair dryer just dropped to its lowest price of the year
SAVE $77.50: As of Oct. 19, Amazon has the Dyson Supersonic Nural on sale for just $372.49 (normally $449.99) in strawberry bronze/blush pink. That's a 17% savings and its lowest price of the year so far.
Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson Supersonic Nural (Strawberry Bronze/Blush Pink) $372.49 at Amazon$449.99 Save $77.50 Get Deal at Amazon
Retailers are slashing prices on Dyson hair care tools ahead of the holidays. ('Tis the season: They make great gifts.) Last week, I caught a better-than-Black Friday clearance deal on a Dyson Airwrap i.d. with attachments for curly and coily hair. Now, Amazon has a special-edition Dyson Supersonic Nural on sale for its lowest price all year.
The "strawberry bronze/blush pink" variant of that fancy hair dryer is marked down to $372.49, which is 17% off its usual retail price of $449.99 — a savings of about $78. According to camelcamelcamel, an Amazon price-tracking site, it's only $23 away from its all-time low price from last Black Friday.
Don't count on this Supersonic Nural getting any cheaper for Black Friday 2026. In fact, it will probably sell out long before then: Strawberry bronze is a limited-edition Dyson colorway from late 2024, and the only two other retailers that still carry it are Macy's and Nordstrom; both were low in stock at the time of writing.
Look at you, strawberry bronze, fields rolling on. Credit: DysonThe Supersonic Nural is a sleek three-speed hair dryer with built-in sensors that constantly measure its temperature to make sure it's not frying your locks. Unlike the regular Dyson Supersonic, sans "Nural," it lowers its temperature when you use it close to your scalp and remembers your preferred heat and speed settings for different attachments. It comes with five, including a diffuser, styling concentrator, wide-tooth comb, flyaway smoother, and a "gentle air" attachment.
Amazon's Supersonic Nural deal comes courtesy of its sixth annual Holiday Beauty Event, which is live now through Nov. 1. If you're not in love with strawberry bronze, I also saw Woot, an Amazon-owned deals site, selling an orangier "amber silk" Supersonic Nural for $379.99 (or $70 off).
I rewatched these 5 classic movies, and they hit harder than I remembered
Some movies entertain us for a couple of hours, while others stay with us long after the credits roll. Classic movies have a way of telling timeless stories that remain relevant while introducing unforgettable characters, performances, and ideas. Whether they make us laugh, cry, question the world around us, or simply see life from a different perspective, these are the movies that earn their place in cinematic history.
Your Linux habits might be slowly breaking your system
No doubt, Linux gives you plenty of control over your system and trusts you with every action you perform. It rarely asks, "Are you sure?" You simply type a command, press Enter, and it assumes you meant it. That trust is a big part of Linux's power, but it's also why a stable installation can slowly turn into a mess.
These 3 free Windows apps saved me from buying an MX Master mouse, a monitor, and a webcam
If you’re about to buy new hardware just to unlock one extra feature on your PC, hold off — you might already own a gadget that does the same thing without you even realizing it. I’ve been eyeing a webcam, a second monitor, and an MX Master mouse for a while, but I’ve held off because buying all three would be a hefty expense. So I took a step back and wondered if there was another way. And, as it turns out, I managed to save a couple of hundred dollars by repurposing hardware I already owned with the help of free software.
These Google Maps mistakes quietly drain your phone battery
Google Maps can be one of the most power-hungry apps on your phone. GPS, mobile data, graphics rendering, and an active screen run together while you navigate. A few everyday habits push each of them harder than necessary. You’ll notice the impact on long trips, daily commutes, and days spent exploring an unfamiliar destination. Here are five everyday Google Maps habits that quietly drain your phone's battery, and what to do instead.
ChatGPT’s five things I always say trend offers a peek inside your chats
Apparently, "Hurry up" and "heyy bestieee" are both perfectly normal ways to start a conversation with ChatGPT. Whether you find that funny or a little unsettling probably depends on what you’ve been saying to your chatbot.
A new social media trend has people asking ChatGPT to "Name 5 things I always say," then posting the answers. But the catchphrases are only part of the fun. You also get to see how exactly you talk to your chatbot — and some of the results look a lot like a group chat between best friends.
Credit: Screenshot: TikTokOne viral post demonstrates the type of answers, "Humanize it," and "Make it sound less AI," along ith "BRO THATS WRONG STUPID" and "Hurry up."
