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The internet has always been in flux, a place where sites rise, dominate, and then quietly fade away into oblivion, leaving only traces behind. Yet, for those of us who grew up online, these sites weren’t just web addresses; they were part of our digital lives. Today, many of them exist only in memory, or in the dusty archives of the Wayback Machine.

Kubuntu Focus, the manufacturer that makes Kubuntu Linux-only PCs, has announced a new workstation-level laptop, the Focus Zr Gen 1. The heavy-duty laptop is meant to be a desktop replacement with its dedicated GPU options.

Nearly all new Windows laptops come pre-installed with Windows 11. But with it, you also get a bunch of unnecessary features that can slow down your system, compromise your privacy, or bombard you with annoying notifications. That’s why I tweak a few settings before I start using my new device.

Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint all have built-in pen and drawing tools, but they can be a bit lackluster, especially if you’re accustomed to OneNote or real digital art software. Thankfully, Microsoft is starting to test a few much-needed improvements.

In the early days of the smartphone revolution, Android owners used to envy the look and feel of the iPhone. But things have changed since a lot. I am a longtime iPhone owner who has been increasingly looking at the other side of the fence with envy, all because of Apple's stagnant innovation when it comes to its most prized and supposedly innovative product.

Fractal, the Matrix client developed for the GNOME desktop environment, just got updated to version 12 today. It includes several new features and improvements you can try out as you talk to people across decentralized Matrix networks.

Linux is the best server operating system, right? As it turns out, not always. While I used to run all of my game servers on Linux, a recent issue pushed me toward Windows for game server hosting—and I’m actually happy with the switch.

Grok users, paying or not, have unlimited access to the new Grok 4 model for a limited time, xAI announced on Aug. 10 — a move to remain competitive as its fellow AI companies launch increasingly advanced models and generative AI tools.

"Simply use Auto mode, and Grok will route complex queries to Grok 4. Prefer control? Choose 'Expert' anytime to always use Grok 4," xAI wrote in an announcement posted on X.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

As xAI vies for a larger user base, the company may be trying to poach disgruntled ChatGPT users following the launch of OpenAI's GPT-5. On platforms like Reddit, many ChatGPT users have complained that GPT-5 feels less humanlike and is a little more careful in the way it approaches its relationships with users. After facing a backlash, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced the company will re-release its previous model, GPT-4o, allowing other AI companies to step in with less-controlled alternatives.

Early tests of Grok 4, which launched on July 9, showed it's an impressively advanced model, surpassing competitors like DeepSeek and Claude, but the model's apparent lack of guardrails also suggests the new bot could pose safety concerns for users. A Mashable investigation showed that xAI's new generative AI image tool, Grok Imagine, failed to meet basic safety standards, allowing users to create sexual deepfakes.

How to access Grok 4 for free

You can start using Grok 4 now in the Grok iOS and Android app, or via the X website.

While on auto mode, the chatbot will evaluate whether or not a prompt requires the extended responses of Grok 4 or the quicker feedback of Grok 3. Users can also select the "Expert" setting to get answers from Grok 4.

The company will also be expanding its usage limits for users to accommodate the new model. Further information on free tiers for Grok 4 has yet to be provided.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

In the days leading up to the release of FX's Alien: Earth, the show has gone on a full publicity rampage.

FX has introduced tie-in products with everything from SoulCycle to Skullcandy headphones. On Aug. 9, they also launched "The Hunt," a series of pop-up stunts where fans could check out containment pods teeming with mysterious alien life and enter sweepstakes to win swag.

SEE ALSO: 'Alien: Earth' review: Xenomorphs get upstaged in this sci-fi treat

But the Alien: Earth product that most captured my attention was the Alien-themed burger and shake combo at Black Tap, available until Aug. 24. After all, how in the world do you capture the vibe of the Alien franchise in a burger or shake? Would a Chestburster explode from my body hours after I consumed these menu items? (And would you call that a... Chestburger?)

Given that I'm still alive while writing this, days after having both the burger and shake, the answer is thankfully no. But even without the 4D Chestburster experience, the Alien: Earth burger managed to be the craziest burger I've ever eaten, hands-down.

Look at that Xenomorph blood... I mean, sauce. Credit: Belen Edwards

There's nothing too out there about the Alien: Earth burger's ingredient list. You've got a beef patty and some pepper jack cheese, topped with cilantro, charcoal aioli, and salsa verde. Crispy onion petals round out the toppings, curling out of the burger buns just like a Facehugger's spindly legs curl around its victim's face. The combination proved delicious, with the salsa verde providing a light zing to counteract a burger's usual heaviness.

