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Save $250: You can still save 21% on a MacBook ahead of Christmas. As of 2022, the 15-inch Apple MacBook Air (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) is on sale at Amazon and Best Buy for $949, down from its full price of $1,199.

Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $949 at Best Buy
$1,199 Save $250   Get Deal at Best Buy Get Deal at Amazon

We may be just three days out from Christmas, but your window of opportunity to grab a great tech gift on sale hasn't closed just yet.

Both Amazon and Best Buy marked down the 15-inch M4 Apple MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage to just $949 as of Dec. 22. (The latter store does have a countdown on the product page showing that the deal will end come Dec. 23). At the time of writing, the deal applies to all four available colorways.

Mashable's laptop expert Haley Henschel deemed the 15-inch Air the best MacBook for most people in her MacBook guide. Why? Even at full price, the value is near unbeatable. (Mashable Senior Editor and longtime Apple review Stan Schroeder agrees, titling his review of the M4 Air "A really good deal").

SEE ALSO: The 60+ best Christmas gifts for 2025: Find unique gift ideas you'd never think of on your own

That's mostly thanks to the M4 chip, which as Henschel writes, "effectively closed the gap between Apple's MacBook Air and Pro series." The fanless model will likely get hot to the touch when handling especially heavy workloads, but it certainly has the power to do it. The 15-inch display is also useful from a productivity standpoint, but not so huge as to become obtrusive — overall, the Air stays true to it's name, remaining an ultraportable laptop.

When you do decide to hunker down in one place, your display options get even better, with this laptop providing open-lid support for two external displays. The only major con? The port selection is rather limited, with just two Thunderbolt/USB-C ports, one MagSafe 3 charging port, and a headphone jack. Still, it's an incredible value at full price, and an even better one at $250 off. (Note: this laptop does go on sale frequently, but $949 remains its lowest price ever).

Prime members can likely get this laptop in time for Christmas, while Best Buy also offers same-day pickup (pending your local stores' availability).

Grocery delivery service Instacart will end its controversial price tests, it announced on Monday.

The move comes weeks after a Consumer Reports investigation claimed that Instacart's AI-enabled price experiments may be upping your grocery bill.

SEE ALSO: YouTube pulls the plug on popular AI-generated fake movie trailer channels

The investigation reported that the experiments priced the same products differently for different consumers, sometimes by as much as 23 percent. The price variations could result in a yearly difference of $1,200 in grocery spending, according to Consumer Reports. The investigation also found that Instacart acquired an AI company in 2022 called Eversight, and afterwards, Instacart began offering pricing software to retail companies to "optimize" prices.

Several lawmakers took action against individualized pricing this month. Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona introduced a bill to crack down on "surveillance" pricing, while Democratic Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig sent a letter to Instacart asking for answers. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York sent a different letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The latter two cite the Consumer Reports investigation.

Last week, Instacart denied that the experiments were dynamic pricing or surveillance pricing, instead stating that they were random A/B tests. (Dynamic pricing fluctuates based on demand, and surveillance pricing uses a consumer's characteristics and behavior to set individual prices.) It also denied Consumer Reports' claim that these tests cost a typical family $1,200 a year.

Today, Instacart announced that it is ending these price tests.

"We understand that the tests we ran with a small number of retail partners that resulted in different prices for the same item at the same store missed the mark for some customers," the blog post states.

"Effective immediately, Instacart is ending all item price tests on our platform. Retailers will no longer be able to use Eversight technology to run item price tests on Instacart."

The post explains that this means if two families are shopping for the same items at the same time at the same store location on Instacart, they will see the same price.

An Instacart spokesperson denied that these tests were dynamic or surveillance pricing in a statement sent to Mashable. "While these pricing tests were not dynamic pricing nor surveillance pricing, and were never based on personal, demographic, or user-level behavioral characteristics, we've listened carefully to customer feedback, and we understand these tests fell short of their expectations," the spokesperson said.

This announcement also comes days after the FTC announced that Instacart will pay $60 million to consumers as part of a settlement. FTC's lawsuit claimed that Instacart engaged in deceptive tactics like falsely advertising "free delivery" and failing to disclose the terms of its Instacart+ membership. Instacart denied the FTC's allegations.

