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TL;DR: Encrypt and privately share Windows files with an EncryptPro Personal Plan lifetime subscription for $39.99 (reg. $139).

Opens in a new window Credit: EncyptPro EncryptPro Personal Plan for Windows: Lifetime Subscription $39.99
$139 Save $99.01   Get Deal

Most file encryption tools make you build a locked vault, then wait while large files are decrypted before you can open them. EncryptPro encrypts files right on your PC and shares them through private PGP connections, and a lifetime subscription is on sale for $39.99 (reg. $139).

EncryptPro works fast and reliably to keep your files private. In testing on a standard machine, EncryptPro encrypted a 10.6GB file in just 35 seconds. Streaming decryption opens large files in seconds, so a 10GB video starts playing right away instead of waiting for the whole file to unlock. Every file and folder gets AES-256 encryption, and the app overwrites each original with zeros and then random data across multiple passes, so no readable copy gets left behind in the Recycle Bin.

SEE ALSO: 15 early October Prime Day tech deals, hand-picked by our gadget experts

Unlike other security software, you don’t need to open a separate window to use EncryptPro. Right-click any file or folder in Windows Explorer to lock or unlock it. Then just double-click an encrypted file to open it in its usual app. Encrypted folders are still browsable, and custom icons show each file’s group and lock state even when EncryptPro isn’t running.

EncryptPro uses a zero-knowledge setup, so the company can’t access your files, and you can verify that yourself with tools like Wireshark and Glasswire. Nothing gets uploaded or synced to a cloud server. Your encrypted files work from USB drives and external drives, and you can open them offline on any PC.

The Personal Plan adds PGP file sharing with no passwords to email, 5 password-protected Security Groups, and up to 10 one-to-one connections with 2 members each. Upgrade Lock rotates a connection’s keys whenever you want, cutting off anyone who doesn’t get the new password. One master password opens any group, so a forgotten group password won’t lock you out.

Your license works on three devices at once running 64-bit Windows 10 or 11, and future updates are included.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Anthropic just released Claude Sonnet 5.5, the second model in its Claude 5.5 family. It arrives less than a week after the company launched Claude Opus 5.5.

According to Anthropic's announcement, Sonnet 5.5 runs more than 30 percent faster than Sonnet 5 and costs up to 30 percent less for most work. The company describes it as a lower-cost complement to Opus 5.5, and that Sonnet 5.5 is best suited to well-scoped everyday tasks, such as fixing bugs and producing documents, slides, and spreadsheets. Anthropic said Claude Haiku 5.5 will arrive in the coming weeks.

SEE ALSO: Judge allows most of Reddit's lawsuit against Anthropic to proceed Anthropic benchmarks show big gains over Sonnet 5

Anthropic reported that Sonnet 5.5's top score edges out Opus 5.5's, though Opus 5.5 scored higher at every other effort level the company charted. On GDPval-AA v2.1, which measures real-world work across 44 occupations, Sonnet 5.5 scored 1,844. That is two points behind Opus 5.5 and about 400 points ahead of Sonnet 5. The company also said it is the first Sonnet model to beat Pokémon Red, working only from screenshots.

Credit: Anthropic / Mashable screenshot

Anthropic cautioned that benchmarks capture only part of a model's abilities. The company said its own testing and outside testing both found Opus 5.5 still clearly stronger at complex, open-ended work.

Early testers cited efficiency gains. In the press release, Slack principal engineer Curtis Allen said Sonnet 5.5 beat Sonnet 5 on nearly all of Slack's offline Slackbot evaluations, finishing "in fewer steps and with about 14% fewer output tokens."

Pricing and availability

Pricing is the same as Sonnet 5:

• $2 per million input tokens

• $10 per million output tokens

• $0.20 per million tokens for cache reads

The input and output rates are half of Opus 5.5's. Anthropic says the lower per-task cost stems from the model requiring fewer tokens to complete the same work.

Sonnet 5.5 is available now on all of Anthropic's platforms, including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. Developers can access it via the API as claude-sonnet-5-5, with zero data retention. Developers who run Sonnet with thinking off must switch to a new between_tools setting before migrating.

New safeguards

Anthropic said Sonnet 5.5's cybersecurity capabilities are comparable to Opus 5's. For that reason, it is the first Sonnet model to ship with cyber safeguards similar to those on Opus 5.5. Higher-risk cybersecurity requests will visibly fall back to Sonnet 5, while routine bug-fixing is unaffected. Biology safeguards are unchanged from Sonnet 5. Organizations can apply to the Life Sciences Verification Program for broader access. Sonnet 5.5 is also the first Sonnet model to launch with classifiers designed to block distillation attacks, in which bad actors extract a model's capabilities at scale.

On Anthropic's automated behavioral audit of roughly 1,850 scenarios, Sonnet 5.5 matched or improved on Sonnet 5 on most alignment measures. Opus 5.5 still performed slightly better overall. The company acknowledged that no set of evaluations catches every failure.

Flock CEO Garrett Langley is avoiding the public. Last week, as individuals testified to Flock's flaws in front of the U.S. Senate's Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, Langley stayed home. He sent a letter in his stead.

But a group of ignited internet users believes the CEO, who runs an $8 billion surveillance technology company advertised as a security solution, should be put on display — and perhaps given a metaphorical swirly.

Using a previously circulated address that reportedly belonged to Langley and was shared online in an effort to doxx the CEO, a new group of anti-Flock users allegedly labeled his home as a public toilet. The reported listing is still unverified.

Others called on each other to share Langley's personal information en masse, including the unconfirmed address, to show what "endless surveillance for no good reason feels like."

SEE ALSO: Three takeaways from the Senate hearing on Flock's camera network

"This internet backlash against the Flock CEO hiding his own house while selling surveillance to everyone else is honestly poetic justice. why do tech executives think privacy rules only apply to them," wrote one user on X.

People on social media also noticed images of the address on Google Maps' Street View had been blurred from public view. A privacy feature offered at a homeowner's request, many found the anonymity ironic and began circulating unverified images of the home in response.

"Shame if he gets egged and TP'd on halloween," wrote a different X prankster.

In response to the purported doxxing, a recent thread on the r/AskConservatives subreddit asked, "Does the Flock CEO deserve privacy?"

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Flock is now synonymous with a nationwide surveillance apparatus enabled by the proliferation of Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs), used by law enforcement to document, profile, and track drivers regardless of their participation in actual crimes. The anti-ALPR movement has grown exponentially in the last year, culminating in a new bipartisan effort to cancel Flock contracts, regulate their use, or even ban them outright.

Legislators are largely responding to an online movement that has united communities to force Flock out of their towns, often turning to public protest and guerilla tactics to physically remove Flock devices. Over the weekend, for example, the DeFlock America Facebook group — an online gathering place for surveillance opponents — reached a milestone of more than 820,000 members.

The allegations detailed in a former Cornell University student's lawsuit are horrifying. The student, identified in the suit as Jane Doe, alleges that seven fraternity members drugged and sexually assaulted her in 2024, ultimately prompting her to leave the university. Since she filed the lawsuit, students at Cornell and others beyond the campus have spoken out.

Among them is actress Florence Pugh, who had a message for men in particular:

"This is really the moment where we need our men to be as horrified and as sickened as us. You need to be leading conversations about how we change the allowance and complicity of this behavior as much as we are. How can you expect us to trust that it’s 'not all men' when in moments like this, many of you stay quiet?... Colleges/schools/universities repeatedly fail women around the world. You build men that get taught through time and time again that they can do extreme harm and that they won’t be harmed in return. I’m no longer tired — I'm enraged by schools protecting boys, in fear of their futures being wrecked..."

But after Pugh shared the message with her 10.7 million Instagram followers, some of her anger shifted toward the platform carrying it.