The craziness really started as I chowed down on the burger. Eating a burger tends to be a humbling experience, because no matter how hard I try, sauce and juice wind up running down my hands. Napkins will only do so much. At some point, you just have to surrender to the sauce. Now, that's all well and good when the sauce is something familiar, like ketchup or Thousand Island dressing. But when you're working with a neon green salsa verde and a deep black aioli, the effect is downright alarming.

I peered down at my hands to see them spattered in bright green and black, like some unholy mix of the Xenomorph's acidic blood and the frightening black goo introduced in Prometheus. Truly, it appeared as if I had fought a Xenomorph, and that's as close to Alien as you can get in a burger. With that in mind, the experience wasn't just about the taste of the (yes, very yummy) burger. It was also about the spillage, which reduced me to laughter the worse it got. Apparently, all you need to live your Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) fantasy is a really messy burger.

Meanwhile, the milkshake, which was Mountain Dew-flavored, was less my speed. (Look, I love shakes, but don't do the Dew.) The chocolate cake slice that topped the shake was solid, though, and so dark that it evoked the pitch blackness of space, where no one can hear you scream.

The shake and cake pairing also gave me such a sugar rush that by the time the burger arrived, I felt invincible, like I could kill a Xenomorph by myself. And after eating the burger and getting my hands and lips smeared with black and green sauce, it certainly looked like I had.

Alien: Earth premieres Aug. 12 at 8 p.m. ET on Hulu and FX.

If you are looking for yet another streaming subscription service, both ESPN and Fox will be launching new platforms in the coming weeks that are perfect for sports fans. Today, in a surprise turn of events, the two companies announced they'll let you bundle them together for one monthly fee, saving you a bit of money.

There's always been a strict divide between mobile games and console games, but that barrier has been quietly breaking down in recent years. Most modern phones can now handle console games like Resident Evil 4 and Assassin's Creed Mirage, while mobile games like Genshin Impact and Asphalt Legends Unite are giving some console games a run for their money.

Gamescom 2025 is right around the corner, and it’s set to be one of the biggest gaming events of the year. Over the course of several days, Cologne will once again become the center of the gaming universe, with publishers, developers, and fans all gathering for a week packed with world premieres, hands-on demos, and more livestreamed showcases than you’ll reasonably have time to watch.

Whether you’re in it for the AAA blockbusters, the indie darlings, or just the chaos of live event surprises, this year’s lineup looks stacked. Last year saw the reveal of a lot of big sequels, including Borderlands 4 and Civilization VII. To be honest, this year won't be that much different in that regard now that we know Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is the big game to start of the festivities.

Even still, Gamescom will have a little something for everyone. Here’s how to watch and what you can expect once the show kicks off.

Gamescom 2025: How to watchOpening Night Live

Gamescom kicks off with Opening Night Live, setting the tone for everything that follows during the event. The showcase will stream on YouTube and be headlined by the worldwide reveal of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. Yes, that’s right — seven of them. We used to be a proper country.

The livestream starts at 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT / 11 a.m. PT, so clear your schedule if you want to see it all unfold in real-time.

Xbox @ Gamescom

Xbox will stream for two days straight at Gamescom, kicking off on August 20 and running again on August 21. Both broadcasts start bright and early — 9 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. CT / 6 a.m. PT — and will be available to watch on YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, and Facebook.

Gamescom 2025: What to expect

As mentioned up top, the big headliner for this year’s event is the reveal of Black Ops 7. But for anyone whose interests go beyond the annual big shooty-shooter, Microsoft has something special: a playable build of Silksong, the long-awaited sequel to 2017’s sleeper hit action-platformer Hollow Knight.

Xbox’s showcase will also deliver fresh updates on several announced titles, including Grounded 2, Keeper, Ninja Gaiden 4, The Outer Worlds 2, and Overwatch 2.

We might also finally hear pricing details for the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X handheld systems — Microsoft’s first serious push into handheld PC gaming. Based on leaks, these things likely won’t come cheap. One leak pegs the high-end Xbox Ally X at €899 (around $1,047 USD), making it a full $100 more expensive than the 2TB version of the Xbox Series X.

