Mashable

Black Friday is nearly here (on November 29, to be precise), and the deals have already kicked off. Joining the bargain bonanza this week is Eureka Vacuums, with some fantastic deals for Aussie shoppers. If you’ve ever wanted to upgrade your cleaning routine with smart technology, now is the best time to do so all year.

Eureka are offering significant discounts – up to 55% – on their Australian range of robot vacuums, as well as their spot cleaner. These deals will be available from now until Cyber Monday, on December 2.

Eureka E10s Opens in a new window Credit: Eureka $600 Off Eureka E10s – A$499 at Amazon AU was $1,099, 55% off. Running Nov 19 until Dec 2. Get Deal

The Eureka E10s is a versatile robot vacuum and mop hybrid that offers powerful cleaning and smart features. It automatically detects floor types and adjusts its cleaning mode accordingly, ensuring optimal performance on carpets and hard floors.

Key Features:

• No dust bag, 45 days’ dust storage

• Automatically recognises carpet to raise the mop

• Smart navigation system to plan the best cleaning route

• Strong suction power

Eureka J12 Ultra Opens in a new window Credit: Eureka $800 Off Eureka J12 Ultra – A$799 at Amazon AU was $1,599, 50% off. Running Nov 19 until Dec 2. Get Deal

The Eureka J12 Ultra is a premium robot vacuum that takes home cleaning to the next level. With its powerful suction, AI-powered navigation, and self-emptying base, it effortlessly tackles dirt, dust, and pet hair.

Key Features:

• Self-emptying, Automatic docking station

• 55℃ hot wind mop drying systems

• 5000PA strong suction

• Laser navigation and obstacle avoidance

Eureka NEY100 Opens in a new window Credit: Eureka $73 Off Eureka NEY100 – A$196 at Amazon AU was $269, 27% off. Running Nov 19 until Dec 2. Get Deal

The Eureka NEY100 is a portable spot cleaner perfect for tackling tough stains on carpets, upholstery, and hard surfaces. Its lightweight design and portability make it easy to use, ideal for quick clean-ups.

Key Features:

• Can be used in multiple scenarios, such as cleaning carpets, pillows and couch

• Water temperature heating helps to remove stubborn stains.  

• Large water tank.  

• Easy to carry and store.

Want more bargains? Check out out the best Black Friday deals we’ve spotted in Australia here.

Lacey Chabert and Dustin Milligan share how Hot Frosty blends humor, heart, and holiday magic.

Hot Frosty is streaming now on Netflix.

No, babe, your posts on X are so funny! You should totally post whatever you tweeted four years ago on a new platform in 2024. Everyone is going to love that!

A post from an unofficial "Bluesky Support" account says otherwise: "Stop importing your old tweets! they sucked the first time too!"

Some Bluesky users are reading a lot into the mere idea of importing old tweets to a new platform, saying it's a sign of narcissism or implying that people who choose to import their old tweets are living in fear of the unknown. While we all must take a deep breath and recognize that nothing is that deep, it does seem to be a trend.

SEE ALSO: I've barely used Bluesky, and the engagement already feels more real

One Bluesky user posted, "Stop importing your old tweets from 2015. No one needs to read your jokes about Taken 3, and I am trying to post! "

"In theory i support people importing their old tweets but it should only allow you to import the absolute bangers. i want that good shit ONLY," one user posted, reasonably.

"Instead of importing my old tweets, i will be posting your old bangers as though they are my own," another user joked.

SEE ALSO: Will Bluesky train gen AI with your posts? The X rival addressed concerns.

If you decide to make moves against the haters, you can import all of your old tweets — with the exception of retweets, replies, and reposts — by using the Porto Chrome extension.

Bluesky has been experiencing nonstop growth ever since election day. The alternative social media platform is starting to stand out above all of the others as users flee Elon Musk's X, formerly known as Twitter, due to changes at X as well as Musk's role in the incoming Trump administration. 

On Tuesday, Bluesky announced that it had hit 20 million users. It has also begun surpassing another big X competitor, Meta's Threads, in some key statistics as well.

SEE ALSO: I've barely used Bluesky, and the engagement already feels more real

As Bluesky continues to grow, scammers and other bad actors are going to take notice. In fact, some have already. 

Fake accounts on Bluesky

On Wednesday, for example, an account claiming to be billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman went viral on Bluesky after it published a post suggesting that Bluesky should be acquired in order to stop the user exodus from Musk's X. It was a fake. There have already been fake Gaza fundraiser accounts and fake accounts falsely claiming to be British MPs.