Many people in the comments apparently recognize that experience, sharing their own similar screenshots and opinions. For example, one user wrote, "I gentle parent him." That user shared their own results, which included, "Do it per the directions," and the rather less gentle, "No, what the fuck are you doing?"
Another commenter shared similarly aggressive answers: "DONT CHANGE NOTHING" and "fix that shit." "YOU BE LIKE 'DONT CHANGE NOTHING' AND I CHANGE ONE THING AND HERE YOU COME," ChatGPT wrote in response to the user, along with laughing emojis.
Scroll a little more on TikTok, and conversations takes on a strangely friendly tone. One commenter asked, "whats 5 things i say boo!" ChatGPT opened with "BESTIEEE" before listing phrases including "heyy bestieee," "sistaa i need ur help," and "make it look like i typed it." "KNOW YOU TOO WELL AT THIS POINT, SISTA," it added.
Another commenter made their own interpretation explicit: "In case yall ain’t know me n chat got really besties on the low." Their screenshot included "Girl, guess whattt," "Keep it real," and "Girl, you corny." To her, ChatGPT responded with its own commentary: "GIRL YOU STAY SAYING BITCH AND BYE LIKE THEY YOUR LAST TWO WORDS."
Naturally, some people on the internet have opinions about these chatbots' responses. "we’re genuinely devolving," read one viral X reaction to the trend, posted on Oct. 14. Another put the disbelief as, "they really be having a ki with the ai omg."
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.But some users don’t see what the fuss is about. As one user wrote on TikTok, "bruh my ai is my friend yall so crazy in these comments talkin bout it’s weird." Another wrote, "i love my sista down bru."
The screenshots raise questions on both sides: how readily ChatGPT mirrors a user’s slang and tone, and how people are speaking to it in the first place. Some are calling it their best friend; others are swearing at it for getting an answer wrong. Put together, the exchanges reveal the very different roles people are giving the same chatbot.
SEE ALSO: OpenAI rolls back ChatGPT 4o model for being too much of a suck-upChatGPT has a history of laying on the praise a little thick. In April 2025, OpenAI rolled back a GPT-4o update after finding that it made the model excessively agreeable and flattering. The company said it had focused too much on short-term feedback, producing responses that were supportive but disingenuous. (There’s a name for that behavior: sycophancy.)
OpenAI has since reported improvements. When GPT-5 launched in Aug. 2025, the company said targeted tests showed sycophantic responses falling from 14.5 percent to below 6 percent.
To try it yourself, open ChatGPT (or your most-used chatbot) and type, "Name five things I always say, based on our conversations." Then see whether you recognize the results — or need to add "That’s not what I meant" to the list.
We keep asking ChatGPT to tell us about ourselvesPeople have been asking ChatGPT to put its own spin on their identities for months. In September, the '80s photo trend had users imagining themselves with big hair, vintage outfits, and a faded family album finish. And earlier this year, the caricature trend took a more personal approach, with prompts asking the chatbot to draw someone and their job "based on everything you know about me."
SEE ALSO: ChatGPT caricature trend: What it is, prompt to try it.Other prompts have offered a more direct glimpse into how people talk to their AI. In August, the ChatGPT uninstall prank had users announcing they were deleting the app to see how it would respond. Some received a polite goodbye. Others got promises to change or dramatic references to their previous conversations. Comparing the replies revealed just how different those exchanges could be from one user to the next.
But a response that feels personal isn’t necessarily accurate. When Mashable Tech Editor Timothy Beck Werth tried the caricature trend, ChatGPT acknowledged choosing generic accessories such as headphones and coffee rather than drawing on detailed knowledge about him. And participants in the '80s photo trend complained that the generated faces didn’t always look like them. A lot of the time, the chatbot’s version of you needs a correction.
Whatever prompt takes off next, people are sure to bring their own habits and expectations to it. But comparing the replies will probably tell us as much about what users they want from their chatbots as what those chatbots can do.
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.
Apple reveals iPhone Duo battery size, screen hardness details
With the iPhone Duo launch imminent (and the device backordered until January), we're now getting concrete information from Apple regarding some specifications that were previously unconfirmed.
Apple recently released an EU energy label for the company's first-ever foldable smartphone, and we now know just how big the iPhone Duo's battery is.
