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TAKE UP TO 55% OFF: The Best Buy 3-Day Sale has discounts on name brands like Apple, Samsung, LG, and more that take up to 55% off the regular price.
Best Buy's 3-Day Sale Highlights Best TV deal Insignia 55-inch Class F30 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV $199.99 at Best Buy (save $150) Get Deal Best tech deal Amazon Echo Dot $22.99 at Best Buy (save $27) Get Deal Best earbuds deal Jabra Elite 10 earbuds $124.99 at Best Buy (save $125) Get DealDid you miss out on shopping Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales? If you took off to a cozy cabin or spent the week offline, maybe you feel like you missed out on getting the best deals on the holiday season. But we're here to offer you some relief. Sure, a few deals are gone but major retailers like Best Buy are still dropping massive discounts on some great tech that's incredibly giftable (to others or yourself).
The Best Buy 3-Day Sale has impressive discounts on TVs, laptops, wearable tech, home appliances, and even toys. Here are some top deals to shop this weekend at the Best Buy 3-Day Sale.
Best TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Insignia Insignia 55-inch Class F30 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV $199.99 at Best BuyWinter holidays are almost here which means you're bound to have some extra time on your hands at home. Why not spend it catching up on the best shows of 2024 that everyone said were incredible but you didn't have time to enjoy yet? If that's on your schedule and you've been kicking it with an old TV, upgrade to the 55-inch Insignia Class F30 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV. During the Best Buy 3-Day Sale, this model is just $199.99, down from the list price of $349.99. That means you'll be saving 43% off the normal price.
At 55 inches, this model is great for your living room or going for a luxury size in the bedroom. While it doesn't have a super fancy OLED or QLED display, the sale price of under $200 is pretty awesome for the size. Plus, the model is a Fire TV so you won't need to plug in any streaming device.
More TV dealsInsignia 24-inch Class F20 Series LED HD Smart Fire TV — $49.99 $79.99 (save $30)
TCL 50-inch Class Q5-Series 4K UHD HDR PRO+ QLED Smart Fire TV — $199.99 $399.99 (save $200)
LG 65-inch Class UT70 Series LED 4K UHD Smart webOS TV — $399.99 $599.99 (save $200)
Samsung 75-inch Class DU6950 Series Crystal UHD 4K Smart Tizen TV — $499.99 $749.99 (save $250)
A smart speaker is one of the most enjoyable home gadgets. Turning on some tunes to clean, cook, or workout to can entirely change the experience. Or tune into a great podcast while wrapping holiday gifts. However you choose to use it, the Amazon Echo Dot smartspeaker is a reliable and super functional speaker that's currently on sale for a irresistible price. Best Buy's 3-Day Sale has the Amazon Echo Dot at just $22.99, which saves you $27 from the usual price of $49.99.
At that price, it makes a great gift for a neighbor, co-worker, or a stocking stuffer for the teen who's incredibly hard to buy presents for.
More tech dealsTP-Link Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Light Dimmer Switch (4-pack) — $39.99 $89.99 (save $50)
Amazon Echo Spot — $44.99 $79.99 (save $35)
Amazon Echo Show 5 — $44.99 $89.99 (save $45)
Apple AirTag (4-pack) — $79.99 $99 (save $19.01)
Starlink Mini Kit AC Dual Band Wi-Fi System — $449.99 $599.99 (save $150)
With a focus on comfort, the Jabra Elite 10 earbuds get an impressive 36 hours of battery life on a single charge. Jabra uses ComfortFit technology to give listeners the ability to use the earbuds all day thanks to unique oval EarGels that conform to your individual ear. The semi-open design is also meant to provide a more comfortable wearing experience.
When it comes to sound quality, the Jabra Elite 10 use 10mm speakers with active noise cancellation. They're also great for working out since they water and dust proof.
The Jabra Elite 10 typically cost $249.99 but Best Buy's weekend sale drops them to just $124.99 which works out to a 50% discount.
