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Windows startup bloat is real, and it’s one of those problems you don’t notice until your PC starts feeling slower than it should. Every other app seems to sneak its way into your startup list, quietly running in the background and chewing up resources for no good reason. Over the years, I’ve gotten into the habit of shutting almost all of them off. It keeps my system feeling snappy, and honestly, most apps just don’t need to be running the second Windows loads up.

It’s been years since the last time I purchased a new phone. I buy mine second-hand, and I haven’t had any bad luck yet. Here’s what I look for to make sure each purchase is legit.

SAVE $250: As of Nov. 23, get the Lenovo Legion Go S for $649.99 at Best Buy, down from its usual price of $899.99. That's a discount of 28%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Lenovo Legion Go S $649.99 at Amazon
$899.99 Save $250   Get Deal

Now that the holidays are right around the corner, you're likely spending more time away from home or traveling. And if you're a gamer, that means less time with some of your favorite titles. You don't have to leave your games at home, especially in 2025 when things like the Steam Deck and Lenovo Legion Go exist. If you're looking to continue gaming while out and about for the rest of the year, you can pick up a Lenovo Legion Go S to get your game on no matter where life takes you.

As of Nov. 23, get the Lenovo Legion Go S for $649.99 at Best Buy, down from its usual price of $899.99. That's a discount of 28%.

SEE ALSO: 140+ Black Friday deals at Best Buy that aren't cheaper anywhere else

This handheld gaming PC boasts an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor as well as 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD with expandable storage options via microSD. It has an 8-inch LCD screen, an integrated microphone, and 2 USB ports as well, with SteamOS preloaded so you can log in and get your game on.

This handheld is the smaller version of the original Legion Go, with a lower resolution and refresh rate, but it's still every bit as zippy and capable as its more expensive cousin. As Lenovo's answer to the Steam Deck, it's perfect for taking along with you and playing whatever game is currently on your roster without having to drag a PC along.

Mashable reviewer Alex Perry loved the original Lenovo Legion Go, praising it for its "all-around great specs" and "solid performance on AAA titles.” You're getting much of the same here with this model, so if you're looking for a Steam Deck alternative with a wide variety of features, grab this Lenovo pick before it's out of stock.

I've been using Home Assistant for several years as the heart of my smart home. The software is so powerful thanks to an enormous collection of integrations and add-ons that allow you to connect almost any smart home device or service that you could think of. I use multiple add-ons and integrations in Home Assistant, but there are some I simply couldn't live without.

The final season of the hit sci-fi horror series Stranger Thingsis nearly upon us, and it teases one last epic adventure. Since season five is set in the fall of 1987, I thought it would be fun to take you on and take you back in time to explore what the Stranger Things characters might have been watching.

SAVE $120: As of Nov. 23, get the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 for $129.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $249.99. That's a discount of 48% and the lowest price we've seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 $129.99 at Amazon
$249.99 Save $120   Get Deal

While the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is no longer the top dog in the Android-focused food chain following the release of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, it's still very much worth picking up if you're in the market for a new smartwatch. Especially since it's at its lowest price ever for Black Friday right now.

As of Nov. 23, get the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 for $129.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $249.99. That's $120 and a discount of 48%. It's also the lowest price we've seen.

SEE ALSO: Black Friday 2025: Live updates on the latest deals from Amazon, Target, Walmart, and more

This smartwatch is a jack of all trades. Not only can it handle your day-to-day needs like calls and texts, but it's rife with a plethora of fitness-centric features. It offers heart rate and sleep tracking, ways to keep track of your daily workouts, and much more. Plus, it will assign you a daily Energy Score to show how equipped you are to take on the day based on how you slept and how your body performed the prior day.

It'll also handle preventive measures as well, like screening for sleep apnea and offering Wellness Tips that use the data your watch collects to make suggestions on how to improve your overall fitness. With all that, including a variety of apps to use and mobile payment support, the Galaxy Watch 7 is a no-brainer, especially now that it's down to this price.

The Valve Steam Machine could be the single most important thing to happen to PC gaming in decades. However, the success of Valve’s first in-house desktop relies on how Valve chooses to distribute the Steam Machine. Will they make the right choice?

SAVE $151.99 + GET A FREE $30 AMAZON CREDIT: The Sony WH-1000XM5 Noise-Cancelling Headphones are on sale at Amazon for $248, down from the normal price of $399.99. That's a 38% discount and the lowest we've ever seen at Amazon. Use code SONYX30 at checkout to get a free $30 Amazon credit.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WH-1000XM5 Noise-Cancelling Headphones $248 at Amazon
$399.99 Save $151.99 use code SONYX30 at checkout to get a free $30 Amazon credit Get Deal

A good pair of headphones can feel kinda life-changing. Imagine a 10-hour plane journey with noise-cancelling headphones that aren't uncomfortable after watching just one movie. The problem is, the best headphones tend to come with steep prices. But that's all remedied thanks to today's early Black Friday deal at Amazon.