According to Pugh, Instagram placed a "sensitive-content" warning over the post, preventing some followers from swiping through the carousel to read it. In other words, Pugh says Instagram restricted access to the very post she was using to call attention to the allegations.

Screenshot of Florence Pugh's Instagram profile grid, where you can see the grey grid post flagged as sensitive content. Credit: Screenshot: Instagram/@florencepugh

"Am I being censored for talking about rape?" she asked. When she tried sharing her statement again, Pugh said Instagram was "blocking me from reaching people."

Meta confirmed to TMZ that Instagram initially placed a sensitive-content label on Pugh's post. "We removed this label upon further review after we determined that it qualified for a newsworthy allowance," a spokesperson said. The post is now visible to adults without restrictions. It is, however, considered "age-restricted content" on the platform.

Instagram does have recommendation rules that can limit how widely certain content is recommended to people who don't already follow an account, even when that content is allowed to remain on the platform. But Meta did not say whether those rules affected the reach of Pugh's post.

Pugh, for her part, had already drawn her own conclusion: "Instagram, at least we can see what side you're on."

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So why did the post receive a warning in the first place? Meta hasn't explained exactly what triggered it. The company's sexual exploitation policy allows victims to share their experiences, while prohibiting content that "depicts, threatens or promotes sexual violence, sexual assault or sexual exploitation." In Pugh's case, Instagram ultimately determined that the post could remain unrestricted under its newsworthy allowance.

SEE ALSO: How to filter sensitive content on Instagram

And while the Instagram warning has drawn attention of its own, Pugh's original post was about what happened at Cornell and how the university responded.

The lawsuit alleges that some of the accused students received disciplinary measures that included writing essays. Cornell has pushed back on the suggestion that essays were anyone's sole punishment, saying it expelled and suspended students and barred the fraternity from campus.

The allegations are now getting another look beyond the university. After the former student filed her lawsuit, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten reopened the criminal investigation and said he intends to present the case to a grand jury. No criminal charges have been filed.

Pugh isn't the first person to question what happens when Meta's moderation rules get between users and conversations about safety and health, particularly those involving women and marginalized communities. Last year, The Guardian reported that more than 50 organizations focused on abortion access, reproductive health, and LGBTQ+ issues had experienced restrictions or account removals across Meta's platforms.

Fatma Ibrahim of Sex Talk Arabic, for example, said Instagram repeatedly told the organization that posts about sexual health violated its rules and that its page would no longer be recommended to other users. Meta denied targeting the groups because of their advocacy and said it had reinstated more than half of the accounts flagged by campaigners.

People who report sexual assault can already face significant barriers to being heard. As attention around the Cornell allegations continues to grow, Pugh's experience raises a broader question about how Instagram handles those conversations and what its moderation systems deem too sensitive to show.

Professional wrestler Benjamin Satterley, who went by the ring name PAC, passed away at the age of 40 over the weekend, according to All Elite Wrestling.

News of Satterley's death was quite sudden, as he had previously wrestled the opening match of AEW's All Out pay-per-view on Sept. 26, and AEW announced his passing the following day. Satterley's passing also coincided with the celebration of life ceremony for fellow AEW wrestler "The Butcher" Andy Williams, who tragically passed on Sept. 5, 2026.

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Satterley, born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, started his wrestling career in 2004, traveling across the world and making his name in promotions such as Ring of Honor, CHIKARA, and Dragongate. Known for his high-flying style, raw athleticism, and technical in-ring ability, Satterley was often called "the man that gravity forgot." He was one of the best to ever do it.

Before signing with AEW in 2019, Satterley joined WWE's developmental program NXT in 2012 under the ring name Adrian Neville, where he would become one-half of the company's inaugural NXT Tag Team Champions and a one-time NXT Champion. In 2015, he was called up to WWE's main roster, shortening his name to Neville and becoming a two-time Cruiserweight Champion.

After leaving WWE, Satterley would join AEW under his original ring name, PAC. Nicknamed "The Bastard," Satterley became the company's inaugural International Champion (originally called the All-Atlantic Championship), a two-time World Trios Champion, and at one point held both titles to become AEW's first double champion.

Outside of his achievements in WWE, AEW, and beyond, Satterley was a beloved figure in pro wrestling, both by fans and his fellow wrestlers.

His Death Riders stablemate Marina Shafir shared an emotional, heartbreaking tribute to Satterley at an indie event. "Listen. He was our bastard. I was just holding this man yesterday," she said. "He was the best. He was the fucking best. You know why? Because he knew himself. He was just so modest about how fascinating he was."

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Wrestlers from various promotions, fans, and even his hometown team Newcastle United have mourned Satterley's passing on social media:

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Apple's plans for the Vision Pro are shifting again as Meta's lightweight VR glasses shape the expectations of future VR headsets.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is exploring a redesigned headset that follows the same core philosophy as Meta's, i.e., moving the compute components out of the headset and into an external puck. But the project, code-named N224, is reportedly on life support. It's facing pushback from some senior executives and is unlikely to ship before late 2028, if it ships at all. For now, Apple's attention has moved toward simpler smart glasses without displays.

SEE ALSO: Apple to fix iPhone 18 Pro Face ID bug

The shift comes days after Meta unveiled its VR Glasses at Meta Connect 2026. The $1,299 headset, due in spring 2027, weighs about 100 grams. That's roughly a fifth of Meta's own Quest 3 and a small fraction of the Vision Pro. Gurman, who has used the Vision Pro since launch, argued in his Power On newsletter that Meta's glasses are what Apple's headset should have been.

When the Vision Pro launched in February 2024, it drew attention for its impressive displays and eye-and-hand controls. It also drew complaints about its weight, its price, and a shortage of reasons to wear it beyond watching videos. It was a striking proof of concept, much like Samsung's Galaxy Z TriFold, but more a showcase for enthusiasts than a device for everyday people.

Meta's ability to make their VR headset lighter was simply to move the heavy parts off your face. The processor and battery live in a separate module that clips onto your clothing and connects to the glasses by cable. Gurman reports that the module is about the size and weight of the Vision Pro's external battery pack.

The Vision Pro started at $3,499 and can weigh up to about 800 grams, depending on the headband. Meta chose comfort and price over high-end quality, which is always a winner for consumer buy-in.

Apple saw the problem coming, according to Gurman. Early in development, there was consideration in moving processing to a separate home device, but the team rejected the idea. Since launch, Apple has shelved at least three projects meant to fix the Vision Pro's biggest flaws:

• N107: a headset that would have offloaded computing to a Mac or another device.

• N100: a "Vision Air" that would have moved more components into an external pack.

• N109: a lighter, cheaper model with a less powerful chip.

Gurman reports that some senior Apple leaders believe a separate puck leads to a poor experience and prefer an all-in-one design. However, as Gurman writes, new CEO John Ternus has long been privately skeptical of a headset this heavy and expensive, though he has spoken optimistically about it in public. The Vision hardware team has also been moved lower in Apple's org chart, its former hardware chief left for OpenAI, and the team recently went through layoffs.

Even if Apple does commit, a new headset likely wouldn't arrive before late 2028 or early 2029.

PREORDER NOW: As of Sept. 28, preorder the Boox Picco, a 3.97-inch e-reader. You can purchase the tiny e-reader for $109.99 and get it as soon as it's released in November.

Opens in a new window Credit: Boox Boox Picco E-reader $109.99 at Boox
  Pre-order Here

For months, Boox has been teasing its new tiny e-reader. The Boox Picco was first unveiled in July with an in-person debut at IFA 2026 in Berlin. Now, the device is officially available for preorder.

The Boox Picco is a 3.97-inch e-reader. It's part of the brand's new Tile collection. While Boox's other e-readers like the Palma and Go 6 are classified as tablets, the Picco is a Tile, likely to differentiate between operating systems.