More wearable tech dealsJBL Tune Flex Earbuds — $49.99 $99.99 (save $50)
Soundcore by Anker Sleep A20 Noise Masking True Wireless Earbud — $119.99 $149.99 (save $30)
Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Aluminum Smartwatch (40mm) — $149.99 $299.99 (save $150)
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones — $299 $429 (save $130)
Oura Ring Gen3 Horizon — $349 $449 (save $100)
Good news for Google Pixel users — they're bringing back a beloved old feature.
The new update will have manual controls for the main screen in the 9.7 version of the Pixel Camera app, making it easier to control white balance, brightness, and shadows — just like it used to, according to Tom's Guide.
In the current version of Pixel 9 Pro, you can still control the white balance, brightness, and shadows, but you have to go into the camera's settings menu to do so. Now, you can pin those settings so you don't have to toggle them as much.
SEE ALSO: Google Pixel 9 review: Officially too much AIThe update is still rolling out, so you might not have access to it just yet. Despite that, fans seem primed for the new change. Nearly all of the comments on Google Pixel sub-reddit are some version of "Thank God, old manual control is so much easier to use than new one," and "Win after win, it's been a good Pixel year this one."
As Android Police points out, that's not the only photo-related new feature in the update, either. The cameras on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Pixel Fold will now have a Dual Screen Portrait Mode on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Pixel Fold.
GET UP TO $160 OFF: As of Dec. 6th, get the Apple iPhone 13 (128GB, unlocked) for $389.99 and save $160 to connect with a qualifying carrier plan. Or, get the iPhone for $489.99, for $60, and connect your phone to any existing carrier,
Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPhone 13 (128GB, unlocked) $389.99 at Best BuyThough the model might have been out of the news cycle for the last couple of years, the iPhone 13 is still a powerful smartphone. And you can get a great deal on a new phone right now at Best Buy's 3-Day Sale.
As of Dec. 6th, get the Apple iPhone 13 (128GB, unlocked) for $389.99, down from $549.99, and save $160 when you connect with a qualifying carrier plan. Or, get the iPhone for $489.99, for $60 off, and connect your phone to any existing carrier.
SEE ALSO: The latest Apple AirPods 4 are at their lowest-ever price on AmazonThe 2021 iPhone model sports a 12MP wide and 12MP ultra-wide camera on its rear, while its front side has a TrueDepth camera (also 12 MP) that includes night vision. A 6.1-inch screen gives you room for swiping or gaming, and its signature Apple retina XDR display it looks great too.
The iPhone 13 uses an A15 bionic chip, which is a few generations behind the new iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, but this chip is still fast.
As of Dec. 6 you can get the Apple iPhone 13 for up to $160 off at the Best Buy 3-Day sale. With a ceramic shield for durability and an ingress protection (IP) rating of 68, this device is so hardy that you might be using it until the iPhone 19 releases.
SAVE $25: As of Dec. 6, you can get the JBL Vibe Beam true wireless earbuds for just $24.95 at Amazon. That's a 50% discount and $25 off the list price.
Opens in a new window Credit: JBL JBL Vibe Beam true wireless earbuds $24.95 at AmazonIf you’re still looking for gifts or just want to treat yourself to a new pair of true wireless earbuds, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better deal than the JBL Vibe Beam earbuds, which are currently available on Amazon for $24.95.
For less than $25, you can’t really complain about the features and performance of these earbuds. While Mashable’s RJ Andersen did give these buds a four-out-of-five star rating in his full review, at this price, the sound quality makes sense, and the overall experience is actually quite impressive for what you're paying.
SEE ALSO: Are JBL's $50 Vibe Beam Earbuds too good to be true?These earbuds have a great battery life (up to eight hours of listening time without the case and 24 additional hours with), and the fast-charge feature will give you two extra hours of playtime with just a ten-minute charge. The controls are fairly standard and easy to pair and unpair with your other devices.
They’re also surprisingly comfortable: “I have fairly small ears, which makes finding comfortable headphones a challenge, and I was impressed that the Vibe Beam earbuds didn’t slip out of my ears while I was working out,” Andersen writes. “They also didn’t leave my ears aching when I finally stepped off the treadmill.”
While these earbuds aren’t the absolute best true wireless options out there, they’re still a solid choice for anyone who’s on a budget and doesn’t need a symphony orchestra-level soundstage.