As of Nov. 23, the Sony WH-1000XM5 Noise-Cancelling Headphones are on sale for $248 at Amazon, marked down from the standard price of $399.99. That works out to a 38% discount, shaving a sweet $151.99 off the price. This deal marks the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon on the Sony XM5 headphones. Plus, right now, if you use code SONYX30 at checkout, you can receive a free $30 Amazon digital credit that you can use up until 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 31, 2026.

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The new Sony XM6 headphones are stunning, no doubt, but the older XM5 headphones are still an excellent option, especially thanks to this new all-time low price. In Mashable's list of the best Sony headphones, the XM5s earn the top spot as the best former flagship.

"Brand enthusiasts who can’t afford the pricier WH-1000XM6, but still want the extravagant Sony listening experience — you won't be disappointed. Very few things separate these two models, besides the big price difference," wrote freelancer Alex Bracetti. Currently, the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones are on sale at Amazon for $429.99, which means the XM5s are nearly $200 cheaper.

SEE ALSO: The JBL Tune Buds are heavily discounted ahead of Black Friday — save $60 with the best-ever price on Amazon

Bracetti also wrote, "The WH-1000XM5s retain many series hallmarks, including ANC, battery life, sound, and special features," so you don't need to worry about a major drop in quality with this previous model.

One of the only major differences between the XM5 and XM6 models is the lack of ear cups that fold up on the older model. But given the almost $200 price difference, that's a sacrifice we're willing to deal with.

Before the chaos of Amazon Black Friday hits this Thursday, snatch up a pair of Sony WH-1000XM5 Noise-Cancelling Headphones for under $250. This new record-low price is a heck of a deal, especially compared to the price of the new XM6 headphones. Amazon has made this deal even sweeter by adding a free $30 digital credit for a future Amazon purchase.

I'll hold my hands up and admit it: I listen to podcasts at 1.5x speed. To some people, this makes me a monster. However, I've not found any downsides to listening to podcasts at faster speeds, and there are plenty of upsides.

SAVE $30: The Instant Pot Vortex mini air fryer is on sale at Amazon for $59.99 for Black Friday, down from the normal price of $89.99. That's a 33% discount and an all-time low price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Instant Pot Instant Pot Vortex mini air fryer (4-quart) $59.99 at Amazon
$89.99 Save $30.00   Get Deal

Black Friday is a great time to refresh small kitchen appliances for your home, or buy them for a friend or someone who's moving out on their own soon. Air fryers were all the rage years ago, but unlike many trendy kitchen appliances, air fryers have proven their usefulness. One of the only downsides to early models was the lack of peeking inside without opening the basket. But that's remedied with this model that's on sale today.

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As of Nov. 23, the four-quart Instant Pot Vortex mini air fryer is on sale at Amazon for $59.99, marked down from the normal price of $89.99. That works out to a saving of $30 thanks to a 33% discount. This sale price also happens to be a record low at Amazon.

While it's small in size, the Instant Pot Vortex is mighty in features. You'll be able to air fry, broil, bake, dehydrate, and reheat with this four-quart model. The smaller size makes it ideal for those without much counter space to spare or anyone who's cooking for one or two people.

SEE ALSO: We’ve tested them all: The best Black Friday Ninja deals on air fryers, blenders, and more

The glass window on this model is great for peeking in at cooking progress without having to open the basket, releasing hot air. Another friendly feature is that both the air fryer basket and cooking tray are dishwasher safe.

If you could use some extra help this holiday season or you're looking for a thoughtful gift, hurry to snag the four-quart Instant Pot Vortex mini air fryer from Amazon while it's on sale for under $60.

You wipe your TV screen and dust your keyboard and other electronics, but I’m willing to bet that it’s been a minute since you cleaned your speakers. No one would fault you for that—whether they’re tiny desktop speakers, inconspicuous bookshelves, or gorgeous tower speakers that blend seamlessly into your home’s decor, we tend to pay more attention to how they sound rather than how they look.

One AI music generation service has become significantly less useful this month.

SEE ALSO: Google says it isn't using your Gmail to train AI

Udio has shut off the ability to download AI music creations, per The Verge. The service still exists, and users can still sign up to create AI music, but there is no way to obtain a raw file of the songs they create from the website anymore, at least not without some technical expertise. As The Verge pointed out, the terms users agree to when making a Udio account also prevent class-action lawsuits, so there isn't much that users can do about this.

Udio didn't just do this out of nowhere. Earlier this month, Udio and Universal reached a settlement related to Udio's use of copyrighted materials in training its AI. Part of this settlement was that, after a 48-hour grace period during which users could download their creations, that feature would be shut off entirely.

Udio gets to keep existing, and Universal gets to benefit monetarily from it, but users can't download their songs anymore. There are other AI music services available, such as Suno, but it would not be surprising if they end up in similar places over time as well.