SAVE 34%: As of Dec. 22, you can get a four-pack of Apple AirTags for just $64.98, down from $99. That's a 34% discount or a savings of $34.02.

Apple AirTag Tracker (4-Pack) $64.98 at Amazon
$99 Save $34.02   Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Walmart Get Deal at Best Buy

If you’re still hunting for those last-minute stocking stuffers that people will actually use, this Apple AirTag deal is probably the easiest win you’ll find. I’m a firm believer that you can never really have too many of these, especially if you’re prone to losing your keys or want to keep tabs on your bags during holiday travel. (They're also great for pets; I use them to keep track of my beagles whenever we visit my parents' house.)

SEE ALSO: Apple's AirTag might get improved location tracking soon

Right now, you can get a 4-pack of Apple AirTags for $64.98 at Amazon. That’s 34% off the $99 list price, which brings them down to about $16 per tracker. Most importantly for this time of year, they arrive before Christmas (Amazon is currently showing overnight delivery in many areas), so you can get them under the tree just in time for the Big Day.

AirTags are super simple to use. It’s just a one-tap process to connect them to your iPhone or iPad. They use the "Find My" network to help you track down your stuff, and if you have a newer iPhone, the Precision Finding feature will lead you right to your lost keys with an arrow on your screen. They’re also water-resistant and have a replaceable battery that you can easily swap out yourself (after about a year), so they aren't just a "disposable" piece of tech.

Windows Fast Startup can reduce your Windows PC's boot time, but in certain situations, it can cause issues and limit access to your Windows disk partition. While undoubtedly useful, you might think about disabling it.

This past year has been pretty rough for layoffs — and you can thank AI for that, at least in part.

According to a report by CNBC citing consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, AI was responsible for nearly 55,000 layoffs in the U.S. in 2025. This comes during a year that had the highest number of layoffs since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, with 1.17 million job cuts across the country, the consulting firm also reported.

In November alone 71,000 jobs were cut — and 6,000 of those, or about 9 percent, were due to AI.

While AI-focused layoffs hit workers across a wide range of employment statuses and ages at companies like Amazon and Walmart, Inc reported that AI has led to a hiring hiring freeze that has hit workers at the entry level particularly hard.

SEE ALSO: Amazon will reportedly cut 30,000 jobs in biggest mass layoff ever

"The rise in youth unemployment might actually be a symptom of the rise in AI," Stephanie Roth, chief economist at Wolfe Research, told Inc. "It’s not even that AI is doing the job for these people, but companies have uncertainty about the direction of travel and they want to preserve optionality [by not hiring young people]."

All the while, Fortune reported that AI-fueled finance jobs taking over human jobs is predominately "smoke and mirrors" for now.

No matter how you look at it, this was a tough year for U.S. workers — and AI reportedly played a role.

Louisiana's Secure Online Child Interaction and Age Limitation act, a social media law that requires social platforms to verify user ages and implement parental controls, has been struck down.

The before the buzzer decision was issued on Dec. 15, made just ahead of the act's enforcement period by Louisiana regulators. The federal judge ruled in favor of tech trade lobbying group NetChoice, which has been constitutionally challenging age verification laws across the country. In April, NetChoice successfully blocked Arkansas' Social Media Safety Act.

SEE ALSO: All the states and countries that have age-verification laws (so far)

"The Act is at once under-inclusive and over-inclusive," wrote judge John W. deGravelles in the Louisiana decision.

NetChoice joins other free speech advocates who argue sweeping age verification laws may pose large scale privacy risks, restrict access to protected speech, and chill open expression online. Online safety advocates, meanwhile, have pushed for social media regulation in the wake of widespread child exploitation and mental health concerns.

Louisiana was the first to enact such a law in 2023, and other states quickly followed suit. Currently, 25 U.S. states have some sort of age verification law on the books, with many focused on restricting access to online pornography. Most recently, Missouri began enforcing an age-gaiting law that requires user verification on sites with "one-third or more pornographic content" — Congress has discussed more than a dozen online safety acts in this month alone.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has said she will appeal the ruling. Murrill has made social media regulation a priority of the state, including filing the first of a wave of new lawsuits against kids gaming platform Roblox. “The assault on children by online predators is an all-hands-on-deck problem. It’s unfortunate that the court chose to protect huge corporations that facilitate child exploitation over the legislative policy to require simple age verification mechanisms,” said Murrill.