Unlike Boox's tablets, the Picco Tile doesn't have an Android operating system, meaning you can't access any additional apps since there's no Google Play Store. Instead, you'll read from the Picco's native library. It does have some extra apps, including a Pomodoro timer and Todo (a to-do list app). We suspect it'll operate similarly to Xteink e-readers, which are best for DRM-free files. To get files on the Picco, upload them either with a USB-C cable or with the new Boox Tile app.

It's about the size of a deck of cards and can even attach to the back of an iPhone with MagSafe. It has a dual-tone front light so you can adjust both the warmth and brightness. It has a power button plus a page-turning button on the side. There's also a function switch on the side that swaps the device between front light and dark mode.

The Boox Picco retails for $109.99. It's now available for preorder on Boox's site. No exact ship date has been provided, but according to Boox's site, the device will ship in October. However, a Boox representative said it will ship by November.

If you're ready to extend your Boox e-reader collection, preorder the Boox Picco now for $109.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Boox Boox Picco E-reader $109.99 at Boox
  Pre-order Here

Does the camera on your smartphone matter more than anything else that the device can do?

If so, you might want to check out Honor's new Magic 9 Pro Max.

Seriously. Just take a look at it. Have you ever seen the lenses on any smartphone’s camera bump extend the entire width of the phone?

The Honor Magic 9 Pro Max launch. Credit: Honor

As Phone Arena points out, the release of the Honor Magic 9 Pro Max marks the 10th anniversary of the company, which is a subsidiary of Huawei, so it appears they’re going all out.

The phone's camera system was created in partnership with ARRI, the professional cinema camera company that has long been a staple in major motion pictures. ARRI provided image science and camera expertise, which helped Honor develop the camera for the device. 

Furthermore, the partnership brings ARRI’s touch to the camera software as well. The Honor Magic 9 Pro Max provides 14 ARRI filter presets along with support for 4K 60fps "Cinema Grade" recording, 10-bit color depth and ARRI Wide Gamut 3.

But, the Magic 9 Pro Max is more than just a partnership with a leading Hollywood camera-maker. The cameras themselves top any other smartphone in the market.

The Honor Magic 9 Pro Max sports a whopping 200 MP main camera with 1/1.28-inch sensor and a f/1.57 aperture, a 200 MP telephoto camera with 1/1.4-inch sensor and a f/2.6 aperture, and a 50 MP ultra-wide lens with f/2.0 aperture. In addition to that, the Magic 9 Pro Max boasts a 55 MP selfie camera as well.

To compare Honor’s latest smartphone with the newest iPhone 18 Pro Max, all three rear cameras on the Apple device top out at 48 MP. Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra probably comes the closest with its 200 MP main camera, but the phones’ camera specs differ beyond megapixel count.

SEE ALSO: iPhone 18 Pro hands-on: What's new with the cameras

The main camera on the Honor Magic 9 Pro Max has optical image stabilization rated to the Camera & Imaging Products Association’s CIPA 8.0 standard. In addition, it also boasts 3-degree gimbal-level stabilization, a feature in which the camera can actually move and tilt by up to 3 degrees.

It's not just cinema-grade cameras either. Honor claims that the Magic 9 Pro Max is the first smartphone with a "cinema-grade" directional microphone. The company says it can pick up sound from up to 20 meters away and has audio recording presets to help users capture the sounds that they want and reduce noise from its surroundings.

The phone’s full specs are as follows:

• 6.8-inch LTPO OLED display, 1–120Hz, 2,000 nits peak brightness 

• 200 MP main camera with 1/1.28-inch sensor and a f/1.57 aperture, 200 MP telephoto camera with 1/1.4-inch sensor and a f/2.6 aperture, 50 MP ultra-wide lens with f/2.0 aperture, 55 MP selfie camera 

• Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6

• Up to 16 GB RAM, up to 1 TB storage 

• 8,800 mAh silicon-carbon battery

• MagicOS 11 based on Android 17

The Honor Magic 9 Pro Max looks like a beast for smartphone camera aficionados. Unfortunately, however, Honor’s devices are not officially sold in the U.S. So, if you really want one, you’ll have to go through third parties and import it yourself.

The Honor Magic 9 Pro Max launches today in China and retails for approximately $970 USD.

If you've ever had a lingering curiosity wondering if PlayStation games can be played on an Xbox, well, they can. Technically.

A modder named Devran Cosmo Uenal has built an early version of a PS5 emulator for the Xbox Series X, according to Boy Genius Report. The project, called PS5X, can already run a small selection of PS5 games on Microsoft's console, though not especially smoothly.

For context, an emulator is software that imitates another device's hardware. Consoles are essentially specialized computers, and their games are built to run on that specific hardware. An emulator tricks a game into thinking it's running on the machine it was made for, even when it's actually on a PC, a phone, or, in this case, a rival console.

Emulation sits in murky legal territory. In the U.S., emulators themselves are generally legal because building software that emulates a console's hardware isn't illegal in itself. However, downloading copies of a video game you don't own is copyright infringement.

PS5X is a port of KytyPS5, an open-source PS5 emulator for PC. Uenal adapted it to run on the Xbox Series X. BGR reports that the Xbox version lags behind the PC original but already produces impressive results for such an early project.

SEE ALSO: Xbox lays off more than 250 employees amid studio restructurings

Early is the keyword here, as the list of games PS5X can play is very short. Uenal's YouTube channel shows a PS5X game library that includes Gex Trilogy, Hellboy: Web of Wyrd, Marvel Cosmic Invasion, and Quake 2. These are smaller titles, which are usually the first to work on a new emulator. BGR says they're playable but not polished, with minor glitches and performance problems. In Uenal's footage, Quake 2 swings between roughly 20 and 40 frames per second, well short of the steady frame rate players expect.

BGR notes that bigger games may follow soon. A recent interface update from Uenal shows Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, Grand Theft Auto 5, and Gran Turismo 7 in his library, which BGR reads as evidence that the games are being tested. The biggest hurdle is graphics. KytyPS5 draws its visuals using Vulkan, a graphics system widely used on PCs. The Xbox doesn't support Vulkan. It uses Microsoft's own system, DirectX.

PS5X should improve as the PC version does, since it's built on KytyPS5. The PC emulator has advanced quickly in recent months. According to BGR, it can now run Astro Bot and Demon's Souls without crashing, though often at single-digit frame rates, and GTA 5 is fairly playable on high-end PCs.

PS5X hasn't been released to the public. When it is, BGR reports that Xbox owners will be able to install it by switching their console into developer mode, a setting Microsoft offers for testing homemade software.

Selling a keyboard on Facebook Marketplace can involve a lot of messages. That sounds like a reasonable job to hand to an AI assistant — until it reportedly agrees to a price, gives out your address, and tells the buyer you’re home, all without checking with you first.

That's what Matt J. Robb says happened after he let Meta's AI agent Muse handle a Marketplace listing. In a post on Threads, Robb said the agent accepted a low offer and shared his address without telling him. By the time he learned what had happened, the prospective buyer had already come to his building and left.

So muse handled my Facebook marketplace today. Just found out it told people my address and agreed a lowball price and then they showed up without it even telling me until late tonight that it messed up.

Absolutely wild.

A screenshot Robb shared shows Muse telling him the buyer arrived around 9:15 p.m. and waited for more than 20 minutes. According to the assistant’s own account, it sent an automatic reply saying "Yep, I’m here!" while Robb was unavailable. Muse said it had since apologized to the buyer from Robb's account and offered to try again another day. Robb responded by telling Muse never to arrange a pickup without checking with him first.

Credit: Screenshot/Threads: @matt.j.robb

David Singleton of the Muse team said he had contacted Robb to investigate. "In the past, when we’ve worked with users to investigate similar reports, we’ve consistently learned that Muse was following direct instructions and correctly asked for permission," he wrote on X. "Would love to help and figure out what’s going on here!"