SAVE $27: As of Dec. 6, you can snag an Echo Dot (5th gen) for just $22.99, down from $49.99, at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. That's 54% off.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Echo Dot (5th gen) $22.99 at AmazonEcho devices are pricey throughout the year, so if you’re looking to get one for a discounted price, now’s the time to go online and hit “add to cart.”
As of Dec. 6, you can snag an Amazon Echo Dot (5th gen) for just $22.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. That’s 54% off the list price, or a savings of $27.
SEE ALSO: Echo Dot vs. Echo Pop: Which Amazon device should you buy for Black Friday 2024?The Amazon Echo Dot (5th gen) is the newest version of Amazon’s most popular smart speaker. According to Amazon, it’s the company’s “best-sounding Echo yet," with updated speakers and speech recognition technology that can hear you from across the room, even when music is playing.
You can set alarms and reminders, control your other smart home device (I use mine to turn my Christmas tree on and off), or learn about the news, weather, and more.
With the holidays right around the corner, this Echo Dot deal could be the perfect gift for anyone on your list. Plus, at only $22.99, it’s a steal.
Skipped shopping on Cyber Weekend? No worries. There are plenty of deals hanging around at Amazon. Some are astonishingly even better than Black Friday. We've had our eyes peeled and rounded up a few of the best deals we think are worth adding to your cart on Friday, Dec. 6.
Here are our top picks for the best Amazon deals of the day. Check out our picks from Dec. 4 and Dec. 5, as well. Many of those are still live, including a record-low price on the excellent Sony ULT Wear headphones and 30% off the Lego Icons Poinsettia building kit.
Our top pick: Apple AirPods 4 (with ANC) Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods 4 (with ANC) $138.99 at AmazonDuring Cyber Week, we only saw the AirPods 4 drop to $164.99. Considering they were only released in September, the minimal discount was understandable. However, Apple just threw us for a loop with a bigger price drop on Dec. 6. The fourth-generation earbuds with noise cancellation are now down to $138.99 at Amazon, a savings of 22% and the best price we've seen yet. Wondering if they're worth the upgrade? Our reviewer Kim Gedeon said, "I love them so much, they have replaced my AirPods Pro as my new daily driver earbuds."
Check out our review of the AirPods 4.
Audible 3-month subscription Opens in a new window Credit: Audible Audible 3-month subscription $0.99 per month for three months (save $41.88) Get DealThrough Dec. 31, you can score three months of Audible Premium Plus for only 99 cents per month. That's a massive savings of $41.88 or 90%, as it usually costs $14.95 monthly. The deal is available to anyone who is not an existing Audible member. A Premium Plus membership gives you discounted or even free audiobooks from the Audible Plus catalog, including Audible Originals and podcasts. You'll also get one free title from the Audible Premium selection, as well as exclusive members sales and discounts on other purchases.
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 Opens in a new window Credit: Ultimate Ears Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 $79.99 at AmazonThe Wonderboom 4 from Ultimate Ears is a tiny powerhouse that comes out on top as our favorite sub-$100 Bluetooth speaker. It packs a well-rounded sound profile that is quite powerful for a speaker of its size and can last for up to 14 hours on a full charge. Not to mention, the rugged design can endure drops from up to five feet or be submerged in water for up to 30 minutes. We wish it offered a companion app for more customization, but it's still overall a solid pick — especially while it's 20% off. At $79.99, the fourth-generation speaker is steadily sitting at its lowest price on record.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ (64GB) $149.00 at AmazonTop of the line iPads are great, but not everyone needs a tablet that competes with their computer. If you want a tablet that's reliable and can handle basic everyday tasks proficiently and is budget-friendly, you can't go wrong with the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+. It's nothing fancy, but it checks all the right boxes a low-cost tablet should. It features an 11-inch display, quad speakers powered by Dolby Atmos, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor, and expandable storage up to 1TB. Our friends at PCMag (also owned by Ziff Davis) called it the "best low-cost Android tablet you can buy" earlier this year. Usually the 64GB version with WiFi is $219.99, but as of Dec. 6, it's down to only $149. That's just one cent away from its all-time low.