SAVE $20: As of Dec. 22, the basic Kindle (2024) is still on sale for just $89.99 at Amazon. That's 18% off its usual cost of $109.99 and $10 shy of its best price ever.

Opens in a new window Credit: Kindle Amazon Kindle $89.99 at Amazon
$109.99 Save $20   Get Deal

On a normal day, Amazon's basic Kindle is a steal at $109.99. It's the most affordable e-reader in Amazon's lineup (and the best, in my humble opinion), and this holiday season, it's an even better deal than usual.

As of Dec. 22, you can still grab the basic Kindle for just $89.99. That's $20 or 18% off its typical retail price and only $10 away from its best price ever (which I accurately predicted it would hit on Black Friday). If you're in the market for an e-reader for yourself or to gift to someone else, I highly recommend snagging this deal while it's still around.

While Mashable's resident e-reader expert's top pick is the Paperwhite, I would go to battle for the basic Kindle. It's the cheapest option and also the smallest. At only 6 inches, it's tiny enough to slip it into my purse and comfortable enough for one-handed reading. It packs 16GB of storage, which may not sound like much, but is surprisingly enough space for thousands of books. It also has the same screen resolution as the more expensive Paperwhite and the same magical formula that makes you fly through books unbelievably fast. Its only drawbacks are that it's not waterproof and that there's no warm light option. The warm light really isn't a huge deal — I've never felt eye strain from reading on the basic Kindle. The screen literally looks like paper. The waterproof issue is kind of annoying, though. Just be extra cautious if you choose to read at the beach or in the bathtub.

I wouldn't consider myself a Kindle pro, but as I have said before, I'm obsessed with my basic Kindle. I highly recommend it if you're in the market for an e-reader — especially when it's on sale. The discount won't last forever, though.

TL;DR: Live stream Egypt vs. Zimbabwe in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for free on Channel 4. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Africa Cup of Nations has started with a number of really entertaining fixtures. We didn't expect anything less from this electric tournament.

Next is Egypt vs. Zimbabwe in Group B. All eyes will be on Mohamed Salah as he looks to put his club issues behind him and lead his country to another AFCON victory. Egypt has won this competition seven times, but Salah has never lifted the trophy.

If you want to watch Egypt vs. Zimbabwe in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Egypt vs. Zimbabwe?

Egypt vs. Zimbabwe in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on Dec. 22. This fixture takes place at the Adrar Stadium.

How to watch Egypt vs. Zimbabwe for free

Egypt vs. Zimbabwe in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is available to live stream for free on Channel 4.

Channel 4 is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock Channel 4 to stream AFCON for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Egypt vs. Zimbabwe for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Visit Channel 4

5. Watch Egypt vs. Zimbabwe for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of AFCON without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Egypt vs. Zimbabwe (plus more 2025 Africa Cup of Nations fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Channel 4?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Channel 4, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Watch Egypt vs. Zimbabwe in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for free with ExpressVPN.

SAVE $30: As of Dec. 22, the Nespresso Vertuo Pop+ coffee and espresso machine is down to just $99 at Amazon. That's a 23% discount from its usual $129.

Opens in a new window Credit: Nespresso Nespresso Vertuo Pop+ $99 at Amazon
$129 Save $30   Get Deal

Last-minute shoppers, if you're looking for a gift idea for under $100, the Nespresso Vertuo Pop+ just slid below that threshold.

As of Dec. 22, the Nespresso Vertuo Pop+ is on sale for only $99 instead of its usual $129. That's 23% or $30 in savings. There's a ton of color options, but only the pacific blue, pastel yellow, and candy pink have dropped below the $100 mark.

The Vertuo Pop+ delivers on-demand espresso shots at any time of day. But that's not all it does — it can also brew coffee in several other ways. Choose from single shots, double shots, five-, eight, or 12-ounce cups. Just pop in Nespresso pods, fill up the 25-ounce water tank, wait about 30 seconds for it to heat up, and it's ready to rock and roll.