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Robb disputes the suggestion that Muse asked for permission in his case. In an update on X, he said Muse didn’t ask him about the sale until the buyer showed up. He added that he lives in a security-gated apartment building and warned others to be careful about giving an AI agent control over in-person transactions. The screenshots he shared show the buyer messaging to confirm Robb was available, then complaining that he had driven for half an hour and nobody had come down.

The account has made at least one other user reconsider trusting Muse. Gizmodo senior editor Ray Wong wrote on X that he deleted the app after seeing Robb's post, calling the situation "dangerous and creepy." Wong also raised the concern of what an unexpected visit to someone’s home could mean for a woman.

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And this isn't the first time someone has alleged Muse crossed a boundary they thought they’d set. Inc. columnist Jason Aten reported that Muse brought up a private conversation after he believed he had declined access to his messages. When he asked how Muse knew about the exchange, Aten said the agent’s explanation didn’t match what he found on his Mac. "Snooping through the private database of messages on my Mac doesn’t feel safe or private to me," he wrote. "Lying about it isn’t great either."

Meta introduced Muse earlier this month as a personal AI agent that can work across connected apps, negotiate on a user’s behalf, and continue working after the app is closed. The company says Muse checks with users before sensitive actions and gives them control over which services it can access.

SEE ALSO: 10 ways to use Meta's Muse AI app, from flight credits to outfit ideas

That promise is precisely why accounts like these are unsettling. Whatever an investigation finds about Muse’s permissions, an assistant arranging an in-person meeting surely needs to make sure the person it represents knows it’s happening, don't you think?

SpaceX's Starship reached orbit for the first time on Monday, surviving an early engine shutdown during ascent, and then cutting its test flight short.

The giant rocket lifted off at 7:48 a.m. local time from Starbase, Texas. Moments later, one of the six engines on Starship's upper stage, known as the ship, quit firing. At first, SpaceX flight controllers seemed to be leaning toward calling off the push to orbit, with host Dan Huot providing live commentary as they weighed the decision.

But after studying the data, they polled "go" for the orbital insertion engine burn. A single engine fired for a few seconds and pushed the ship fast enough to stay in space. 

"That's the first time we've ever said that in this program: 'Go for orbit,'" said Jake Berkowitz, a SpaceX lead propulsion engineer. "That is a really, really cool thing to hear and obviously means quite a bit for the remainder of this mission."

Reaching orbit moves Starship from a series of shorter test flights toward sustained flight around Earth. Until Monday, every Starship flight followed a short arc that used gravity to drop the ship back into the ocean. In orbit, a spacecraft moves so fast that Earth curves away beneath it as quickly as gravity pulls it down, keeping it aloft to circle the planet. The milestone advances Starship's development toward refueling in space and full reusability, which SpaceX needs for its plans to fly to the moon and Mars. But the test, which was supposed to see the ship circle Earth six times before returning, ended about three hours into flight, without a clear explanation.

SEE ALSO: A Mars crater wasn't just a lake. That could change the hunt for life.

The engine shutdown was the first obstacle. Huot told viewers the team had decided "not to commit to orbit" and would send the ship down in the Indian Ocean instead. Then he said controllers were reassessing the situation.

The engine that quit belonged to a set built for the thin air of space, and the ship didn't need that set for the rest of the flight. The team focused on the ship's three center engines — the ones it needs to reach orbit and later leave it. Those engines continued to look healthy, Huot said.

Starship coasts through space around Earth before its orbital insertion engine burn on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. Credit: SpaceX / X screenshot

"You're getting this in real time as I'm starting to see it," he said, "so we are not giving up yet."

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Before the ship reached orbit, the rocket's first stage, a booster called Super Heavy, also did its job. It flipped, fired its engines to head back toward Texas, and made what the hosts called a soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. That was an improvement over the previous flight this summer, in which the booster hit the water hard.

Starship fires its orbital insertion burn successfully during its 14th test flight on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. Credit: SpaceX / X screenshot

After reaching orbit, the test was meant to continue for about nine more hours. The mission would conclude by relighting a single engine to slow down and drop out of orbit. Instead, flight controllers took the first available deorbit opportunity to bring the ship back to Earth. The test lasted about three hours. Commentators did not immediately share a reason for the decision.

The ship is expected to plunge back through the atmosphere, where its exterior will heat to thousands of degrees, relying on heat-resistant tiles for protection. SpaceX added extra pins to hold tiles in place and closed gaps where superheated gas had slipped behind them on the last flight.

If all goes as planned, Starship will splash down in the Pacific Ocean far off the coast of Chile. Despite the early return, hosts called the test "wildly successful." 

The best early October Prime Day TV deals: Best budget TV deal Amazon Ember 55-inch 4-Series 4K TV $279.99 (save $180) Get Deal Best art TV deal Amazon Ember 55-inch Artline QLED 4K TV $499.99 (save $400) Get Deal Best QLED TV Deal Hisense 65-inch U7 Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV $847.99 (save $652) Get Deal Best Roku TV deal Roku 65-inch Plus Series QLED 4K TV $449.99 (save $200) Get Deal Best small TV deal Amazon Ember 43-inch 4-Series 4K TV $199.99 (save $130) Get Deal BEST OLED TV DEAL LG 65-inch C6 OLED 4K TV $1,499.99 (save $1,200) Get Deal Another great OLED TV deal Samsung 65-inch S90H OLED 4K TV $1,697.99 (save $1,002) Get Deal

Another Amazon Prime Day is upon us. Well, kind of. Prime Big Deal Days, which runs from Oct. 6 through Oct. 7, isn't quite as massive as Amazon's flagship summer sale, but it serves as an unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season.

Casually called October Prime Day, the fall sale features deals on all sorts of tech — just like Prime Day proper. TVs, in particular, tend to see pretty big price drops now that new models have been on the market for about six months. In other words, if you're in need of a new TV, you can find a 2026 model for a steal during October Prime Day.

We've rounded up the best early October Prime Day TV deals from brands like LG, Hisense, Samsung, and Amazon Fire TV that you can shop now, including several options already under $500. But be sure to check back as the official Prime Big Deal Days sale nears for even more hefty discounts.

Best budget TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Ember 55-inch 4-Series 4K TV $279.99 at Amazon
$459.99 Save $180   Get Deal Why we like it

As much as we might drool over Sony's new flagship Bravia 7 II True RGB TV, when it comes time to actually add a TV to our shopping cart, we often have to lower our expectations. The good news: TVs are among the few tech products that have gotten cheaper over the past five years, and even budget TVs offer fairly impressive displays and sound.

The Amazon Ember 4-Series is a good starter TV if you're on a budget, and that's why it's one of the best October Prime Day TV deals we've found so far. Despite clocking in at under $300, this 55-inch TV has a 4K HDR10+ display, WiFi 6 support, a speedy quad-core processor, and doubles as an Alexa smart speaker. If you're already in the Amazon ecosystem and OLEDs aren't in your budget, don't overthink this one.

Best OLED TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 65-inch C6 OLED 4K TV $1,499.99 at Amazon
$2,699.99 Save $1,200.00   Get Deal Why we like it

OLED TVs are known for their elite contrast and often extreme price tags. However, the LG C6 is what Mashable's TV expert calls the "best affordable OLED TV," compared to competitors' prices. It's also her top pick for an OLED TV for most people. It features inky blacks, stark contrast (of course), improved audio, peak brightness, and a higher refresh rate than its predecessor, and overall, incredible picture quality. At just under $1,600, the 65-inch model is over $1,000 cheaper than its list price ahead of Prime Big Deal Days. We've actually seen it drop even lower before, so we'll be keeping an eye out as the official sale nears.