Of course, fake accounts are not unique to Bluesky. If you'll recall, Musk's X had to temporarily shut down its paid verification system when it first launched due to an influx of paid fake accounts. And Bluesky has been pretty good so far at quickly shutting down accounts that have been reported for breaking the platform's rules. 

However, Bluesky is fairly new. 20 million users is a lot, but it's still only 20 million users, and a lot of well-known individuals on other similar platforms are not yet on Bluesky. When an account claims to be a notable individual from another platform, even though — or perhaps because — that individual is not already established on Bluesky, users are often fooled.

No Bluesky verification

Unlike most major social media platforms, Bluesky does not currently have an identity verification system. 

Before Musk's takeover, the verified blue checkmark on Twitter was a sign of authenticity. An account was indeed who it claimed to be or represented. With the roll out of paid verification on platforms like X and Meta's Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, the trustworthiness of the verification mark has been diluted. However, seeing the value in verifying noteworthy users, many big accounts on these platforms are still provided with free verification.

Some may argue that no verification is better than a system that sells it. That may very well be the case. However, Bluesky does have a problem unique to its platform when it comes to fake accounts: Custom domains.

Bluesky's custom domain problem

When signing up for Bluesky, users pick a username which appears on the platform as "@yourname.bsky.social". Many users choose usernames that correlate with their handle on other platforms.

After signing up, Bluesky users can further alter their username by connecting their own domain name to use. When doing this, user's Bluesky usernames then become "@yourname.com". This helps customize a user's experience and, if the domain name is representative of that user, can serve as a form of verification itself. In fact, that's how Bluesky itself promotes it – a way to "self-verify."

But, when using your own custom domain name as a Bluesky username, Bluesky releases the originally registered "@yourname.bsky.social" username back into the wild, available for anyone to register. 

Some have taken the extra step of registering a separate account with that handle in order to deter bad actors from grabbing the username. However, Bluesky is fairly new, so even some of the most tech-savvy users may not realize that their original "@yourname.bsky.social" is no longer reserved for them once they set up their own custom domain username.

The takeaway, then, is that Bluesky may not be as saturated with scammers, bots, and trolls as X, but it's still just a platform on the internet, and if you're planning on spending time there, you'd better keep an eye out for frauds.

Bluesky is still in its infancy, but the social media platform is growing fast. And it might already be a more engaging place to post than Elon Musk's X.

In case you missed it, Bluesky's growth has skyrocketed since the election. It shot to the top of the App Store and nearly doubled in growth to some 20 million users and counting. On Wednesday, it added about 8 users per second.

SEE ALSO: X users are fleeing to Bluesky: Here’s a quick-start guide on how to sign up

With that growth has come an interesting development: Bluesky might be a better place for actual engagement than X, the website formerly known as Twitter. With its choose-your-own-algorithm model, users can opt to follow the app's Discover feed, chronological Following feed, or one of the many feeds curated by other users — a formula for a better, more real experience.

I was, by most metrics, a Twitter power user. I've posted more than 28,000 times since joining in 2012 and, as a digital journalist, have used the site as a key part of my job. And, as recently as October, I wrote that while Musk's version of X sucked, I would not be leaving. I'm no longer so sure.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk's X sucks and I'm not leaving

Setting aside moral qualms about using X — though those exist — it's become increasingly difficult to enjoy using the platform. If you refuse to pay the world's richest man for a blue check, then you'll see your engagement get throttled. God forbid, though, you have a post break through. Then your replies will be a flood of blue check replies, most of which read like bots or trolls.

Still, most of the time, posting on X seems like talking into the void. I have a few thousand followers on X, but most posts these day get very few, if any, likes. That wasn't the norm pre-Elon. And, importantly, any engagement I have gotten often sucks. A recent post that did well I pretty much immediately muted due to annoying replies. A social media site can only be flooded with spammy flotsam for so long before it takes over the experience.

On Bluesky, anecdotally, I feel like I get roughly the same amount of engagement as on X: very little. But I've barely used the platform and have just 75 followers. But any likes and replies I have gotten have been from real human beings. And my new followers? Ditto. Meanwhile, on X, my latest mention is a crypto scam and my last three follows are spammy bots.

Other folks have noticed that perhaps engagement is better on Bluesky. Here's NBC tech and culture reporter Kat Tenbarge, for instance.