It's just 8.5 inches wide, but the water tank can also be removed for an even slimmer build that can slide into small spaces. It's the smallest Nespresso machine on the market, but it still offers the same massive flavor. The Pop+ is a particularly good fit for dorms, small apartments, or even cubicles. As the name suggests, it adds a pop of color to any space, rather than the standard stainless steel look of most appliances.

At the time of writing, you can still order the Nespresso Vertuo Pop+ on time for Christmas — but you'll have to act fast. Save 23% while you can.

Are you stuck in the coding tutorial loop? I used to be, but I realized that tutorials were actually holding me back when it came to my programming. Here’s how I realized coding tutorials were setting me up for failure, and how I fixed it.

SAVE $100: The iPad mini (128GB, WiFi, Space Grey) is on sale at Amazon for $399, down from the list price of $499. That's a $100 savings from a 20% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad mini (128GB, WiFi, Space Grey) $399 at Amazon
$499 Save $100   Get Deal

Sometimes smaller is better. That's true for those who travel with their devices or for students who commute to campus everyday. Smaller handheld devices can also be ideal for those with dexterity restrictions. For whatever reason, the smaller size of the iPad mini might be perfect for some folks. If that sounds ideal, check out this sale price.

As of Dec. 22, the iPad mini (128GB, WiFi, Space Grey) is on sale at Amazon for $399, marked down from the standard price of $499. That's a $100 savings from a 20% discount. Note there's no information about a delivery date from Amazon. Instead, it says you'll get a notification once they have an estimate. If you want the iPad mini as soon as possible, consider Best Buy which is also offering the same $399 sale price but with delivery on Dec. 24.

Christmas shopping brings on major discounts, but we often forget that it's a great time to consider goals for the New Year and if we should grab anything to help achieve those goals. If you want to read more in 2026, the iPad mini is Mashable's top choice for as the best iPad for reading.

Mashable Shopping Reporter Samantha Mangino explained the compact size and quick processing makes this model perfect for readers. "The other models, like the iPad Air, start at around 11 inches, which is a lot of screen when you just want to flip through your book," Mangino wrote. "But the iPad mini isn't just a glorified e-reader; it's still a versatile tablet. Like any iPad, you can read on it, but you can also stream your favorite shows — a level of flexibility that a Kindle simply can't match."

SEE ALSO: Score the Apple Watch Series 11 for its best-ever price at Amazon — save $100 right now

This 7th generation model of the iPad mini comes with 128GB storage in its compact 8.3-inch display. Apple claims it has "all-day battery life" which translates to up to 10 hours of web surfing on WiFi. In Mashable's full review of the iPad mini from Senior Editor Stan Schroeder, he wrote, "If you're new to the iPad, and you want the most compact one around (or any compact tablet), the new iPad mini 7 is the best choice."

If your 2026 plans could be improved by a lightweight and compact tablet that's also great to use as an e-reader, jump on this deal to get the iPad mini for $399.

SAVE 25%: As of Dec. 22, you can get the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) for $749, down from $999, at Amazon. That's a 25% discount or a $250 price cut. It's also the lowest price we've tracked for this model.

13-inch Apple MacBook Air (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $749 at Amazon
$999 Save $250   Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Best Buy Get Deal at Walmart

If you’ve been spending the last few weeks scrambling to get everyone on your holiday shopping list the perfect gifts, it may be time to get a little something for yourself. Right now, Amazon has a ton of deals on Apple products, including the 2025 MacBook Air.

As of Dec. 22, you can get the 2025 13-inch Apple MacBook Air (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) for just $749, down from $999, at Amazon. That’s a 25% discount or a $250 price cut. It’s also the lowest price we’ve ever seen this model go for. The only downside is that it won’t arrive before Christmas, but it’s still a great deal if you’re willing to wait for a post-holiday delivery.

SEE ALSO: The best MacBooks to buy in 2025: The M5 is our new battery life champ

The MacBook Air M4 is Apple’s fastest and most portable laptop yet. It supports Apple Intelligence, offers up to 18 hours of battery life, and has a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display. It’s built for productivity and is considerably thinner and lighter than previous models. You’ll also get a 12MP Center Stage camera, three mics, and four speakers with Spatial Audio, so you can take video calls from wherever you are without compromising audio or video quality.