Best QLED TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 65-inch U7 Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV $847.99 at Amazon
$1,499.99 Save $652   Get Deal Why we like it

The Hisense U7 series delivers Mini-LED performance you'd expect on higher-priced models. It packs a 165Hz refresh rate, 2.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos audio, a Google TV with a Gemini interface, and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. Its backlighting features full-array local dimming as well, which means clusters of tiny LED bulbs precisely control brightness levels within specific sections of your screen for more accuracy and depth. The U7 is a step up from our favorite budget TV of 2026, but with this massive price drop, it's actually a much better deal. At $847.99, the 65-inch model is already $2 cheaper than it was on Prime Day proper back in June.

Best art TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Ember 55-inch Artline QLED 4K TV $499.99 at Amazon
$899.99 Save $400   Get Deal Why we like it

If you want an aesthetic TV that doubles as artwork on your wall, but don't quite have the budget for Samsung's The Frame, Amazon's new Ember Artline TVs are a solid alternative. The 55-inch model is on sale for less than $500 ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, which is 44% off and its best price on record. While Amazon's art TV isn't quite as impressive in the specs department as Samsung's, it does offer a free art gallery and a wide selection of frame options at no extra cost. It's not our top pick at full price, but at $400 off? It's hard to pass up.

Best Roku TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Roku Roku 65-inch Plus Series QLED 4K TV $449.99 at Amazon
$649.99 Save $200   Get Deal Why we like it

Not everyone is a fan of the Fire TV ecosystem, and we get it. I'm a Roku fan, and this deal on the 65-inch Roku Plus Series TV shaves $200 off ahead of October Prime Day. While I do think we could see an even better price as the official sale nears, this is still a solid discount that puts a 65-inch Mini-LED QLED in your living room for less than $500. Mini-LED backlighting and local dimming enable finer tuning of the bright, detailed 4K QLED display. It also features Dolby Atmos sound, Roku Smart Picture, and a delightfully simple interface.

More early October Prime Day TV dealsUnder 50-inch TV deals

• Insignia 40-inch F40 HD TV — $99 $119.99 (save $20.99)

• Roku 43-Inch Select Series 4K TV — $179.99 $249.99 (save $70)

• Amazon Ember 40-inch 2-Series HD TV — $179.99 $249.99 (save $70)

• Amazon Ember 43-inch 4-Series 4K TV — $199.99 $329.99 (save $130)

• Sony 48-inch Bravia 6 OLED 4K TV — $1,098 $1,299.99 (save $201.99)

50 to 55-inch TV deals

• Insignia 50-inch F50 4K TV — $159.99 $299.99 (save $140)

• Samsung 55-inch M70H Mini-LED 4K TV — $299.99 $347.99 (save $48)

• Hisense 55-inch E6 Hi-QLED 4K TV — $299.99 $429.99 (save $130)

• Amazon Ember 55-inch Omni Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $449.99 $819.99 (save $370)

• Hisense 50-inch E7 Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV — $449.99 $699.99 (save $250)

• Amazon Ember 55-inch Omni QLED 4K TV — $489.99 $589.99 (save $100)

• Amazon Ember 55-inch Artline QLED 4K TV — $499.99 $899.99 (save $400)

• Samsung 55-inch The Frame LS03F QLED 4K TV — $747.99 $1,097.99 (save $350)

• Hisense 50-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $797.99 $1,299.99 (save $502)

• LG 55-inch LX7B Gallery Mini LED 4K TV — $899.99 $1,299.99 (save $400)

65-inch TV deals

• Insignia 65-inch QF Series QLED 4K TV — $299.99 $349.99 (save $50)

• Roku 65-inch Plus Series QLED 4K TV — $449.99 $649.99 (save $200)

• Hisense 65-inch E7 Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV — $597.99 $999.99 (save $402)

• Amazon Ember 65-inch Omni QLED 4K TV — $709.99 $849.99 (save $140)

• Amazon Ember 65-inch Artline QLED 4K TV — $799.98 $1,099.99 (save $300.01)

• Amazon Ember 65-inch Omni Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $799.99 $1,089.99 (save $290)

• Toshiba 65-inch G700 ArtVision QLED 4K TV — $1,097.99 $1,999.99 (save $902)

• LG 65-inch LX7B Gallery Mini LED 4K TV — $1,099.99 $1,799.99 (save $700)

• Hisense 65-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $1,197.99 $1,999.99 (save $802)

• Samsung 65-inch S85H OLED 4K TV — $1,397.99 $1,999.99 (save $602)

• TCL 65-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $1,697.99 $2,499.99 (save $802)

• Sony 65-inch Bravia 8 II QD QLED 4K TV — $2,498 $3,299.99 (save $801.99)

75-inch TV deals

• Samsung 75-inch M70H Mini-LED 4K TV — $547.99 $729.99 (save $182)

• Amazon Ember 75-inch Omni QLED 4K TV — $989.99 $1,199.99 (save $210)

• Amazon Ember 75-inch Omni Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $999.99 $1,499.99 (save $500)

80 to 85-inch TV deals

• Hisense 85-inch U6 Pro Hi-QLED Mini-LED 4K TV — $1,297.99 $1,999.99 (save $702)

• Amazon Ember 85-inch Omni Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $1,759.99 $2,099.99 (save $340)

• Hisense 85-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $1,998.99 $3,999.99 (save $2,001)

Over 85-inch TV deals

• Hisense 100-inch E7 Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV — $1,996.97 $2,999.99 (save $1,003.02)

• Hisense 100-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV — $2,497.99 $2,999.99 (save $502)

• TCL 98-inch QM7L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $2,497.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,502)

SAVE $200: As of Sept. 28, the 85-inch TCL QM6K Series Mini-LED 4K TV is on sale for $897.99 at Amazon. Down from its typical price of $1,097.99, that's its best-ever price.

Opens in a new window Credit: TCL TCL 85-Inch Class QM6K Series Mini LED QLED 4K HDR TV $897.99 at Amazon
$1,097.99 Save $200   Get Deal

If you have been waiting to turn your living room into a private movie theater, Amazon just dropped a record-low deal on a massive screen. The 85-inch TCL QM6K Series Mini-LED 4K Smart TV is currently marked down to $897.99 from its typical $1,097.99 price tag. That is an 18% discount that knocks $200 off, bringing this latest-model display down to its best price ever.

Getting an 85-inch screen under the $900 mark is already a steal, but what makes this deal special is that TCL didn't skimp on picture quality to keep the price low. Instead of using old-school giant backlights that make dark scenes look washed-out and grey, this model packs thousands of microscopic LEDs directly behind the glass. Because these tiny lights can dim or brighten independently, bright objects stay sharp while dark backgrounds remain genuinely dark, preventing bright light from leaking into the dark corners of the screen.

SEE ALSO: How to sign up for Amazon Prime in time for the next Prime Day

It is also built to handle fast movement without turning into a blurry mess. The screen can refresh its picture up to 144 times every second, which means fast-moving footballs, racing cars, and current-gen video games stay buttery smooth. Whatever you choose to watch, the TV automatically adjusts its picture settings to match the exact movie or show format you are streaming, making sure colors pop without looking fake or overly harsh.

Rounding out the package is built-in Google TV software, which means all your favorite streaming apps like Netflix, Prime Video, and YouTube are on one easy-to-use home screen. You can control the TV using the included voice remote with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa commands, and the onboard speakers are tuned by audio brand Onkyo with spatial surround sound built right in, so dialogue stays clear without requiring an immediate soundbar purchase.

Head to Amazon to score TCL's massive 85-inch Mini-LED 4K TV at its record-low price before it sells out.

TL;DR: Watch Australia vs. Brazil in an International Friendly for free on Network 10. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Nations League action continues this week with a number of interesting fixtures, but there's another high-profile fixture taking place on the other side of the world. Australia are facing off against Brazil for the second time in a week, just days after they drew 1-1 at the Queensland Country Bank Stadium.