Credit: Screenshot: Bluesky / @kattenbarge.bsky.social

I asked around at Mashable, as well, among folks who've used Bluesky often.

"On Twitter, I've got more than 7,000 followers. On Bluesky, I've got fewer than 2,000. But my posts feel like a ghost town on the former, while consistently getting at least a little bit of engagement on the latter," said Mashable tech and video games reporter Alex Perry. "It should also be noted that 100 percent of replies I get on Bluesky are from real people, and not blue check bots."

Mashable reporter Matt Binder, meanwhile, noted that Bluesky felt a lot like old Twitter.

"Replying to an account actually has meaning and can find you new followers and engagement. Now, on [X], it doesn't matter," Binder said. "Replies are all just blue checkmarks getting prioritized and AI-generated replies to get engagement. But the content of replies on Bluesky matters like how they did on old Twitter."

Sure, migrating to Bluesky means starting from scratch. But it also might mean more genuine engagement and using a social media site actually functioning for its users.

Everyone loves their Spotify Wrapped, but if you're more of a fan of YouTube Music, you can still get your data summary and fun little graphics.

Some people already have access to their YouTube Music 2024 Recap, but it only appears to be available for some. According to a Diamond Product Expert who responded to a query about seasonal recaps on YouTube Music Help, "The 2024 Seasonal Recap experience will live exclusively in the YouTube Music and YouTube Main apps on mobile devices. It is unavailable on web. Users will be able to search for their 2024 Recap playlist on the web."

SEE ALSO: Everything you need to know about Spotify Wrapped 2024

"Audio in the background of Recap stories is only available for Premium members in the YouTube Music app," they added. "If you are a free user or watching your Recap on Main, you won’t be able to hear audio with your Recap."

If the recap is available for you, you should see a banner advertising it below the "speed dial" section on the YouTube Music app on Android or iOS. If you don't see the banner, navigate to your profile, open the "Your Recap" option, and then tap "get your recap."

This years' YouTube Music 2024 Recap will include music video stats, mood insights, and Google Photos integration, Headphonesty reports. The theme is "your music character."

Not everyone is happy with their recap. In a post on Reddit, users complained that their recaps weren't accurate and were disappointed that they came out toward the end of November instead of the end of the calendar year.

Production company A24 has brought us incredible films, from this year's Love Lies Bleeding and The Brutalist to past Best Picture winners like Moonlight and Everything Everywhere All at Once. Now, they're delivering another treat: themed chocolate bars.

A24's Movie Chocolate is a collection of three milk chocolate candy bars, each themed around various concessions. The Fizzy Fountain Soda bar pairs root beer and popping candies, the Popcorn & Candy bar features popcorn and chocolate-covered candies, and the Salty Peanut Crunch bar combines the timeless duo of peanuts and caramel.

SEE ALSO: How to watch your favorite A24 films, from 'Love Lies Bleeding' to 'Civil War' to 'MaXXXine'

The private-label chocolate is currently available to purchase through the website moviechocolate.co, as well as through A24's online shop. Each bar retails for $5, with the Triple Feature gift set of six bars costing $33. Bars will also be coming soon to select AMC Theaters, where they'll cost $5.99 plus tax.

While these bars nod to classic movie theater concessions, we couldn't help but wonder what an A24 movie-themed chocolate bar collection would look like. How would Heretic taste? Would The Witch fulfill its promises of living deliciously? So here, without further ado, are our pitches for 12 additional A24 chocolate bars, as varied and strange as the company's many offerings.

Everything Everywhere All at Once Stephanie Hsu in "Everything Everywhere All at Once." Credit: A24

The ultimate nihilistic treat, this everything bagel chocolate bar is inspired by Stephanie Hsu's Jobu Tupaki. We're talking a bar filled with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and kosher salt — we might skip the garlic and onion flakes. When you really put everything on a bagel, then on a chocolate bar, it becomes this. The truth. Nothing matters. — Shannon Connellan, UK Editor

Heretic Hugh Grant in "Heretic." Credit: A24

Mr. Reed's (Hugh Grant) terrifying blueberry pie-scented candle prompted special scented Heretic screenings. So how about we translate that experience to a chocolate bar next? Blueberry clusters give this dark chocolate a juicy pop, but a smoky aftertaste will leave you questioning your reality. But on the bright side, maybe if we give some of this to Mr. Reed, he'll let us out of his house of horrors? Please? — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

SEE ALSO: 'Heretic's intense ending, explained I Saw the TV Glow Mr. Sprinkly's ice cream truck in "I Saw the TV Glow." Credit: A24

We had to go with ruby chocolate for our I Saw the TV Glow-flavored bar, which pays tribute to the Buffy-esque series The Pink Opaque. Appropriately pink, and covered in sprinkles as a nod to the nightmarish Mr. Sprinkly, we can promise that this chocolate will taste exactly the same now as it will decades down the line. — B.E.