Beyond that, Gamescom will be packed with reveals, trailers, and even live performances. Here’s the full schedule so far:

• Opening Night Live — August 19, 1:30 p.m. ET (pre-show), 2 p.m. ET (main show)

• Xbox @ Gamescom 2025 Broadcast — August 20, 9 a.m. ET

• Future Games Show — August 20, 2 p.m. ET

• Xbox @ Gamescom 2025 Broadcast — August 21, 9 a.m. ET

• Bethesda — streaming on Twitch August 22–25

Lin-Manuel Miranda is a man on the receiving end of many opinions. Some feel he is the talent of a generation while others find him mindbogglingly cringy. The most evolved critics (me) think he is both. But none of that really matters for the thousands of TikTok users enjoying a brand new trend borne of his 2015 musical, Hamilton.

The trend features predominately young women, all of whom somehow can pull together outfits fit for the early 1800s, dressed up as Alexander Hamilton and singing Miranda's part to the song, "Best of Wives and Best of Women." Usually, the TikTok Hamiltons are trying to sneak out of someone's house in the middle of the night and are annoyed at being held up by their curious spouse.

While everyone is nailing this trend, my personal favorite is a creation by Becca Bastos or @actressbecc, whose response to Eliza singing "come back to sleep" is a constant in my own brain. Her video has amassed over 3.3 million views.

A close second is, of course, a creation by none other than @_ashbyflorence_, who is simultaneously going viral for an incredible impersonation of The Lorax.

In response, men have begun playing Eliza's part in the song.

This comes as Hamilton returns to theaters for its 10th anniversary this year.

Less than a week after announcing a new Perplexity-powered AI search engine with reportedly tight reins on its sources, Truth Social's AI tool is already contradicting its most famous co-founder.

Truth Search AI, a new platform-based answer bot built on Perplexity Sonar API, was launched by Trump Media and Technology Group to "increase the amount of information" available to users and offer "direct, contextually accurate answers with transparent citations." Despite the commitment to a broader information environment, Perplexity representatives explained the search tool's sources could be customized by its overseers (known as source selection). In early tests by Axios, Truth Search AI's answers appeared to be limited to sourcing from traditionally conservative outlets, including FoxNews.com and FoxBusiness.com, compared to Perplexity's standard engine.

SEE ALSO: ChatGPT fans are shredding GPT-5 on Reddit as Sam Altman responds in AMA (updated)

But, even with this curation, Truth Search AI isn't easily falling in line with the Trump Administration's standard talking points. In an analysis by the Washington Post, the AI tool repeatedly countered claims made by the President rather than reaffirming statements he has previously posted on Truth Social as factually correct, including the impact of international tariffs on American consumers and the need for federal intervention in what Trump has claimed is a crime-riddled national capital.

“Their own AI is now being too ‘woke’ for them,” David Karpf, a George Washington University professor, told the publication. The tool still cited primarily conservative entertainment and news sources in its citations, but its conclusions might not be as cut and dry as expected. Trump Media declined to provide comment to the Washington Post, calling their findings "transparently asinine" reporting by "irrelevant partisan hacks."

Part of what he claims to be a government-wide "truth-seeking" mission, Trump has recently attacked what he calls "Woke AI," or Large Language Models that are, in his eyes, "ideologically biased" and driven by diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Last month, Trump issued an Executive Order intended to promote "unbiased AI" in federal contracting and national security. Meanwhile, the administration has brokered several deals with top AI companies to provide services to the federal government, including $200 million Pentagon contracts with OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Elon Musk-owned xAI.

It’s here! Almost. jQuery 4.0.0-rc.1 is now available. It’s our way of saying, “we think this is ready; now poke it with many sticks”. If nothing is found that requires a second release candidate, jQuery 4.0.0 final will follow. Please try out this release and let us know if you encounter any issues.

A 4.0 upgrade guide and jQuery Migrate release are also now available, but both are subject to changes before the final jQuery Core release.

Many of the breaking changes in jQuery 4.0.0 are ones the team has wanted to make for years, but couldn’t in a patch or minor release. We’ve trimmed legacy code (including removing support for IE before version 11), removed some previously-deprecated APIs, removed some internal-only parameters to public functions that were never documented, and dropped support for some “magic” behaviors that were overly complicated.

As usual, the release is available on our CDN and the npm package manager. Third party CDNs will not be hosting this rc release, but will host the 4.0.0 final release later. Here are some highlights for jQuery 4.0.0 rc.1.