If you're interested in watching Australia vs. Brazil in an International Friendly from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Australia vs. Brazil?

Australia vs. Brazil in an International Friendly kicks off at 6 a.m. ET on Sept. 29. This fixture takes place at the Suncorp Stadium.

How to watch Australia vs. Brazil for free

Australia vs. Brazil in an International Friendly is available to live stream for free on Network 10.

Network 10 is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can live stream Australia vs. Brazil for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Australia vs. Brazil for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

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

4. Visit Network 10

5. Watch Australia vs. Brazil for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Australia vs. Brazil without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Network 10?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Network 10, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Australia

• 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 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Australia vs. Brazil for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The increase comes four months after the chip giant added $80 billion to its buyback program, bringing the total remaining authorized amount to $235 billion.

TL;DR: According to reports, Pokémon cards will return to McDonald's Happy Meals from Nov. 5. Each Happy Meal order will include a four-card booster pack, with 15 cards available to collect in total.

It looks like Pokémon cards are officially returning to McDonald’s Happy Meals in the U.S. Mark your calendars for Nov. 5, because collectors have got a month to complete the latest 15-card set.

According to reports from PokéBeach, the limited-time promotion will run through Dec. 9. Each Happy Meal order will include a four-card booster pack featuring three standard cards and one guaranteed holofoil. It's going to be chaos.

Here's everything we know about the upcoming drop, what to expect in the packs, and how to score the cards.

When do Pokémon Happy Meals drop at McDonald's?

If reports are true, the U.S. promotion will run from Nov. 5 to Dec. 9. If Target's recent Pokémon event was anything to go by, expect high demand from launch.

What will the Pokémon Happy Meal booster packs include?

We don't expect McDonald’s to change a winning formula. As usual, each Happy Meal will contain three regular cards and one foil card. There will be 15 cards to collect, including six holo cards printed on confetti holofoil. Unfortunately, we don't know which cards will be featured just yet.

How to get the cards (without feeding the scalpers)

If you are trying to complete a full 15-card binder set without buying 50 Happy Meals, keep these tips in mind:

Ask to buy extra booster packs separately

Some locations allow you to purchase additional Happy Meal toy/card packs individually at the register (typically around $1.99 to $2.99 each) without purchasing a full meal, though rules vary by location.

Avoid third-party reseller markups

Complete 15-card sets and individual holos usually flood secondary markets hours after launch, often dropping significantly in price after the initial opening-weekend hype cools down.

Shop online alternatives

If in-person stock dries up, official Pokémon 30th Anniversary TCG sets are actively restocking online. In fact, you can find Pokémon 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Boxes for under market price right now at Amazon.

Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale is just around the corner — and so are some excellent Apple deals, no doubt. This 48-hour "October Prime Day" serves as Amazon's kickoff to the Black Friday/holiday shopping season, which is the best time to find discounts on popular Apple devices, among many other tech products. This year, it will double as some year-end relief from RAMageddon price increases.

While the sale isn't scheduled to begin for a few more weeks, Amazon is already rolling out some early October Prime Day deals on select gadgets, including most AirPods, Apple Watches, iPads, and MacBooks. That raises the question: If you're thinking about upgrading from an older Apple device to a newer model, should you start adding items to your cart now or hold off for a bit?

SEE ALSO: Amazon announces dates for Prime Big Deal Days, its 48-hour 'October Prime Day' sale

The answer depends on the exact product you're eyeing. Having covered Amazon's sales for years now, I think most of its current Apple deals will get much better on Oct. 6 and 7, when Prime Big Deal Days is officially live. However, a couple of the deals are worth grabbing immediately. In fact, you might miss out if you wait too long.

Read on to find out which six Apple deals I'd add to my cart ASAP, and which others I'm hoping to see once Prime Big Deal Days starts. I've come up with some October Prime Day discount predictions for every current Apple product based on their pricing histories and Amazon's deal patterns. I'm also keeping an eye on rivaling retailers like Walmart and Best Buy to see if they can one-up their offers. (Check back for updates as we get closer to the sale.)

The only Apple deals I'd shop before October Prime Day Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods 4 $99 at Walmart
$129 Save $30   Get Deal

Apple's last-gen earbuds are getting harder to find in stock following this month's launch of the AirPods 5. Amazon's $99 deal on new pairs is gone, leaving only used options starting at $84.55.

If you're after the base model, your best move right now is Walmart, where new pairs are still available for $99 (normally $129) — matching their lowest price of the year. However, if active noise cancellation is a priority, you can get the ANC version for $129.99 at Best Buy.

While the standard version lacks ANC, misses out on Live Translation, and doesn't sound quite as refined as its successor, it's still a great option for budget shoppers who want a reliable set of wireless earbuds without paying full price.

Read Mashable's review of the Apple AirPods 4.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm) $389.99 at Amazon
$399 Save $9.01   Get Deal

Apple's latest flagship smartwatch hit shelves in mid-September alongside the AirPods 5, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and iPhone 18 Pros. It has an upgraded chipset and sensors that support better heart rate monitoring, a new Readiness feature, and new Audio Intelligence tools. Amazon is currently selling it for $389.99, which is almost $10 off its usual sticker price of $399. That discount isn't huge, but it's probably not going to get any bigger once Prime Big Deal Days starts. Its predecessor, the Series 11, was also only $10 off during its first Prime Big Deal Days.

Check out our breakdown of all the differences between the Apple Watch Series 12 and Series 11.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Ultra 4 (GPS + cellular, 49mm) $779.99 at Amazon
$799 Save $19.01   Get Deal

Similarly, the rugged Apple Watch Ultra 4 isn't heavily discounted but probably won't get any cheaper than it currently is, if history repeats itself. Last year, during Prime Big Deal Days, the last-generation Apple Watch Ultra 3 was marked down to $779.99 (normally $799). Ahead of this year's sale, the Ultra 4 is already matching that. Its upgrades include a faster processor, a longer battery life, and a new heart rate monitoring system; it has the same new health and fitness features as the Series 12.

Read Mashable's review of the Apple Watch Ultra 4.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Pro, 11-Inch (M4, WiFi, 2TB, nano-texture glass) $1,899 at Amazon
$2,099 Save $200   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 512GB) $1,299 at Amazon
$1,499 Save $200   Get Deal

Amazon still has a couple of older M4 iPad Pros in stock and on sale at deep discounts. One is an 11-inch model with a nano-texture (matte) display and 2TB storage; the other is a 13-inch model with Apple's standard display and 512GB of storage. They're marked down to $1,899 and $1,299, respectively, which is a $200 savings either way. (For reference, they were $250 off and $100 off during Prime Big Deal Days 2025.) They're significantly cheaper than their newer M5 counterparts right now, so I can see them selling out well before this year's October Prime Day.

Read Mashable's review of the 13-inch Apple iPad Air (M4).

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Max, 36GB RAM, 2TB SSD) $3,499 at Amazon
$4,099 Save $600   Get Deal

This beefy MacBook Pro, powered by Apple's most powerful laptop chip, is ideal for advanced users like professional video editors and developers. MacBooks don't normally get discounts of more than $300 to $400 during Amazon's Prime events, so at $600 off, this one's a no-brainer buy. I should also mention that this exact configuration cost $3,599 before Apple raised its MacBook prices in June — this discount negates that and then some.

October Prime Day AirPods deals to watch

• Apple AirPods 5: The latest flagship AirPods debuted in mid-September, and they're currently stuck at full price. (The standard models retail for $129, while the ones with a wireless charging case cost $149.) They should get cheaper next month, but not by much. The AirPods 4 only saw a small $10 discount during their first Prime Big Deal Days in 2024, so I think they'll probably go for $119 and $139, respectively.