Amazon Echo Pop Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Echo Pop $17.99 at AmazonThe Echo Pop is the least expensive way to add Alexa to your home — especially when it's down to its best-ever price of $17.99. Basically an Echo Dot lite, the Pop is made "for people who like to keep music playing, and who also use Alexa as a home assistant." Plus, it adds a fun pop of color (get it?) to your home. While it's not particularly groundbreaking for the Echo lineup, as our reviewer noted, it is a budget-friendly speaker that sounds great in any room of your home.
Check out our full review of the Echo Pop.
None of these deals catching your eye? Check out Amazon's daily deals for even more savings.
GET $150 OFF: As of Dec. 6th, get an Insignia 55-inch 4K Smart Fire TV for just $199.99, down from $349.99. That's a 43% discount.
Opens in a new window Credit: Insignia Insignia 55-inch 4K Smart TV $199.99 at Best BuyWant a big TV for a small price? Get some serious bang for your buck with this Insignia smart TV deal from Best Buy’s 3-Day Sale.
As of Dec. 6, get the Insignia 55-inch 4K Smart TV on sale for $199.99, down from $349.99, at Best Buy. That's $150 off, or a discount of 43%.
SEE ALSO: I write about TVs, and $130 off this Toshiba 43-inch 4K Smart Fire TV is a stealWhether you're looking for a new TV for your next rewatch of The Sopranos, or you're after a new screen to keep up with a super secret Xbox Series X holiday gift that's on the way, this screen has you covered.
With 4K UHD resolution, this TV is loaded with pixels and will look good with older content and new. Console gamers will appreciate its 60Hz response rate, which is quick enough to handle modern online gaming.
With Fire TV built in, this budget beast comes with services like Netflix, Disney+, YouTube, and Sling TV loaded. However, what you watch is entirely up to you.
SAVE 10%: Dec. 6th, Etsy is offering gift cards of $50+ for 10% off.
Opens in a new window Credit: Etsy Etsy Gift Cards Get 10% off gift cards $50+ Get DealEtsy is the online marketplace for individual makers. Whether looking for a felt hat, a handmade knife, a perfect collection of colorful coasters, or custom artwork, Etsy is the e-commerce platform for you.
But what if you’re not quite sure what your giftee would like? That’s where a gift card comes into play. Right now you can get 10% off on Etsy gift cards of $50 or more.
SEE ALSO: The best gifts for teenage girls, according to teenage girlsOn Etsy, you’ll be able to find shops from all over the world, as well as domestic shops that are committed to fast and easy delivery. In some instances, Etsy will even guarantee certain orders from specific sellers — get it by a specific time or your money back.
However, if you’re looking for a great gift by the holidays and you really don’t want it to be late, go for an Etsy gift card. Gift cards can be mailed or sent via email or text. Digital gift cards can also be scheduled, so you can buy a card now and have it arrive right on Christmas morning.
As of Dec. 6th, buy an Etsy gift card for $50 or more and get 10% off.
With so many unique crafts, Etsy is the resource for novel gifts. You’ll find sellers who specialize in laser etched glasses or portraits of dogs, next to woodworkers, or custom shoe makers. When you’re looking for something unique, turn to Etsy.
$0.99 KINDLE DEALS: The Indie Author Winter Wonderland Event is finally here! Now, through December 9, you can get hundreds of indie books for 99 cents or less.
Opens in a new window Credit: Indivisible Indie Author Winter Wonderland Event Get hundreds of indie books for $0.99 or less Get DealIf the last Stuff Your Kindle Day left you wanting more, the Indie Author Winter Wonderland sales event is finally here — and the deals are just as good.
Indie Author Winter Wonderland is an author-led event where you can get hundreds of indie e-books for 99 cents or less. (We’re seeing some free books, too!)
SEE ALSO: Cyber Monday Kindle deals are live: Save 23% on our favorite new KindlesThrough Dec. 9, you can browse the participating author’s books and stock up on all sorts of new reads to keep you comfy and content through the winter months. It’s pretty much just like Stuff Your Kindle Day, but indie.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Indie Author Winter Wonderland sales event.