Download

You can get the files from the jQuery CDN, or link to them directly:

https://code.jquery.com/jquery-4.0.0-rc.1.js

https://code.jquery.com/jquery-4.0.0-rc.1.min.js

You can also get this release from npm:

npm install jquery@4.0.0-rc.1

Slim build

Sometimes you don’t need ajax, or you prefer to use one of the many standalone libraries that focus on ajax requests. And often it is simpler to use a combination of CSS and class manipulation for web animations. Finally, all of jQuery’s supported browsers (except for IE11) now have support for native Promises across the board, so Deferreds and Callbacks are no longer needed in most cases. Along with the regular version of jQuery that includes everything, we’ve released a “slim” version that excludes these modules. The size of jQuery is very rarely a load performance concern these days, but the slim build is about 8k gzipped bytes smaller than the regular version. These files are also available in the npm package and on the CDN:

https://code.jquery.com/jquery-4.0.0-rc.1.slim.js

https://code.jquery.com/jquery-4.0.0-rc.1.slim.min.js

These updates are already available as the current versions on npm. Information on all the ways to get jQuery is available at https://jquery.com/download/. Public CDNs receive their copies today, please give them a few days to post the files. If you’re anxious to get a quick start, use the files on our CDN until they have a chance to update.

Thanks

Thank you to all of you who participated in this release by submitting patches, reporting bugs, or testing, including ac-mmi, Michał Gołębiowski-Owczarek, neogy-akash, and the whole jQuery team.

Changelog

Full changelog: 4.0.0-rc.1

CSS

• Fix dimensions of table <col> elements (#5628, eca2a564)
• Drop the cache in finalPropName (640d5825)

Core

• Remove obsolete workarounds, update support comments (e2fe97b7)
• Switch $.parseHTML from document.implementation to DOMParser (0e123509)

Docs

• Align CONTRIBUTING.md with 3.x-stable (d9281061)
• Update CONTRIBUTING.md (4ef25b0d)
• add version support section to README (cbc2bc1f)

Event

• Use .preventDefault() in beforeunload (7c123dec)

Manipulation

• Make jQuery.cleanData not skip elements during cleanup (#5214, 3cad5c43)

Selector

• Properly deprecate jQuery.expr[ ":" ]/jQuery.expr.filters (329661fd)

SAVE $50: As of Aug. 11, the Fitbit Versa 4 smartwatch is on sale for $149.95 at Amazon instead of its usual $199.95. That's 25% in savings and $30 cheaper than it was just last week.

Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Fitbit Versa 4 $149.95 at Amazon
$199.95 Save $50 Get Deal

The fitness tracker and smartwatch industry is a bit oversaturated these days, but Fitbit remains one of the top dogs. And when it comes to Fitbits, the Versa 4 is the one we recommend "to anyone in need of something functional, but also simple and affordable."

While it's not the most advanced smartwatch in the Fitbit lineup (that would be the Sense 2), it looks and feels good, has a massive selection of built-in fitness features, and comes at a relatively low price. As of Aug. 11, Fitbit Versa 4 is on sale for $149.95 — that's 25% off its list price and $30 cheaper than it was just last week when we featured it.

What it lacks in widespread app access and ECG and stress sensors, it makes up for with its fitness features, design and usability upgrades over its predecessor (which we also loved), and its responsive touch screen. You'll get heart rate tracking, sleep tracking, Sp02 monitoring, stress tracking, and a built-in GPS. Our reviewer noted that it's not the most accurate GPS she's used, but "if your aim is general fitness rather than long distance exercise with detailed tracking, it’s perfectly fine for casual use." It's also waterproof for swimming and can track basic swim metrics.

It'll outlast the Apple Watch with five to six days of power and it can track an entire 10K with GPS without dying. Unfortunately for Apple users, you can't reply to text directly from the watch — that feature is only available for Android users. But you still can get notifications and voice calls.

Ultimately, the Versa 4 is a pretty solid purchase at full price. At $50 off, it's an even better value.

Earlier this summer, a prominent Apple analyst claimed Apple was developing a "more affordable MacBook" powered by an iPhone chip. Now, we have a better idea of how much it might cost. (Spoiler: Almost half has much as a current-generation MacBook Air.)