• Apple AirPods Pro 3: The AirPods Pro 3 have better ANC than the regular AirPods 5, plus a longer battery life, an added heart rate sensor, and an exclusive Hearing Aid mode. They're down to $234 right now — a 6% savings — but there's a strong chance they'll dip even lower for October's festivities. Amazon could revive its record-low price of $169, which last appeared right before June's Prime Day sale.

• Apple AirPods Pro Max 2: Apple's over-ear headphones are currently on sale for $479 (or $70 off their $549 MSRP), but I'd wait. We saw them fall to $399 a couple of months ago on Prime Day — an impressive 27% savings.

Read our reviews of the AirPods 5, the AirPods Pro 3, and the AirPods Max 2. Plus, find out where they ranked on our guides to the best wireless earbuds and the best noise-canceling headphones.

The best early October Prime Day AirPods deals for now: Apple AirPods 4 $99 (save $30 at Walmart) Get Deal Apple AirPods 5 $129 Shop Now Apple AirPods 5 with wireless charging case $149 Shop Now Apple AirPods Pro 3 $199 (save $50) Get Deal Apple AirPods Pro Max 2 $479 (save $70) Get Deal October Prime Day Apple Watch deals to watch

• Apple Watch SE 3: Normally $249, Apple's budget smartwatch has been as cheap as $189.99 before — a savings of just under $60. It's definitely not worth buying now at $239, or only $10 off.

The best early October Prime Day Apple Watch deals for now: Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 40mm) $239 (save $10) Shop Now Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm) $389.99 (save $9.01) Get Deal Apple Watch Ultra 4 (GPS + cellular, 49mm) $779.99 (save $19.01) Get Deal October Prime Day MacBook deals to watch

• Apple MacBook Neo: The cheapest MacBook hasn't gotten any major discounts at major retailers since its March release. (Its current sale price of $689 on Amazon, or $10 off, is its all-time low there.) There's no world where Amazon matches the Apple Store's $100 student discount for Prime Big Deal Days, IMO, but maybe we'll see it hit $649 for the first time next month. It's due for better deals now that it's more than six months old.

• Apple MacBook Air: Two variants of the 13-inch M5 MacBook Air were ~$100 off at the time of writing, but don't add them to your cart yet. Both sizes of last year's M4 MacBook Air were $200 off during Prime Big Deal Days 2025. If Amazon matched that offer in the coming weeks, it would erase the M5 Air's recent price hike. For reference, the 13-inch one usually starts at $1,299, while the 15-inch size typically starts at $1,499; snag them as soon as you catch them at $1,099 and $1,299, respectively.

• Apple MacBook Pro: The 14-inch, M5-powered base model with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage is also $150 off right now, but I think Amazon might sell it for $1,799, or $200 off, come Prime Big Deal Days. That's the discount its equally configured predecessor got last fall. (It wouldn't fully cancel the MacBook Pro's recent $300 price increase, but it would be a welcome deal regardless. We haven't spotted it on sale for less than $1,849 since June.)

Read our reviews of the Apple MacBook Neo, the M5 MacBook Air, and the M5 MacBook Pro. Plus, find out which MacBook is best for you.

The best early October Prime Day MacBook deals for now: Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $689 (save $10) Get Deal Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,449 (save $150) Get Deal Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,399 (save $100) Shop Now Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,839 (save $160) Get Deal Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Max, 36GB RAM, 2TB SSD) $3,499 (save $600) Get Deal October Prime Day iPad deals to watch

• Apple iPad: Apple's flagship tablet is on sale for $427 in the lead-up to Prime Big Deal Days (usually $449), which is a skip. Wait to see if Amazon matches or beats its $70 discount from last year's sale, which would bring it down to just $379.

• Apple iPad mini: The smallest, most portable iPad was also $70 off during Prime Big Deal Days 2025, so it's worth adding to your cart if you see it drop to $529 or lower next month. It's now on sale for $569 (only $30 off).

• Apple iPad Air: Amazon randomly shifted the list prices for both sizes of the latest M4 iPad Air, so technically, both models are $20 off right now. You can grab the 11-inch version for $729 and the 13-inch version for $929 (down from their original retail prices of $749 and $949). It's a tiny markdown compared to the $100 price cuts we saw recently, but last October, Amazon dropped the previous-gen models by $150 during Prime Big Deal Days. If Amazon replicates that $150 discount off the original list price next month, the 11-inch model would fall to $599, and the 13-inch would drop to $799.

• Apple iPad Pro: The 11-inch base configuration of the M4 iPad Pro was $100 off during last year's Prime Big Deal Days, while the 13-inch base model was $200 off. Amazon isn't matching those offers just yet: The smaller size is now $1,139, only $60 off, while the 13-inch one is now $1,399, or $100 off (not bad, but it could be even better). Ideally, they'll soon hit $1,099 and $1,299 or less.

Read our reviews of the iPad mini, the M4 iPad Air, and the M5 iPad Pro. Not sure which iPad to buy? Allow us to offer some guidance.

The best early October Prime Day iPad deals for now: Apple iPad, 11-inch (A16, WiFi, 128GB) $427 (save $22) Get Deal Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro, WiFi, 128GB) $569 (save $30) Get Deal Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M4, WiFi, 128GB $729 (save $20) Get Deal Apple iPad Air, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 128GB) $929 (save $20) Get Deal Apple iPad Pro, 11-Inch (M4, WiFi, 2TB, nano-texture glass) $1,899 (save $200) Get Deal Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 512GB) $1,299 (save $200) Get Deal Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) $1,139 (save $60) Get Deal Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) $1,399 (save $100) Get Deal October Prime Day Apple accessory deals to watch

• Apple AirTags (4-Pack): Currently on sale for $89 (normally $99). We frequently see this 4-pack drop to $69 or $79 during major Amazon events, so it's worth holding off a few more weeks to save an extra $5 or $10.

• Apple Pencil Pro: Down to $99 (normally $129). This $30 discount is a pretty good deal. The lowest we've ever seen Amazon let it go for was $89.99 in Oct. of 2024.

• Apple MagSafe Charger: On sale for $39.99 (normally $49). It doesn't usually drop below $29 (though we did see it at $28 in June), so the current price is reasonable if you need a wireless charger right away, though a slightly better deal is likely during the sale.

Watch for Apple Gift Card bundles: Keep an eye out for gift card promos as we get closer to Oct. 6. Target and Best Buy frequently run deals where buying a $100 Apple Gift Card gets you a $15 credit back. It's essentially free money if you already plan on paying for iCloud, Apple Music, or future hardware upgrades.

TL;DR: Through Sept. 29, Krispy Kreme is celebrating National Coffee Day with a new limited-edition Original Glazed Coffee Flavored Doughnut. Plus, you can score a dozen Original Glazed or Coffee Flavored doughnuts for just $5 when you buy any regular-priced dozen, stacked with a free coffee offer on Sept. 29.

National Coffee Day is here, and Krispy Kreme is combining two morning staples into a single limited-edition treat. Through Sept. 29, the chain is rolling out the new Original Glazed Coffee Flavored Doughnut.

This limited-time menu addition takes Krispy Kreme’s iconic melt-in-your-mouth glazed doughnut and infuses it with a smooth, subtly bold coffee flavor. To mark the launch and the holiday, Krispy Kreme is running two stacked promotions across participating locations.

How to get a $5 dozens

If you are picking up doughnuts for the office or family, you can grab a second dozen for a steep discount. When you buy any full-priced dozen on Sept. 29, you can add a second dozen of either the new Original Glazed Coffee Flavored Doughnuts or classic Original Glazed Doughnuts for just $5.

• In-shop and drive-thru — You can redeem up to two $5 dozens per guest at participating locations.

• Online and app orders — Use the promo code COFFEE at checkout when ordering for pickup or delivery through the Krispy Kreme app or website (limit one $5 dozen per online order while supplies last).