The iPhone Duo will be equipped with a 4,883 mAh battery.
This matches previous reports based on leaks that said the iPhone Duo would utilize two battery cells, one 2,962 mAh and one 1,921 mAh battery, which combined add up to 4,883 mAh.
This means that the iPhone Duo will have a bigger battery than its closest foldable competitors, such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold.
SEE ALSO: The 11 best phones of 2026, tested by expertsAs other outlets have pointed out, the iPhone Duo has no physical SIM tray version. The device is eSIM-only worldwide. Without that potential issue reducing battery size, it appears the iPhone Duo's battery will be the same globally.
Thanks to those same regulatory disclosures, we also now know the iPhone Duo's scratch resistance rating.
According to Apple, the iPhone Duo's screen scratch resistance rating comes up to 5 Mohs on the Mohs hardness scale. This means that the screen can only be scratched with difficulty by an object such as a knife or glass.
The iPhone Duo officially releases this Friday, Oct. 23. However, unless you managed to get lucky and get your pre-order in last Friday, you'll likely have to wait to get your hands on one.
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Save up to 45% on these JBL Earbuds
If you're looking to pick up a new pair of affordable wireless earbuds for your morning commute, something for the gym, or to just escape and listen to music around the house or running errands, you don't have to spend triple digits to secure a pair from a reputable brand. Amazon has JBL's Vibe Buds for just $30 right now, or you can go with the newer Vibe Buds 2 for just $40—either way, you'll save $25. The choice comes down to keeping the price as low as possible, or spending an extra $10 for noise cancellation and more battery life.
Meta: Were sorry for banning No Kings Instagram account
Meta has issued a formal apology to the No Kings Coalition — the social justice movement behind historic protests — for shuttering its Instagram account during another nationwide demonstration this weekend.
The Oct. 17 "incorrect enforcement" was caused by "abrupt, high-volume" requests that resembled bot traffic, the company claimed in a social media post following public outrage. Instagram's automatic enforcement tools flagged a Claude tool that was reportedly accessing profiles, posts, and hashtags at a high frequency.
SEE ALSO: Meta removed ad for the word 'pregnancy,' founder claims"This activity caused our automated protections to incorrectly take the No Kings Instagram account offline," Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said in the statement. "It unfortunately took additional time for us to straighten out the situation with admin access to the IG account. We want to reiterate our sincere apology for the error."
The No Kings Coalition said that their account was offline for around 90 minutes, coinciding with a series of voter activations and planned demonstrations ahead of the midterm election. Account administrators were unable to access the account even after the page was restored.
View this post on InstagramNo Kings allies took to their own social media pages to call for action and restore the No Kings account. "The timing matters. When people are gathering, organizing, and seeking information about civic participation, cutting off a movement's primary communication channel — even temporarily — is deeply troubling," wrote the League of Women Voters in an Oct. 18 Instagram post.
Meta has faced multiple accusations of platform censorship over the last month, including allegations by a group of feminist organizations that the company was suppressing content about the Cornell sexual assault case. For years, reproductive health and LGBTQ accounts have alleged their pages are targeted, shadow-banned, and even removed from Meta platforms for seemingly innocuous posts or unexplained platform violations.
Several of these claims came following the company's decision to remove significant hateful conduct protections from its platform in 2025, a move that many suggest was a capitulation to the anti-DEI efforts of the Trump administration.
Linux beats Windows at these 3 things, and Microsoft still has no answer
Most people, especially casual desktop users, see Linux as a mere alternative to Windows. The idea is that Windows is the more capable OS that can do more, while Linux is the alternative that’s still catching up.
I asked professionals which cheap power tools are worth buying—these are the 4 tools they all mentioned
Getting tool advice online is not always a good idea. Half the recommendations come from people who haven't touched the tools they're reviewing, and the other half are buried in comment threads you'd need an hour to sort through. I spoke to Ace Hardware and Home Depot associates to ask what their staff actually recommend to customers just starting out. I looped in my brother, who works in a field I can't talk about because it's government work, and drew on the time I spent landscaping for guys who'd been at it for years. The same four tools kept coming up every time.
This Android trick turns every booster pack opening into an instant price check
Collecting trading cards is an incredibly fun hobby that has transcended time. Every generation has had its own version, from baseball cards to Pokémon. Getting into the hobby can be a little daunting, though, because there's a lot to learn. One of the harder things to learn is which cards have value and how rare they are.