SEE ALSO: 'I Saw the TV Glow' cast and crew play "Slash or Pass" Aftersun Frankie Corio and Paul Mescal in "Aftersun." Credit: A24

Flash back to Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio's heartbreaking Turkish vacation with this Aftersun-flavored chocolate. Peppered with mini chunks of Turkish delight, this bar is sure to make you ponder your relationship with your father. Eat while listening to "Under Pressure" for the full effect. — B.E.

Midsommar Florence Pugh in "Midsommar." Credit: A24

No, there's no bear meat in our Midsommar chocolate. Instead, this beer-infused bar encourages you to celebrate the midsummer festival, with dried edible flowers sprinkled on top evoking everyone's majestic flower crowns. Don't worry; there definitely aren't any hallucinogens in this chocolate. Nothing suspicious at all. — B.E.

The Witch

Wouldst thou like to live deliciously... by sinking your teeth into this The Witch bar? In the spirit of Black Philip, we've thrown dark chocolate and butter together, because we wouldst like the taste of butter very much, thank you. — B.E.

Babygirl Nicole Kidman in "Babygirl." Credit: A24

We've still got a bit of time before Halina Reijn's erotic thriller Babygirl comes out, but that doesn't mean we can't fantasize (wink) about what it might taste like. From the trailer alone, we know that milk and cookies play key roles in Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson's BDSM courtship, so how about we make a milk chocolate bar studded with decadent cookie crumbles? Lap it up. — B.E.

SEE ALSO: 'Babygirl' review: Nicole Kidman to 'Challengers': Hold my beer Moonlight

The dinner Kevin (André Holland) makes Chiron (Trevante Rhodes) in the final act of Moonlight is one of the best food scenes put to film, so of course we have to pay homage to it in our Moonlight bar. In honor of Kevin's pollo a la plancha, this bar features hints of lime and cilantro. I don't care if that's polarizing — it's movie-accurate! — B.E.

The X trilogy Mia Goth in "MaXXXine." Credit: A24

How do you sum up Ti West's genre-bending X trilogy in one tiny bar of chocolate? By splitting it into three parts, of course! One dark chocolate, one white chocolate, and one milk chocolate. Sample at will, or eat all three at once to experience three very different eras of horror — er, I mean types of chocolate. — B.E.

SEE ALSO: 'MaXXXine' review: Mia Goth and Ti West return with a bloody film noir We Live in Time Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh in "We Live in Time." Credit: A24

You're going to need this experimental haute cuisine-inspired bar to get through We Live In Time. Inspired by the "Douglas fir parfait" Florence Pugh's chef Almut feeds to Andrew Garfield's Tobias, this bar is a pine emulsion-infused innovation. It's salty as hell, from the avalanche of tears we poured while watching this film. — S.C.

SEE ALSO: Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield on how food is used as a form of intimacy in 'We Live in Time' All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt Sheila Atim in "All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt." Credit: A24

If you have the word "taste" in your movie title, we're going to theme a chocolate bar around it. That's the case for Raven Jackson's moving directorial debut All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt. The title gives us one key ingredient already with salt, but we'll toss in flecks of edible clay to pay tribute to the film's focus on the tradition of eating clay dirt, and how it moves from generation to generation. — B.E.

Uncut Gems Adam Sandler in "Uncut Gems." Credit: A24

This Uncut Gems confection is nothing short of a panic attack in a chocolate bar. Like A24's Fizzy Fountain Soda chocolate, this sweet is chock-full of popping candy — enough to make you feel like your mouth is going to explode and all your gambling plans are going to fall apart. Plus, Pop Rocks look like gems if you squint, right? — B.E.

Cambridge Dictionary has chosen its word the year, and it's manifest. It beat out brat (inspired by Charli XCX's album of the same name), ecotarian, and resilience.

SEE ALSO: We're living through the age of delusion

According to the dictionary, the verb means "to use methods such as visualization and affirmation to help you imagine achieving something you want, in the belief that doing so will make it more likely to happen." The dictionary chose the word because users searched for it over 130,000 times.