When is the Indie Author Winter Wonderland event?Led by Hayley Anderton, this year’s Indie Author Winter Wonderland event runs from Dec. 6 to Dec. 9, 2024. You can browse all the participating authors and books during this time and pick up some great deals on indie e-books.
Who can take part in the Indie Author Winter Wonderland event?The best thing about the Indie Author Winter Wonderland sales event is that anyone can participate, Kindle owner or not.
The event is open to all readers, and all you have to do is visit the Indievisible events page during the four days of the sale to browse the deals. You can search by genre or filter by tag to find books that interest you, and you'll be able to see which books are on sale for $0.99 or less.
If you don’t have a Kindle, you can download the Kindle app for your phone or tablet and read e-books from the event. You can also use Kindle for Web to read books right in your browser.
Which e-books are 99 cents?There are hundreds of e-books for 99 cents or less during the event. On the Indievisible events page, you'll find 99 cent deals on romances, thrillers, science fiction, and more.
Here are a few indie read deals to get you started:Accidentally In Love with My Best Friend's Brother by Abby Greyson
Mistletoe Misses by Alexandra Grace
The Blood Eagle by A.L. Hatcher
All the Dark Souls by A.M. Dunnewin
BOOK A $25 FLIGHT: Amazon and StudentUniverse are offering $25 flights for the holidays to young adults aged 18 to 24. Book between Dec. 9 and Dec. 13.
Opens in a new window Credit: StudentUniverse $25 flights for the holidays Prime young adult member exclusive (ages 18 - 24) Get DealWe're all in agreeance that life is expensive these days. Sure, lingering deals from Cyber Monday are still kicking around which helps with holiday gifting. But prices for traveling during the holiday season are soaring. Think $700 for a one-way flight from Seattle to Atlanta on Dec. 20 level of ridiculousness. But if you're between the ages of 18 and 24, Amazon has a special ticket for you this holiday season.
From Dec. 9 through Dec. 13, Amazon is partnering with StudentUniverse to offer $25 flights for the holidays to Prime young adult members who fall between the ages of 18 and 24. Beginning at 10 a.m. PT on Dec. 9, StudentUniverse will offer 1,000 domestic flight tickets for just $25 each per day, for a total of 5,000 booking opportunities over the five-day sale window. To snag this deal, you'll need to be within the eligible age range and an Amazon Prime member.
Phone your family because maybe you will actually make it home for the holidays this year. This epic deal for young adults gives the opportunity to fly domestically within the U.S. for just $25. But you'll need to be ready to pack your bags ASAP because the deal comes with a short travel period.
The sale will include outbound travel that falls between Dec. 9 and Dec. 25 and inbound travel dates from Dec. 9 to Jan. 14, 2025.
Of course, you'll need to be a current Prime member to be eligible for this deal, but Amazon has a nice price for young adults. For starters, those between 18 and 24 can sign up for a free 6-month trial period and after that, Prime will auto renew at just $7.49 per month. That's a 50% discount off the standard Prime membership.
If you hope to snag this deal, head to studentuniverse.com on Monday morning. Keep in mind that you don't need to be an active student to score a $25 ticket because anyone aged 18 to 24 is eligible, so long as you're a Prime member. And if you're not already a Prime member, it's wise to sign up this weekend since 10 a.m. on Monday morning might be a bit chaotic.
In a world where prices seem to off the rails, this deal on $25 flights for young adults is pretty amazing and one we definitely recommend jumping on it. Head home for the holidays or gather some friends to have a perfect getaway over winter break. Bon voyage!
Tired of Overwatch? Marvel has an alternative out that you can play for free right now.
Marvel Rivals officially launched this week, after months of trailers and occasional beta periods. The third-person hero shooter starring characters from the Marvel universe is flashy and approachable for new players, but the one question on every comic book fan's mind is: Who exactly can you play as in Marvel Rivals?
Good news! There are 33 playable characters at launch, with more to be added in the future. Let's go over them now.