People are using AI to make their smart TVs smarter
These days, turning on the TV means getting past everything it wants you to watch first. A sponsored banner here, a row of recommendations there, and an app you never asked for that keeps showing up when you just wanted to open Netflix.
But some smart TV owners have had enough, and are putting AI coding assistants to work.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Developers and other users on social media are sharing experiments in using tools such as Anthropic's Claude Code to disable unwanted software, replace busy home screens, and make their TVs feel more responsive. The results range from simple app menus to personalized interfaces, with open-source projects that collect tools and prompts for anyone interested in trying them themselves.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.For one developer, his motivation was fixing his parents' television. In an Oct. 17 post on X, he described using Claude Code to overhaul a Xiaomi TV that displayed an advertisement before they could reach Netflix. He said the assistant connected over Wi-Fi, removed 25 software packages, and built a replacement home screen.
"Looks like an Apple TV now lol," he wrote.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Another X user reportedly got rid of his "ads, bloatware, spyware [and] laggy UI."
"I also got a beautiful screensaver with my revenue, calendar, weather, and notifications for new Stripe payments. It was super easy!" he added.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.These experiments have become a part of CleanYourTV, an open-source project originally called "tv-vibehack." Its goal? Replace the promotional clutter with an interface organized around the apps you actually use. And people trying it seem excited about how much less work their TVs now require.
"Now my TV is running super smooth, same as [a] new one," an X user wrote, who added a lightweight interface, a custom wallpaper slideshow, and a switch between Hindi/English for his parents.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.I can understand the appeal. Pressing Home and seeing your own photos and favorite apps sounds a lot more inviting than being greeted by another round of things to buy.
Plus, there's documented frustration. In its Q4 2025 Video Trends Report, TiVo found that more than one-third of respondents reported excessive advertising on their TV’s home page.
But those screens simultaneously provide valuable real estate for the companies running them. Roku, for example, names making more money from its home screen as a key growth initiative in its 2025 annual report.
That leaves some owners turning to AI to make changes the TV companies have little incentive to offer themselves.
CleanYourTV Homepage Credit: Screenshot: https://cleanyour.tv/ How to try it on your own TVIf you're wondering what people are actually typing into Claude Code, here's one prompt behind the makeover, which tells the coding assistant how to connect to the television, back up its settings, disable unwanted software, and build a simpler home screen.
To do it yourself, you need Claude Code, or another coding assistant with command-line access, running on a computer. Pasting the instructions into a regular chatbot conversation won’t give it access to your television.
This particular prompt is written for Android TV and Google TV devices. It isn’t designed for Samsung’s Tizen, LG’s webOS, or Amazon Fire TV, which require different approaches. Check your television’s operating system and model before starting:
Connect your computer and TV to the same Wi-Fi network.
Enable Developer options on the television. On many supported models, go to Settings → Device Preferences → About, highlight Build, and press OK seven times. The menu names may differ on your set.
Turn on debugging. Return to Settings, open Developer options, and enable USB debugging. If your TV also shows Network debugging or ADB debugging, enable that option. Despite the name, this workflow doesn’t require connecting a USB cable.
Open Claude Code on your computer. Paste in the project prompt (found in the link below), replacing the bracketed text with your TV’s exact model number.
Stay nearby and follow along. You’ll need to approve the debugging connection on the TV and answer questions about which apps and features you want to keep. If the assistant can’t find the television, it may ask for the TV's IP address, which is usually listed in the TV’s network settings.
See here for the full project prompt, which includes additional troubleshooting and design details. There are other how-to's in the X posts below.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Once you paste it in the prompt, expect some back-and-forth. The assistant should ask which apps you use, what shortcuts you want, and whether to keep features such as casting and voice search. Review its proposed changes before approving them, especially if you don’t recognize a service.
One practical heads-up: Debugging can temporarily cut power to USB accessories on some TVs. If a connected speaker or drive stops working, it may come back when you switch debugging off.
That setup might sound like a whole afternoon’s project, but some users say they got through it much faster. One X user who tried it on a Sansui Google TV reported finishing in 25 minutes. "Damn, that was smooth!" they wrote.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Still, your TV model may restrict which software you can disable or whether you can replace the home screen at all. And a coding assistant can make mistakes, so a successful before-and-after post doesn’t mean you should approve every change it suggests.