It claims that in 2024, manifest "jumped from being mainly used in the self-help community and on social media to being mentioned widely across mainstream media." It attributes its popularity to celebrity culture and athletes claiming manifestation as a strategy at the 2024 Paris Olympics. But the word has been in the public consciousness for several years.

The graph in Cambridge Dictionary's announcement shows the word's growth over the past five years, which is on par with its popularity on social media. It doesn't show any significant spikes this year compared to previous years, making it an odd choice.

SEE ALSO: 'Very demure' demonstrates TikTok's ability to shape modern language

"When we choose a Cambridge Dictionary Word of the Year, we have three considerations: user data, zeitgeist, and language. What word was looked up the most or spiked? Which one captures what was happening in that year? And what is interesting about this word from a language point of view?" said Wendalyn Nichols, the publishing manager at Cambridge Dictionary, in the announcement. "Manifest won this year because it increased notably in lookups, its use widened greatly across all types of media, and it shows how the meanings of a word can change over time.”

Since the pandemic, there have been pockets of TikTok devoted to manifestation, and in early 2023, "Lucky Girl Syndrome" took over FYPs. The platform encouraged women to manifest by repeating the phrase, "I am so lucky; everything works out for me." Twenty-seven thousand posts have been tagged "Lucky Girl Syndrome" on the platform.

Here's to hoping!

Apple's AirPods are more than a way to get your favorite music as close to your eardrums as possible, now they're hearing aids, too.

Announced in September, the devices' new Hearing Aid mode provides clinical-grade hearing support for perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, based on an on-device hearing test and customizable sound-enhancing settings. The over-the-counter software was the first of its kind to be approved by the FDA.

With the release of iOS 18.1 and 18.1.1, AirPods Pro 2 users finally have the ability to use and test the accessibility feature for use in their daily life. Here's how to set it up.

Turning on Hearing Aid mode for AirPods Total Time

• 5 min

What You Need

• iPhone or iPad
• iOS 18.1
• AirPods Pro 2

Step 1: Make sure your devices are updated.

The Hearing Aid mode is a software, not hardware, feature. That means AirPods Pro 2 owners still need to make sure their earphones are updated to the latest firmware, and that their connected iPhone or iPad is updated to iOS 18.1.

Step 2: Ensure your AirPods are charged above 10 percent.

Step 3: Place AirPods in your ears. Open the settings of your iPhone or iPad and search "AirPods."

Step 4: Select "Take a Hearing Test" or "Use a Prior Test Result."

Users who already have an audiogram from their doctor can upload their results using "Add a Hearing Test Result" under "Use a Prior Test Result."

Step 5: Follow the instructions on screen to complete a hearing test.

The test will ask basic identifying information, including if you have recently been in a loud environment or had an illness, then automatically turn on active noise cancellation (ANC). You will then be given additional prompts and hear several tones. This is known as "pure-tone audiometry."

Step 6: After the test is complete, select "Set Up Hearing Aid."

Step 7: Follow the instructions on screen to activate your AirPods as hearing devices.

Once prompted, select "Turn On Hearing Aid." Using your hearing test results, your device will automatically adjust your earphones' settings. Depending on your results, you may be prompted to turn on Media Assist (which customizes media sound controls, like music, phone calls, and videos) to help you hear better.

After activating the hearing aid feature on AirPods Pro, users can adjust the settings to customize their experience, including amplifying sounds around you, left-right balance, tones, and Apple's Conversation Boost, a tool that isolates and amplifies the voice of the person in front of you. Apple recommends doing this slowly over a period of time, in order to properly acclimate to their use.

Customizing Hearing Aid mode on AirPods Total Time

• 2 min

What You Need

• Apple device
• AirPods Pro 2

Step 1: Go to AirPods settings and select "Hearing Assistance."

Credit: Apple

Step 2: Select "Adjustments."

Step 3: To adjust the amplification of sounds, move the Amplification slide bar to the right or left.

Step 4: To adjust the settings between the right and left ear, move the Balance slide bar to the right or left.

Step 5: Use the Tone slide bar to adjust the brightness of sounds in hearing aid mode.

For brighter amplified sounds, move the Tone slider to the right. For darker, less bright tone, move it more to the left.

Step 6: Use Ambient Noise Reduction to filter external sounds in or out.

Moving the slide bar to the right decreases the amount of ambient noises picked up by your device.