SEE ALSO: The best video games of 2024 Every playable character in Marvel Rivals at launchHere are all 33 Marvel Rivals playable heroes at launch, listed in alphabetical order:
Adam Warlock
Black Panther
Black Widow
Captain America
Cloak & Dagger
Doctor Strange
Groot
Hawkeye
Hela
Hulk
Iron Fist
Iron Man
Jeff the Land Shark
Loki
Luna Snow
Magik
Magneto
Mantis
Moon Knight
Namor
Peni Parker
Psylocke
Punisher
Rocket Raccoon
Scarlet Witch
Spider-Man
Squirrel Girl
Star-Lord
Storm
Thor
Venom
Winter Soldier
Wolverine
As you can see, it's an eclectic list full of heavy-hitters who star in major motion pictures, as well as more obscure choices that are sure to please longtime Marvel fans. Maybe Jeff the Land Shark deserves a movie too! If the MCU goes on long enough, I'm sure we'll get there.
What's worse: Not being recognised by someone, or being recognised as the wrong person?
In the Jimmy Kimmel Live! clip above, Billy Eichner – Mufasa star and host of Billy on the Street – tells a story of being at the same Oscars afterparty as Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. The latter came up to him at the bar, only to excitedly address him as "Jimmy on the Street" by mistake.
The solution that Eichner and Kimmel come up with? An episode of Billy on the Street with both Kimmel and Kelce. It needs to happen.
Paul Mescal's taking his upcoming Saturday Night Live hosting gig seriously — a little too seriously in the teasers.
In the latest promo for Saturday's show, Mescal teams up with fellow host Shaboozey and SNL's Chloe Fineman for a few fairly cringe gags, but there's a good one about how exactly to say the Gladiator II star's surname.
SAVE $150: As of Dec. 6, Sony's WH1000XM4 headphones are on sale at Best Buy for $199.99. This is $150 off their original price of $349.99.
Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WH1000XM4 Wireless Headphones $199.99 at Best BuyBlack Friday and Cyber Monday have passed, but a few deals still remain. If you were hoping to save big on some high-quality headphones this year in the sales, and are worried you may have missed your opportunity, we have great news. Best Buy has a few still on sale, including the Sony WH1000XM4 headphones.
These headphones are currently down to $199.99, $150 off their original price of $349.99. All colors are discounted as well, so you can pick between silver, midnight blue, or black. As a bonus, you also get two free items with your purchase: a four-month SiriusXM All Access (App Only) subscription and YouTube Premium for free for three months.
SEE ALSO: The latest Apple AirPods 4 are at their lowest-ever price on AmazonIf you've been trying to track down high-quality noise-canceling headphones, the Sony WH1000XM4s are worth every penny. They made our list of the best wireless headphones as the 'Best Overall' pick, with Mashable's Miller Kern saying, "If you have the budget, Sony's XM line offers the best mix of stellar noise-cancellation, comfort, and all-day battery life."
Deals like this one likely won't stick around for very long, so if you've been hoping to pick up Sony's WH1000XM4 headphones, now's your time to shine.
Looking for even more deals post-Cyber Monday? Have a look at our roundup of 12 Cyber Weekend deals that Mashable readers loved, where we include a selection of deals that are still live. It's also worth checking out our overall Cyber Monday deals roundup to see if anything else that's caught your eye is still available.
You've adorned your house with festive lights, but your Mac's desktop is still the same as it ever was? Time to change that.
Let's face it: You probably spend a good portion of the day looking at your desktop. So why not add some holiday cheer to it? Enter Festivitas, an app by developer Simon Støvring (via MacRumors), which lets you add a string of twinkling lights to your macOS desktop.
SEE ALSO: The best Christmas movies now streaming on NetflixThe app, which requires macOS 14.6 or later, offers a fair degree of customization; you can set parameters such as cable thickness, light size, their distance, lighting pattern, colors, and more.
Via GiphyThe app costs €4 (or more if you're feeling generous), which is about $4.23, and it's available on the Festivas website.
It's been six months since Google started adding AI-generated text to the top of many Google Search queries by default, and this experiment — that's what a disclaimer at the bottom of each AI Overview says it is — hasn't entirely been a rip-roaring success, Google acknowledged to Mashable.
While "AI overviews on balance and at large are very compelling sets of things that are helpful to the users," said Hema Budaraju, Google's senior director of product management for Search, "we have work to do on the quality side of things, which is an ever growing need."