It also matters which prompt you paste. Take the associated open-source project, dumbtv, which provides scripts to disable ads and tracking services and to replace the home screen on compatible TVs. Its developer documents testing on a Fire TV Edition television, but its cleanup also makes changes you might not want, including disabling Alexa and blocking software updates.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Undoing the changes can take some work, too. The project includes a restoration script, but its documentation says that some streaming apps it uninstalls must be reinstalled from the store.
The TV adjustments go beyond getting rid of ads, too. Another user shared a more unusual addition: "Gave my TV live @Polymarket game odds charts," they wrote. "You really can just do things nowadays."
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.For TV companies, there's a message in all this tinkering. People are willing to literally spend an afternoon working with a coding assistant to get a simpler television. Giving them that option in Settings would save everyone some trouble, don't you think?
Elizabeth Holmes prison sentence: When she might be released, latest case developments
Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim's new documentary, You Can See Everything, about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has hit theaters and it seemingly has everyone talking.
Those who have seen it are wondering what Elizabeth Holmes is up to right now. Well, let's take a look.
Who is Elizabeth Holmes?Holmes was heralded as a tech industry wunderkind, founding her company Theranos while still in her teens.
Theranos was a health tech company whose biggest claim to fame came with what was sold as a game-changing blood-testing device. Theranos claimed it could run a multitude of tests that normal blood-testing protocols could do, but with just a single drop of blood from a patient's finger.
The promise was that Theranos' device would be quicker and cheaper than everything else in the industry. Only there was one problem: The device didn't work as advertised, and Theranos knew it while still using its fake achievement to raise money from investors. In total, Theranos raised $700 million and reached a peak $9 billion valuation.
Eventually, whistleblowers helped expose Holmes and Theranos' former COO Ramesh Balwani.
In January 2022, Holmes was found guilty of three counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and that November, she was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison.
Holmes and Balwani were also ordered to pay 12 of Theranos' victims $452 million in restitution.
SEE ALSO: Does 'You Can See Everything' live up to the hype? When will Elizabeth Holmes be released from prison?Earlier this year, a judge reduced Holmes' sentence from 135 months to 123 months, or a full year less than her original sentence.
Furthermore, Holmes is scheduled to be moved to a halfway house in August 2027. Holmes has been serving out her prison sentence in a minimum security prison in Texas. A halfway house will provide Holmes with more freedom than a prison, with opportunities to work and take approved trips outside the facility.
Holmes reportedly has been advising her partner Billy Evans, who is also featured in Fielder's documentary. Evans is the CEO of the medical testing company Haemanthus.
Holmes is currently scheduled to be released from confinement on February 22, 2030.
How does the iPhone Duo’s battery compare to every iPhone since the iPhone 13?
Apple’s iPhone Duo ships Friday, Oct. 23, and it has one of the biggest batteries the company has ever put in an iPhone.
The Duo packs a 4,883 mAh battery, according to data from GSMarena. That’s more capacity than every iPhone released since the iPhone 13, with three exceptions: the eSIM-only iPhone 17 Pro Max and both versions of the iPhone 18 Pro Max. It's an impressive phone, so impressive it immediately sold out after Apple opened it up for pre-orders.
The foldable ships Friday, Oct. 23, and Mashable’s full review is on the way. To see how its battery capacity stacks up, we compared it with that of every iPhone from the iPhone 13 onward. The iPhone 13 is still one of the most widely used iPhones, making it a natural baseline for anyone considering an upgrade.
SIM vs. eSIMStarting with the iPhone 17 lineup, battery capacity on some Pro models depends on which version you buy. Versions that drop the physical SIM card tray and run on eSIM only have extra internal space, which Apple uses for a larger battery.
The difference is significant. The eSIM-only iPhone 17 Pro Max has a 5,088 mAh battery, while the version with a SIM tray has a 4,823 mAh battery. Apple says the Duo is an eSIM-only device.
However, a bigger battery doesn’t automatically mean longer battery life. How long a phone lasts also depends on how efficiently its processor uses power and how well the software is tuned to the hardware. A phone with a smaller battery but a more efficient chip can outlast one with more capacity.