For iPad and Mac users, Hearing Assistance can be found under "AirPods" on the left sidebar. Credit: Apple

Users can also make simple adjustments in their device's Control Center, including Apple Watch and Mac. Swipe down from the right corner of the screen, select volume controls, and look for the small ear icon.

Credit: Apple Credit: Apple

Apple has rolled out two critical security updates after uncovering zero-day vulnerabilities targeting Intel-based Mac computers.

SEE ALSO: Missing notes on iPhone: Apple dropped a fix for the bug

In a disclosure posted Tuesday, the company detailed its discovery of the flaws and the rapid fixes implemented to protect Mac users. These zero-day bugs — so named because they were exploited before Apple could address them — prompted the release of bug patches for iOS devices and a dedicated macOS software update.

The vulnerabilities stem from Apple’s WebKit and JavaScriptCore, which drive Safari and render web content.

Regardless of the source, the priority for Apple users is clear: update your devices immediately to ensure they’re running the latest software. Here's how:

How to update Apple devices:

The latest security patches are available for Mac systems running any of the three affected macOS versions, alongside a range of iPhones and iPads. To ensure your device is protected, follow these steps:

For macOS:

1. Open System Preferences (or System Settings on macOS Ventura and later).

2. Click on Software Update.

3. If an update is available, select Update Now or Upgrade Now, depending on your macOS version.

For iPhones and iPads:

1. Open the Settings app.

2. Go to General > Software Update.

3. Tap Download and Install if an update is available.

These updates apply to iPhone XS and newer models, iPad Pro 13-inch, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad (7th generation and later), and iPad mini (5th generation and later).

SAVE 20%: Get 20% off powerful and efficient AC units, fans, and air purifiers at Windmill Air with promo code WINDMILL. Shop now and save.

Opens in a new window Credit: Windmill The Windmill AC (6K BTU Original) $271.20 at Windmill
$339.00 Save $67.80 with promo code WINDMILL Get Deal

With Black Friday just a week away, retailers everywhere are getting into the giving spirit by offering deep discounts ahead of the Big Day. One brand we were surprised to see on the list of companies running pre-holiday sales is Windmill Air, the makers of the Mashable Choice Award-winner, the Windmill AC (medium, 8,300 BTU).

Right now, you can score 20% off sitewide on Windmill’s entire lineup of air conditioners, air purifiers, fans, and more with the code WINDMILL.

SEE ALSO: Review: The Windmill AC lets me come home to a cool apartment

The company also offers a trade-in program: If you recycle your old AC unit, you can get $20 off a new Windmill.

Get the Windmill AC unit on sale for $271.20, or $67.80 off — your six months older self will thank you.

We may be midway through November, but that doesn't mean you have to wait until next summer to upgrade your home cooling system. Shop all of Windmill Air's site for 20% off now.

SAVE $320.99: The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 (Snapdragon X Plus, 16GB, 512GB SSD) with LCD screen in the Dune colorway is down to just $879 at Amazon, discounted from the list price of $1,199.99. That's a 27% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Surface Pro 11 (Snapdragon X Plus, 16GB, 512GB SSD) $879.00 at Amazon
$1,199.99 Save $320.99 LCD screen in Dune colorway Get Deal

We're approaching the end of the year, which means it's a great time to change things up. If you're lugging around an outdated laptop for work or you'll be heading back to school in 2025, you'll want a versatile 2-in-1 tablet and laptop. Shopping Amazon today for one of the latest models will have you savings big.

As of Nov. 20, the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 (Snapdragon X Plus, 16GB, 512GB SSD) with a 13-inch LCD screen in the Dune colorway is on sale for $879 at Amazon, down from the normal price of $1,199.99. That's a 27% discount, and a better discount than the current sale price at both Best Buy and the Microsoft store.

SEE ALSO: The best early Black Friday laptop deals: Score record lows on the M4 MacBook Pro and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7

With the advanced Snapdragon X Plus processor, you'll be in great shape with a powerful tablet. Copilot+ PC offers top-of-the-line AI capabilities that should have you set up well for both productivity and security.

The 13-inch display with LCD touchscreen gives plenty of room on this 2-in-1 laptop and tablet. The 512GB storage means you'll be in line for great capacity for work projects, school assignments, and downloaded music. The 16GB RAM is also ideal for multitasking, gaming, and can even be great for editing video.