According to the Taiwanese tech site DigiTimes, the budget MacBook that Apple is reportedly working on could cost somewhere between $599 and $699. To be clear, it's still a hypothetical at this point, but the lower end of that price range would make it 40% cheaper than the latest M4 MacBook Air. That would also put it in the ballpark of the M1 MacBook Air from late 2020, which Walmart has been selling for the Chromebook-level price of $599 this summer.

DigiTimes' report also includes the tidbit that the affordable MacBook will have a 12.9-inch display, making it slightly smaller than the M4 MacBook Air, which comes in a 13-inch size.

SEE ALSO: The next affordable MacBook might be powered by an iPhone chip

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously claimed in June that a new cheap MacBook would feature a 13-inch display and the Apple A18 Pro, the same chip used in last year's iPhone 16 Pro and Max. That would make it the first-ever MacBook to be powered by an iPhone chip. It could also come in colors like silver, blue, pink, and yellow, Kuo shared on X.

Kuo said he expected the affordable MacBook to enter mass production in late Q4 of 2025 or early Q1 of 2026, putting it slightly ahead of the rumored M5 and M6 MacBooks in terms of potential availability. If any of these leaks pan out, next year will be a major one for fans of Apple's laptops.

The good news is that the MacBook Pro might soon get a proper redesign with an OLED display. The bad news is that OLED laptops from Apple aren't coming anytime soon.

This is according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who reports that Apple's OLED update to the MacBook Pro is still at least a year away.

"It's arriving between the end of 2026 and early 2027 and should boast the M6 chip," Gurman wrote in the Aug. 10 edition of his Power On newsletter.

So, even if a MacBook with an M5 chip launches in 2025 or 2026, you may want to hold off for the OLED version.

The delay of a potential M6 MacBook Pro with an OLED display isn't entirely unexpected, considering the next-in-line M5 MacBook Pro is also rumored to be delayed until 2026. (The best MacBooks available today feature M4 chips.) In July, Gurman reported that "the M5 MacBook Pro line will be the last with the current design."

SEE ALSO: Apple's M5 MacBook Pro could be delayed until 2026, report says

The new timeline will certainly test the patience of aspirant upgraders who want a new MacBook Pro with more than just fresh silicon. The OLED MacBook Pro will mark the machine's first major overhaul since 2021, when Apple scrapped the Touch Bar, revived MagSafe charging, and bumped the smaller model from 13 inches to 14.

The one shred of hope is that historically, Apple hasn't been opposed to releasing two generations of M-something chips in the same calendar year. It kicked off 2023 with the release of the M2 Pro and Max MacBook Pros in January, then replaced them with M3 models in October.

If OLED is all that you're after, there's always the M4 iPad Pro with a tandem OLED screen. Otherwise, bear with Apple.

Back to school season is in full swing, and you don't have to rely on the Apple Store's deals to get the best bang for your buck on a new iPad, AirPods, or MacBook.

In fact, you're much more likely to get better savings from retailers like Amazon. The below list is our case in point, featuring deals like the 11-inch iPad Air marked down $150 to $649, the AirPods Pro down $80 at $169, and the M4 MacBook Air down $200 to $799 — its lowest price ever.

Check them out, along with the other top TK Apple deals live this week.

Best AirPods deal Apple AirPods Pro 2 $169 at Amazon
$249 Save $80 Get Deal Why we like it

Check out our full review of the Apple AirPods Pro 2.

The AirPods Pro 2 are our favorite earbuds for Apple users, providing excellent ANC, sound quality, and connection with Apple devices. Though Apple's price point is at the steeper end, this deal puts these earbuds at a much more accessible $169 — not quite the lowest price we've ever seen them, but still one of the best at $80 off. The only reason we wouldn't get them? If you want the latest and the greatest earbuds. The USB-C version of these earbuds released back in 2023, and though we think they hold up, there was a possible leak of the AirPods Pro 3 earlier this year.

More AirPods deals

• Apple AirPods Max — $479.99 $549 (save $69.01)

Best MacBook Air deal Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $799 at Amazon
$999 Save $200 Get Deal Why we like it

The Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) is going on its third week of sitting at its record-low price. That's right: You can get the MacBook Air M4 (in any color) for just $799. That's a 20% discount and a $200 savings. The 15-inch version is our favorite MacBook for most people, so if you don't mind a slightly smaller display, this price is pretty unbeatable for an everyday laptop.

Best MacBook Pro deal Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,599 at Best Buy
Get Deal Why we like it

Check out our full review of the M4 MacBook Pro.