SAVE $1,350.49: As of Nov. 23, get the Hisense 100-inch E6 Cinema Series TV for $1,349.50 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $2,699.99. That's a discount of 50% and the lowest price we've seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Hisense 100-inch E6 Cinema Series TV $1,349.99 at Amazon
$2,699.99 Save $1,350.00   Get Deal

Looking to spruce up your living room with a new TV? How about going big with your next purchase? You can't do much better in terms of size than a 100-inch display, and with this early Black Friday deal at Amazon, you'll save some serious cash on an absolutely massive display.

As of Nov. 23, get the Hisense 100-inch E6 Cinema Series TV for $1,349.50 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $2,699.99. That's $1,350.49 off and a discount of 50%. It's also the lowest price we've seen.

SEE ALSO: 110+ Amazon Black Friday deals: We found record low prices on AirPods, Kindles, Leogs, and Anker power stations

This TV is all about bringing you the cinematic experience in your home, as its name implies. It uses QLED color to make your picture pop, with quantum dots that offer over a billion shades. Plus, Total HDR Solution gives you the deepest black hues you'll find across these larger TVs. It also supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+ Adaptive, HDR10, and HLG. If you want superior audio, it also offers Dolby Atmos to give you that theater-like effect paired with its huge size.

It also makes things simple for you to enjoy your favorite shows and movies, thanks to its Alexa integration, so you can search for everything you want to watch via Alexa's app with the included voice search integration. That means you don't have to mess with pairing your new TV with a streaming device or anything more than the TV itself, which is serving, in our opinion, some incredible savings. This deal is only on for a limited time, so you'll want to snatch it up while you can ahead of Black Friday.

Birds are pretty easy to identify by sight alone, but things are much more challenging when you can only hear their calls. Good news! Cornell University has an app that can do just that, and it’s completely free to use.

Dropping out of a meeting, watching a stream buffer right at the climax, or seeing a download freeze is downright infuriating. If your Wi-Fi is smooth one moment and crawling the next, the issue could lie with your connection or your device. Here's how to put an end to those constant disconnects.

Picture this: an email chain with 50 replies, five different file versions floating around, and confusion as to whose turn it is to edit a file. This used to be my everyday Microsoft 365 environment, until I adopted these six habits that transformed chaos into flawless collaboration.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, the Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move onto the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity for how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for November 8, 2025

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible – and common – for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for November 8, 2025 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Nov. 23 Pips

Number (5): Everything in this purple space must add to 5. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically; 0-0, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this red space must add to 6. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically; 1-6, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this orange space must add to 6. The answer is 1-6, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this light blue space must add to 5. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add to 1. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically.

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically; 0-2, placed vertically; 3-2, placed vertically.

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 3-1, placed horizontally; 6-1, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add to 2. The answer is 6-1, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Nov. 23 Pips

Less Than (6): Everything in this space must be less than 6. The answer is 5-0, placed horizontally.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 5-0, placed horizontally; 0-1, placed vertically.

Less Than (5): Everything in this space must be less than 5. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally; 2-6, placed vertically; 2-1, placed horizontally.

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 0-1, placed vertically; 4-1, placed vertically; 2-1, placed horizontally; 1-3, placed vertically.

Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 1-3, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Nov. 23 Pips

Number (7): Everything in this space must add to 7. The answer is 0-1, placed horizontally; 6-5, placed vertically.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-2, placed vertically.

Equal (5): Everything in this dark blue space must be equal to 5. The answer is 6-5, placed vertically; 4-5, placed horizontally; 5-5, placed horizontally; 5-3, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this green space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed vertically; 4-3, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add to 2. The answer is 4-3, placed horizontally; 5-3, placed vertically.

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically.

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically; 3-6, placed horizontally.

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

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easy if you know English footballl rivalries.

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: Kicked out

• Green: GOATs

• Blue: Bitter enemies

• Purple: Meet the Browns

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Throw Out of a Game

• Green: NFL All-Time Leading Receivers

• Blue: Premier League Derbies

• Purple: ____Brown

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 #426 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Throw Out of a Game - BOOT, CHASE, EJECT, TOSS

• NFL All-Time Leading Receivers - FITZGERALD, MOSS, OWENS, RICE

• Premier League Derbies - MANCHESTER, MEYERSIDE, NORTH LONDON, TYNE-WEAR

• ____Brown - CLEVELAND, JAYLEN, MACK, TIM

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.

Streaming devices tend to have a longer shelf life than phones, but like everything, they get slow over time. You don’t have to banish your old Android TV, Chromecast with Google TV, or an Onn device to the tech graveyard just yet, though.

Video game adaptations have entered a new age in Hollywood, both in movie theaters and on the small screen. After many years of struggling to balance video game lore in this new medium, studios and streamers have released a string of hits that pleased both newcomers and longtime fans like myself. Most notably, Prime Video has delivered a faithful, fan-pleasing adaptation of a beloved sci-fi RPG franchise that is set to return to screens in December, promising to be one of the first major must-watch TV hits going into 2026.