Microsoft says the Surface Pro 11 can get up to 14 hours of battery life, or up to 10 hours when actively using the web. It also comes with two USB-C ports, and the weight of a bit under two pounds means it's a great travel companion.

You'll need to grab the Flex keyboard as a separate purchase to use this version of the Surface Pro 11 as a laptop, but the included kickstand gives great configuration options on its own.

For those who've been eyeing the Microsoft Surface Pro 11, today's sale price at Amazon that saves you 27% is worth jumping on.

SAVE $80: As of Nov. 20, get the Apple Mac Mini (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) for $499.99, down from its usual price of $579.99. That's the lowest price we've seen for this configuration.

Opens in a new window Credit: Costco Apple Mac Mini (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $499.99 at Costco
$579.99 Save $80.00 Get Deal

Need a new computer? A desktop can take up a bit of space, and sometimes you don't want or have enough to spare. That's where tech like the Mac Mini comes in. The small but powerful computer is a great alternative to bulky towers or pricey laptops when you'd rather have something more permanent at home. And today, you can get one of the latest models for the lowest price we've seen, at a somewhat unexpected retailer.

As of Nov. 20, you can get the Apple Mac Mini (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) for $499.99 at Costco. That's $80 off its normal price of $579.99, and the lowest price we've seen for this configuration yet.

SEE ALSO: The best early Black Friday laptop deals: Score record lows on the M4 MacBook Pro and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7

This tiny and perfectly compact Mac is small but incredibly mighty. While you could go for a new M4 MacBook Pro that can handle just about anything you need it for, be it productivity, creative design, or just enjoying your favorite media, you can get it all for much cheaper in the form of a desktop computer here. The M4 chip makes this an affordable and zippy package, with a 10-core CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage for less than half the price of a MacBook Pro.

By saving all that cash upfront and opting for a home desktop setup instead of a portable MacBook Pro, you can add a monitor, keyboard, and mouse and other goodies to your workspace and end up saving a big bundle of cash. If you're looking to set up your home computer piecemeal with some of the best offerings that Apple has to offer right now, don't pass up this deal.

SAVE $10: As of Nov. 20, you can get the JBL Go 3 for $29.95 at Amazon. That's a 25% discount, or $10 off the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: JBL JBL Go 3 $29.95 at Amazon
$35.95 Save $6.00 Get Deal

Even someone who has everything can always use a new speaker. Portable Bluetooth speakers are great for the beach, camping, parties, tailgates, or anywhere else you want to listen to music without dealing with wires or being tethered to a power outlet.

As of Nov. 20, you can get the JBL Go 3 Bluetooth speaker for just $29.95 at Amazon. That’s $10 off the list price and just $5 more than its lowest price ever.

SEE ALSO: The 6 best Bluetooth speakers we've tested that are likely to be on sale this Black Friday

The JBL Go 3 may be small, but it still has that legendary JBL signature sound. It offers up to five hours of playtime on a single charge and can connect to just about any device as long as it has Bluetooth.

With an IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating, you don't have to worry about it getting wet or dirty. Plus, it’s available in 12 color options, so you can pick one that matches your style.

Take your sound on the go for under $30 with this deal.

Microsoft has signed a licensing deal with HarperCollins to train its AI models.

According to Bloomberg sources, HarperCollins will allow Microsoft's LLMs to train on nonfiction titles. Microsoft reportedly doesn't plan on creating AI-generated books, but instead will access high quality data to make its models more intelligent and accurate. "HarperCollins authors will have the option to participate or not," said the outlet.

SEE ALSO: ChatGPT now saves chat history even if you've opted out of sharing training data

404 Media first broke the news of a licensing deal with an anonymous AI company. Author Daniel Kibblesmith shared screenshots of an email on Bluesky, likely from his agent informing him about the deal. "You are likely aware, as we all are, that there are controversies surrounding the use of copyrighted materials in the training of AI models," said the memo. "Much of the controversy comes from the fact that many companies seem to be doing so without acknowledging or compensating the original creators. And of course there is concern that these AI models might one day make us all obsolete."

Abominable.

[image or embed]

— Daniel Kibblesmith (@kibblesmith.com) November 15, 2024 at 2:36 PM

According to the screenshots of the email, HarperCollins is offering a non-negotiable payment of $2,500 per title for a three-year licensing deal.

HarperCollins confirmed there is a deal with an unnamed AI company, telling Bloomberg, "its limited scope and clear guardrails around model output" respects authors' rights while presenting them with new opportunities.