If you'd rather have a Pro, the 14-inch Apple MacBook Pro (M4, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) is still sitting at $1,299.00. This is the lowest price we've tracked for this model and a full $300 off its list price. Though significantly more expensive than the Air, the Pro is better suited for folks who regularly do more intensive tasks like video editing — the larger built-in storage is also a big bonus for use cases like that.

More MacBook deals

• Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $999 $1,199 (save $200)

• Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $999 $1,199 (save $200)

• Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,199 $1,399 (save $200)

• Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M4, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,399 $1,599 (save $200)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,499 $1,799 (save $300)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M4, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,699 $1,999 (save $300)

Best iPad deal Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M3, WiFi, 128GB) $449 at Walmart
$599 Save $150 Get Deal Why we like it

Check out our full review of the M3 iPad Air.

The iPad Air is the best Apple tablet for most people, and for good reason: it has a long battery life, works for streaming and creative projects, has the option between 11-inch and 13-inch displays, and has a powerful M3 processor that basically makes it a touch screen laptop, especially with the addition of a Magic Keyboard. It's a great note-taking and file organizing machine for students, and at $150 off, it's back down to its lowest price ever.

More iPad deals

• Apple iPad, 11-inch (A16, WiFi, 128GB) — $299 $349 (save $50)

• Apple iPad Air, 13-inch (M3, WiFi, 128GB) — $649 $799 (save $150)

• Apple iPad Air, 13-inch (M3, WiFi, 256GB) — $749 $899 (save $150)

Best Apple Watch deal Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm, GPS) $299 at Walmart
$399 Save $100 Get Deal Why we like it

Check out our full review of the Apple Watch Series 10.

The Apple Watch Series 10 is the best smartwatch fitness tracker on the market, for a few reasons. For folks already in the Apple ecosystem (most people), this watch integrates easily, giving you access to health data that tracks your heart rate, steps, and sleep. While it's not too different from past generations, anyone with an older Apple Watch will appreciate what the Series 10 has to offer, especially with the larger (and thinner) display, that's still readable in bright sunlight. At $299, this Apple Watch isn't quite at its $279 all-time low, but $100 off is still nothing to sneeze at.

More Apple Watch deals

• Apple Watch SE, 2nd generation (40mm, GPS) — $169 $249 (save $80)

• Apple Watch Series 10 (46mm, GPS) — $329 $429 (save $100)

• Apple Watch Ultra 2 (49mm, GPS + cellular) — $649.99 $779 (save $129.01)

Deals on Apple accessories and more

• Apple AirTag — $24 $29 (save $5)

• Apple Pencil (USB-C) — $69 $79 (save $10)

• Apple AirTag (4-Pack) — $74.99 $99 (save $24.01)

• Apple Pencil Pro — $99 $129 (save $30)

• Apple Pencil (2nd Generation) — $99 $129 (save $30)

• Apple Magic Keyboard Folio (iPad 10th generation) — $199 $249 (save $50)

• Apple Magic Keyboard Folio (iPad Air 13-inch) — $287.09 $319 (save $31.91)

The Made by Google event is just weeks away, and while all eyes are on the upcoming Pixel 10, a fresh leak has given us our first look at the redesigned Pixel Buds 2a.

SEE ALSO: A new Pixel 10 leak reveals so many colors (and more)

In an exclusive from Android Headlines, leaked renders show Google’s latest addition to the Pixel Buds A-series lineup. The case sticks to Google’s familiar shape but now features a single, unified color inside that matches the earbuds themselves—a subtle but sleek refresh.

The Pixel Buds A-series is Google’s budget-friendly line of wireless earbuds, first launched in 2021 as a more accessible alternative to the Pixel Buds Pro. While they skip some of the premium perks — like wireless charging or advanced audio tuning —they’ve built a reputation for delivering solid sound quality, dependable Google Assistant integration, and seamless pairing with Pixel phones and other Android devices.

The color shown in the leak is Iris, a soft yet striking purple. A leaked spec sheet on X shows a standard black option as well, while a separate leak hints at two more shades, Hazel and Fog Light, whatever that turns out to be.

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According the the leaked spec sheet, the Pixel Buds 2a will feature Active Noise Cancellation and Spatial Audio and have a 7-hour battery life, just shy of the Pixel Buds Pro 2’s 8 hours. If the leaks are accurate, Google’s aiming to keep the A-series competitive (and cheap) without sacrificing the essentials.