AI Overviews launched with a slogan of sorts: "Let Google do the searching for you," but after some controversy at the start — notably that couple of weeks where stories kept coming out about Google Search telling people to eat rocks and put glue on pizza — the company appears to have pulled back a bit. At launch, AI Overviews showed up in about 15 percent of Google Search results pages, but that number was reduced to about 7 percent by the end of June, according to Search Engine Land.
So has quality improved over the past six months?
Are AI Overviews getting better?It would be hard to argue point-blank that there's been a significant uptick in quality. Overviews materialize less often, and errors are still rampant, but I did find some very limited evidence of improvements: the AI Overviews for the queries I highlighted to Google for this article all improved while I was working on it.
For what it's worth, Budaraju says, across all types of queries, from the everyday to the weird, AI Overviews work, "especially when there is no single answer and it's multiple perspectives." Or at least that's what Google thinks based on internal data about quality, which comes from A-B testing, but not focus groups, Budaraju said.
Quotidian searches tend to get acceptable AI Overviews in my experience. "What do almonds taste like," for instance, may produce a reasonable AI Overview like the one I got: "Almonds can taste sweet, slightly bitter, or bitter, depending on their chemical composition." Fine.
But if you're an information fiend who uses Google Search more expansively, there's a good chance you still encounter bizarre errors. This November example from BlueSky user @coopercooperco is a decent summary of Google Gemini's unfortunate lingering tendency to put the truth in a blender from time to time.
my friend @craigbased.bsky.social made a comment about Cole kissing Shelly so I googled “what episode does Gordon Cole kiss Shelly” and that’s what it gave me. Today it gives a slightly different, also wrong answer. We all know deathly serious Gordon Cole would never do something like kiss a woman.
[image or embed]
When queried for the Twin Peaks episode where Cole kisses Shelly, the AI Overview blurts out quite confidently and wrongly that there is no such scene. Without knowing with any certainty what went wrong, one can only assume the model's training data includes at least fleeting mentions — if not the full script — of the famous Twin Peaks scene about (David Lynch shouting voice) "two adults sharing a tender moment!" in which Cole and Shelly are seemingly interrupted by Bobby Briggs, but then clearly and unambiguously do kiss. The model likely isn't drawing from any faulty blogs or counterfeit scripts saying Cole never kisses Shelly (To what end would anyone write such a thing?). It's just making this up and sticking it at the very top of the Google Search results page.
The Bluesky user above is clearly making what Google frequently calls an "uncommon query." Hallucinations "tend to arise" when the query is uncommon, Budaraju said. "Even though the systems are trying to be helpful, there is some misinterpretation, some inherent lack of high-quality information on the web," she explained while speaking to Mashable about AI Overviews in general, not this particular one. Plenty of prominent, high-quality information online confirms that Cole and Shelly kiss, so "misinterpretation" of Bobby Briggs' unsuccessful interruption makes more sense as an explanation.
If you search based on faulty information, AI Overviews may make things significantly worseAccording to Budaraju, improving AI Overviews involves "sentiment surveys" that are not exactly A-B tests. "We just give people an option to choose between one versus the other and get their expression of satisfaction," she said.
But a nightmare scenario for AI Overviews is one in which a searcher starts out with less-than-perfect information, and the AI Overview makes it even less perfect.
If the basis for a search is wrong or flawed, and the AI Overview doesn't catch the problem, then it stands to reason the user won't notice it either. The result would be a satisfied user who is now even more ignorant than before. Admittedly, the problem of using Google Search to find misinformation is much older than AI Overviews, but AI Overviews could be a formula for supercharging this process.
For a vivid-but-fairly-benign example of what I mean, here's the result for the query "How to use baking soda to thicken soup." Someone might only have the fuzziest notion that one of the powders in the cabinet can give their chowder a heartier mouthfeel, but they might guess wrong. According to the AI Overview, "Baking soda can be used to thicken soup by making it silkier and smoother."
Credit: Mashable screenshot via GoogleThis won't work, and has the potential to make your soup taste weird.
When I showed this example to a Google representative, they told me Google would use it to improve their product.