Free coffee on National Coffee Day

If you visit a participating Krispy Kreme shop on Tuesday, Sept. 29, you can score a free small or medium hot or iced coffee with any purchase. This offer is limited to one free drink per guest in-store or through the drive-thru.

Head over to your local Krispy Kreme or open the mobile app and use code COFFEE to grab your $5 dozen before the deal ends on Sept. 29.

On Friday, Sept. 25, Taylor Swift released four new songs as part of her expanded album The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore. The internet has since spent the weekend listening, evaluating, and searching the tracks for hidden meanings. So far, many listeners have concluded that Swift's new songs leave a lot to be desired, with even die-hard Swifties struggling to defend her artistic choices.

SEE ALSO: Who is Taylor Swift’s 'Patient Zero' about? Swifties have a theory.

Swift's original Life of a Showgirl album was released nearly a year ago on Oct. 3. Consisting of 12 tracks such as "The Fate of Ophelia," "Opalite," and "Elizabeth Taylor," the album was partially inspired by Swift's relationship with her now-husband, football player Travis Kelce.

Life of a Showgirl received middling reviews, with listeners criticising the album for its perceived lack of artistry and emotional depth. One of the most disparaged songs was "Wood," in which Swift sang about Kelce's penis through lyrics such as "His love was the key that opened my thighs" and "The curse on me was broken by your magic wand."

Despite the mixed reactions, Swift has expanded The Life of a Showgirl with The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore. The deluxe edition adds four songs: "Patient Zero," "Cleveland!," "Pink Clouding," and "Babylon." However, it hasn’t been the return to form some fans hoped for: The new songs have drawn an even poorer reception than Swift’s original album.

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Much of the criticism has focused on "Patient Zero" and "Cleveland!." Some listeners have criticised Swift for flatly speaking over a beat on both tracks, saying they sound like trite royalty-free stock music or AI-generated tunes. A viral edit by X user @sweetenerpacket played "Cleveland!" over a 5-Minute Crafts video to illustrate the point, with several viewers noting that they hadn’t immediately realised the audio had been changed. Meanwhile, another edit by TikTok user @fae.laughs.a.lot likened "Cleveland!" to the opening theme for The Office.

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"Cleveland!" has also drawn attention for its unromantic take on love. In it, Swift insists that she’s happy in her relationship regardless of outsiders’ opinions, while setting a surprisingly low bar for romance with lyrics such as "You only need to find one person in this entire world / Who doesn’t find you completely insufferable." That’s a far cry from her 2019 song "Lover" in which Swift sang, "With every guitar string scar on my hand, I take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover."

Yet while Swift's husband apparently doesn't consider her "completely insufferable," the same can't be said for listeners' thoughts on her latest lyrics.

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Some listeners have also noted that while Swift's previous relationships inspired her to pen songs such as the sweeping 10-minute ballad "All Too Well," her husband Kelce has so far mostly sparked a "buncha songs about dick and Ohio."

"it is so fucking funny that she’s written like 3 songs about her husband that are all like 'isn't it so awesome how he plays football and has a podcast?' and then writes dozens of incredible songs abt her situationship from 3 years ago," wrote X user @theIesbianqueen in a post that has gained 38,000 likes. "never change diva."

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Even some of Swift’s most ardent fans have had difficulty finding much to praise in The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore. Reactions from big-name fan Swiftologist and YouTube channel Chats & Reacts have gone viral, with the former stating that "it’s so hard to to be the Swiftologist at a time like this."

"The 'fuck the haters, I love my man' stuff doesn’t land as well when the music is horrible," said the Swiftologist, describing "Cleveland!" as a "very petulant, petty 'Wood' part 2."

"I really hope that Showgirl doesn't get a nomination for album of the year, because I think she's living in a delusional world. I really think that she thinks that this is a great album and she did a great job. And it's not, and she didn't."

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Meanwhile, Chats & Reacts have drawn attention for their positive and expressive reactions to "Patient Zero" — a response many online commenters believe is either forced or insincere.

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As of writing, The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore has a score of 39 on Metacritic, making it one of the worst album ratings on the website. Some X users have compared its performance to Katy Perry’s widely derided 2024 album 143, which scored two points lower at 37.

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Despite the generally negative response to The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, some Swifties remain adamantly defensive of Swift’s new content. Even in the songs themselves, Swift proudly declares that she’s happy in her relationship and doesn’t care what anyone else thinks. That may serve her well, because this extended album was an encore few seem to have been asking for.

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Five years ago, we reported that wired earbuds were making a comeback with Gen Z. Our own reporter replaced her AirPods Pro with wired EarPods. But there's been a gap in the wired earbuds market: Active noise cancellation is not standard in wired options.

Bose might be changing the game. The brand just introduced its new Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds. They retail for $99, come in three colors, and yes, feature active noise cancellation. The earbuds are available for preorder today and will begin shipping on Oct. 15.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds $99 at Bose
  Pre-order Here Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds at a glance

Bose's new wired earbuds connect via USB-C, which is also how they draw power. So, you don't ever need to charge the buds. That does mean, however, that you can't use an adapter if you're still rocking a Lightning port.

There's no app or Bluetooth pairing necessary — just plug into compatible USB-C phones, tablets, or computers, and you're good to go.

The remote buttons control volume up, volume down, play/pause, skip, and the noise cancellation modes. Credit: Miller Kern / Mashable

"Technology has come a long way since our last wired earbuds, allowing us the opportunity to bring our latest advancements to the category and set a new standard for what wired earbuds can be," Raza Haider, president of Bose Premium Consumer Audio, said in a press release.

Here's a look at the Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds' specs and features:

• Listening modes: Quiet (ANC), Aware, and off (straightforward wired listening with no ANC)

• Colors: Black, white smoke, dewdrop mint (limited edition)

• Button controls: Volume up, volume down, play/pause, skip, noise cancellation modes

• Cable length: 4.2 feet

• Microphones: Dedicated microphone in remote; two microphones in each earbud for ANC

• Waterproofing: IPX4 water resistance

• Sizing: Three eartips, two wingtips

Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds: First impressions

I got to try out the Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds for a few days before their launch, and I think they're going to dominate the wired earbuds market. The earbuds will be familiar if you're a Bose user — they have swappable eartips and stability wings, and look similar to Bose's QuietComfort wireless earbuds. I received the limited-edition dewdrop mint color and love the look of it.

I tried out the buds in my office by plugging them into my MacBook. After firing up an episode of Good Hang, I learned that I had to select the earbuds as the audio output in my laptop's settings for the sound to come through. My deskmates got to hear a little snippet of Amy Poehler. After that initial connection, audio automatically plays through the buds when I plug them in.

SEE ALSO: Press play: 5 celeb-creator interviews the internet loved this week (Sept. 25)

As for the noise cancellation, it's as good as any wireless ANC bud I've tried. Obviously, it will never be as good as over-ear headphone noise cancellation — you simply can't get the same passive noise-cancellation seal. I was working in my home office, listening to Taylor Swift's new songs in my own world with quiet mode on, and my boyfriend walked in and scared the absolute shit out of me. Apparently, he had been talking to me for almost a minute, and I didn't hear a thing.

The Bose ANC wired earbuds are compatible with USB-C phones, tablets, and computers. Credit: Miller Kern / Mashable

At one point, I had a small fan running near my desk, and I could hear a slight hissing noise with ANC turned on, but I could really only hear it during quiet moments in my music. I live above a vet and could hear a couple of the really loud dog barks come through, but for the most part, the earbuds quieted the commotion coming up through the floor.

On the price, $99 is an incredible deal for noise-cancelling buds from a premium brand. Bose's most affordable wireless ANC buds retail for $179, and Apple's new ANC AirPods 5 start at $129. Bose just created the new standard in wired earbuds.