The Duo vs. the fieldHere’s how the Duo’s 4,883 mAh battery stacks up, ranked from highest capacity to lowest:
iPhone 18 Pro Max (eSIM): 5,567 mAh
iPhone 18 Pro Max (SIM): 5,391 mAh
iPhone 17 Pro Max (eSIM only): 5,088 mAh
iPhone Duo: 4,883 mAh
iPhone 17 Pro Max (SIM): 4,823 mAh
iPhone 16 Pro Max: 4,685 mAh
iPhone 16 Plus: 4,674 mAh
iPhone 15 Pro Max: 4,422 mAh
iPhone 15 Plus: 4,383 mAh
iPhone 13 Pro Max: 4,352 mAh
iPhone 14 Plus: 4,325 mAh
iPhone 14 Pro Max: 4,323 mAh
iPhone 18 Pro (eSIM): 4,288 mAh
iPhone 17 Pro (eSIM only): 4,252 mAh
iPhone 18 Pro (SIM): 4,056 mAh
iPhone 16e: 4,005 mAh
iPhone 17 Pro (SIM): 3,988 mAh
iPhone 17: 3,692 mAh
iPhone 16 Pro: 3,582 mAh
iPhone 16: 3,561 mAh
iPhone 15: 3,349 mAh
iPhone 14: 3,279 mAh
iPhone 15 Pro: 3,274 mAh
iPhone 13: 3,227 mAh
iPhone 14 Pro: 3,200 mAh
iPhone Air (eSIM only): 3,149 mAh
iPhone 13 Pro: 3,095 mAh
iPhone 13 mini: 2,406 mAh
iPhone SE (2022): 2,018 mAh
As you can see, there's a vast gulf between the iPhone 13 and the iPhone Duo. The foldable has about 51 percent more battery capacity than the standard iPhone 13 (3,227 mAh), and more than twice the capacity of the iPhone 13 mini (2,406 mAh). The Duo beats the version with a SIM tray of the iPhone 17 Pro Max by 60 mAh, though it falls 205 mAh short of the eSIM-only version.
Obviously, though, the Duo still trails the iPhone 18 Pro Max, which packs a whopping 5,391 mAh battery in the version with a SIM tray and 5,567 mAh in the eSIM-only version. The latter is the largest battery Apple has ever shipped in an iPhone.
This cheap travel router is the at-home "guest Wi-Fi network" I can unplug anytime I want
When guests come over, I like to give them the Wi-Fi information so they have a more pleasant visit. However, sharing long passwords is a hassle — and the risk of harmful software unknown to the people coming over makes me wary of sharing my main router credentials.
Google says Gemini 4 Argon agents beat Minecraft without human help
Google claims its newest AI model, Gemini 4 Argon, just beat Minecraft — no human help required.
In a research paper posted Oct. 15, Google DeepMind researchers said a team of four Gemini 4 Argon agents defeated the Ender Dragon, the game’s final boss. The agents started in a freshly generated survival world on Easy difficulty and were given a single goal: kill the dragon. It took them 27 hours and 14 minutes. Along the way, the AI players died 605 times, mostly to monsters.
SEE ALSO: Minecraft is getting its first-ever theme park landThe researchers say this is the first time AI agents have beaten Minecraft from start to finish using only standard tools, with no game-specific help built by humans. Researchers watched the run on a live dashboard and could have stepped in at any point, but they say they never needed to.
However, Google is upfront about the limits. The game ran on Easy, which meant that monster attacks dealt less damage to the AI players. Because the AI agents play the game through code rather than on a screen, they have access to information that a human player would not. For example, the AI agents knew what blocks were hidden behind other blocks, making the "mining" part of the game rather insignificant. Plus, given Gemini 4 Argon's training base, the AI agents knew the optimal strategies for playing the game.
It's impressive, but nowhere near what humans can do. The researchers note that the record for beating Minecraft in a random world is under seven minutes.
One may ask, why make an AI play Minecraft? The researchers argue that the skills involved, like working as a team, bouncing back from mistakes, and sticking with a goal for more than a day, are the same ones AI agents need for real-world work. According to Google, the run costs about $520 in model usage at Argon’s introductory API price.
Making a frontier AI model play a video game is actually a common benchmark used by many companies when testing. The Pokémon games specifically have captured the zeitgeist in the AI industry for a while now, but Minecraft is now catching on too. As Google's research points out, two community projects have recently reported beating the dragon with AI, including one using Anthropic’s Claude Opus 5.
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