But separating good and bad information becomes more of a muddle if you're searching for the paranormal. For instance, I tried searching "how to teach a dog to communicate telepathically," and the AI Overview began with the heading "Here are some tips for communicating with your dog telepathically," and then provided a bulleted list cobbled together from the writings of believers in the paranormal, like "animal communicator" Pea Horsley.
Credit: Mashable screenshot via GoogleIf you're inclined to read them, it's Google Search's job to steer you to the writings of people like Horsley — in fact, I recommend them. They're entertaining. But when the AI Overview at the top of a Google results page reads "Here are some tips for communicating with your dog telepathically," it gives the users the impression that this information is authoritative and trustworthy, rather than being "for entertainment purposes only."
A Google representative pointed out that AI Overviews are dynamic. They showed me their AI Overview for the same search, and it didn't say "Here are some tips for communicating with your dog telepathically," but instead mentioned that there's no scientific evidence that dogs can communicate telepathically, before transitioning into another Pea Horsley-influenced list of instructions. If I try this search today, I get a similarly improved result.
Finally, what if a user noticed that cow meat is called "beef," and pig meat is called "pork," and wondered what dolphin meat is called. Stranger things have happened. When I used Google Search to find answers, the AI Overview seemingly let slip the dark truth about mahi-mahi:
Credit: Mashable screenshot via GoogleThe AI Overview begins "The name for dolphin meat depends on the region and the type of dolphin" and then provides a bulleted list. The first item on the list is "Mahi-mahi."
If the user reads on, they'll see that mahi-mahi is also known as "dolphinfish" (because, to be clear, mahi-mahi is not dolphin. It's a fish). But the result is confusing to say the least. When I showed it to a Google representative they told me this was a reasonable interpretation of the search — in other words that a user searching for "dolphin meat name" really might be looking for the fish known as a "dolphinfish."
It's a good idea to click the sourceSince, as I mentioned above, every single one of the searches that produced a problematic AI Overview that I featured here improved to some degree, I suspected Google was cleaning them up as I went along, but Budaraju claims otherwise. "We don't fix queries one by one. That's not how we operate. We actually think about it as what are the patterns of issues that we're seeing, and how would we actually solve them at scale?"
But she also told me Google remains focused on steering users toward the sources of AI Overviews — y'know, the old fashioned links on your Google Search results page? "To some extent," she said, "I think we are also hoping that our users have the right links, links for them to also pursue." She wonders if, in response to an AI Overview, the user would "actually pursue that path and look at the links that led to the overview that you've created."
If AI Overviews are never going away, then until they never hallucinate, it's probably a good idea to take Budaraju up on this suggestion, and cultivate a habit of clicking those links next to your AI Overviews whenever you see them.
SAVE $90: As of Dec. 6, the Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet is still down to its lowest-ever price of $139.99 at Amazon after Cyber Monday. This is 39% off its retail price of $229.99.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire Max 11 Tablet $139.99 at AmazonWhile a lot of Cyber Monday deals disappear when the day is done, a few linger around in the following days for shoppers to scoop up before the holidays. Amazon has had a few deals still available after the big seasonal sale events, including a discount on its Fire Max 11 tablet, which is still at its lowest-ever price.
Right now, you can grab the Fire Max 11 tablet for just $139.99, 39% off its original price of $229.99. As mentioned earlier, this is the tablet's lowest-ever price according to price tracker camelcamelcamel, and who knows how long it'll stay there. So, if you've had your eye on it, now's the time to pick it up.
SEE ALSO: The latest Apple AirPods 4 are at their lowest-ever price on AmazonBoasting a bright 11-inch display, an octa-core processor, 4GB memory, 64GB storage, and WiFi 6, this is a great tablet for either work or play. Writer SaVanna Shoemaker praised this tablet in our review as well, saying it "has a large, 11-inch display and is blazing fast, making it a good alternative to pricier tablets for streaming and games."
Amazon currently has this tablet listed as a "limited time deal", so it likely won't stay at this price for long. Now's your chance to score the Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet for $139.99.
Amazon's had some more deals still floating around after the Cyber Monday sale event. If you want to see which deals might still be available, have a look at our roundup of Amazon's Cyber Monday deals that are still live to see if anything that's been on your radar is still on sale.
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