Even Mashable’s Senior Editor, Stan Schroeder, says the MacBook Air M4 is “absolutely” worth buying. In his review, he praised its affordability, speed, and portability, writing that the MacBook Air “put my 16-inch MacBook Pro to shame in so many ways that I'm wondering if I should just switch to the Air the next time around.”

If you've got a gaming PC and haven't overclocked your graphics card yet, you should seriously consider it. It's one of the easiest ways to boost gaming performance significantly without spending a single dime—and it's mostly risk-free.

The beta release for Linux Mint 22.3 "Zena" has arrived with several new features and improvements to the popular Linux distribution. It includes the new System Information app and several interface upgrades for the Cinnamon desktop.

Universal Pictures has released the first official trailer for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, and Nolan-heads, we have never been so back.

In his follow-up to the Academy Award-winning Oppenheimer, Nolan adapts Homer's Greek epic with an all-star cast. Matt Damon plays Odysseus, the wily King of Ithaca. He's one of the tens of thousands of Greeks who fought in the Trojan War. It's his ruse of the Trojan Horse that finally breaches the walls of Troy and puts an end to the decade-long siege. After all that death and destruction, Odysseus is more than ready to return home to his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and his son Telemachus (Tom Holland).

Of course, Odysseus' journey quickly goes awry, otherwise we wouldn't have an epic poem — or Nolan's film, for that matter. On his voyage home, he'll encounter all matter of obstacles, from the enchantress Circe (Charlize Theron) to the Cyclops Polyphemus.

The latter's appearance is one of the many show-stopping moments in the trailer, with Nolan reportedly using animatronics to bring the famed one-eyed giant to life. But that's not all The Odyssey's trailer has in store. Between sweeping shots of the ocean, teases of the Trojan Horse sequence, and riveting storm sequences that leave Damon in bedraggled wet cat mode, the trailer is a visual feast. (And don't even get me started on the stirring score. My ears can only get so pumped.)

If the trailer already has you foaming at the mouth to see more of Nolan's next film, you're in luck. The Odyssey's six-minute prologue is now playing in theaters ahead of IMAX screenings of Avatar: Fire and Ash.

The Odyssey also stars Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, and Zendaya.

The Odyssey hits theaters July 18.

Some products can only be appreciated after you've tried them for yourself. I've known about laptop docking stations for years, but it wasn't until I got my first MacBook that I finally understood how awesome (and freeing) they are.

I've been running a fairly simple homelab for about five years, give or take. And while my current setup does most of the things I want it to do, I've effectively backed myself into a corner by cheaping out on hardware and making some other ill-advised choices that I wish I could go back on. Woe is me, and all that, but I don't think I'm alone here. So, maybe my story will help steer people toward the path that's right for them.

VLC, arguably the best media player around, dons a festive Santa hat every holiday season. The hat appears automatically, but you can remove it or prevent it from even appearing in the first place in just a few seconds. Here's how.

You might've heard the argument that many years of updates don't matter because “you’ll replace your phone in 2 years anyway.” In the age of e-waste, though, there’s a reason why you should want your phone to last years on end—even if you aren't the one using it.

Capture the flag is one of the most iconic traditions at Camp Half-Blood, along with chariot racing and, you know, trying not to get killed by monsters. If given the opportunity to join in on a game, which Percy Jackson and the Olympians characters would the cast choose to be their teammates?

SEE ALSO: How is 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' Season 2 different from the books?

That's the challenge Mashable laid out for six of Percy Jackson and the Olympian Season 2's stars in our latest edition of Choose Your Squad. The rules: You can't choose your own character, and once you've drafted a pick, that character is permanently off the board.

To make things extra competitive, we added some Greek gods to the draft pool. Will the cast go for the ultimate power players in the Percy Jackson universe, or will they be wary of the gods' tendencies for pettiness and infighting?

The answer is decidedly the former. Stars Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, Aryan Simhadri, Daniel Diemer, Dior Goodjohn, and Charlie Bushnell each decide to beef up their teams with some godly powers, and the result is delightful chaos. Come for the cast, stay for some of their wild strategizing.

Who will be the first pick in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians capture-the-flag draft? Which demigod actors will draft their fictional parents to their side? Watch the full video above to find out.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 is now streaming on Disney+, with new episodes every Wednesday.

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