Meanwhile, multiple outlets have reported that AI companies, like Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic are getting diminishing returns with the development of new models because they're running out of high quality data to train on. Microsoft was not included in these reports, but its Copilot model relies on underlying genAI technology from OpenAI. So training AI models on nonfiction works might be a strategy to combat lessening improvements.

SAVE $300: Prime members can get a 4-pack of the Arlo Pro 5S Spotlight home security cameras for just $299.99, down from the standard price of $599.99. That's a 50% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Arlo Arlo Pro 5s Spotlight Home Security Camera (4-pack) $299.99 at Amazon
$599.99 Save $300.00 with Prime membership Get Deal

With dark winter nights (and mornings) upon us, it's time to think more about home security. This is an especially great time for upgrades since many of us will be expecting porch deliveries after shopping Black Friday sales. Or, if you're going away for the holidays, you'll want to keep an eye on your home. If you're an Amazon Prime member, you're in for a special price on a great security system.

As of Nov. 20, a 4-pack of the Arlo Pro 5S Spotlight security cameras is on sale for Prime members for just $299.99, down from the standard price of $599.99. That's a savings of $300 and a massive 50% discount. It's also the lowest price we've seen at Amazon.

SEE ALSO: 6 gadgets to help keep your home clean, from robot vacuums to electric scrubbers

The Arlo Pro 5S Spotlight Home Security Cameras come packed with benefits that don't come standard on all cameras. For starters, you're free to use these indoors or outside. With the 4-pack, you could use two in the front yard, one in the garage, and one on the back porch. The camera's materials are designed to withstand rain, heat, cold temps, and sun. Plus, the wireless cameras are easy to set up.

When it comes to performance, each camera uses 2K HDR video quality, and night vision is in color. Each camera also comes equipped with an integrated spotlight, which means the camera above your garage that faces the driveway will light up as you walk to the front door, helping you better see that step that proves a challenge to spot.

Arlo also introduced a low-power mode on the Pro 5S cameras, which helps extend battery life, and the brand says you'll get about eight months of use before having to recharge. The 4-camera set comes with two magnetic charging cables.

If you've been considering a home security upgrade, today's deal for Prime members on the 4-pack of Arlo Pro 5S Spotlight home security cameras is a great option. You'll gain reassurance your home is well-protected and save $300.

SAVE $5: As of Nov. 20, you can get Lego 2K Drive for Nintendo Switch for just $14.99. That's a 25% discount or $5 off.

Opens in a new window Credit: 2K 'Lego 2K Drive' for Nintendo Switch $14.99 at Amazon
$19.99 Save $5.00 Get Deal

Whether you’re shopping for the kids on your list or need a new video game to scratch that nostalgic itch, Lego 2K Drive for the Nintendo Switch is a must-have. (Don’t have a Nintendo Switch? You can get one for $299 at Best Buy.)

For a limited time, you can snag this game for just $14.99 (that's $5 off!) at Amazon. That’s 25% off the regular price and the lowest price we’ve seen on this title yet.

SEE ALSO: Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday: Which day is better for shopping?

Lego 2K Drive throws you into Bricklandia, a massive open world where you can go off-road, race competitors, and customize your ride brick-by-brick. The game features Story Mode, single races, Cup Series tournaments, and online support so you can play with friends or family. It’s like the Lego version of iRacing. Reddit users say it’s an “absolute blast,” and you know how picky those threads can get.

“What really makes the game fun is that it feels like playing with Lego vehicles the way that children do,” one Redditor writes. “There are little minifig pedestrians that you can run over and watch them burst into Lego bricks.”

Bring the fun home for the holiday season for $5 off today.

SAVE UP TO 50%: Unlocked phones from Samsung, Apple, and other top brands are heavily discounted ahead of Black Friday. Find the Motorola Razr for 50% off — it's down to $349.99, saving you $350.

Best Unlocked Phone deals Best unlocked phone deal Motorola Razr, Sage Green $349.99 (Save $350) Get Deal Best Samsung phone deal SAMSUNG Galaxy S24 FE AI Phone $474.99 (Save $175) Get Deal Apple iPhone 14 Plus, Midnight $529.99 (Save $200) Get Deal

Black Friday's bounty of deals is here. While we've still got a week left until the event officially kicks off, sale prices are here. We're tracking the deals across retailers from Amazon to Target. If you've been putting off making a big purchase, like a new cell phone, then Black Friday sales are the time to shop.

Unlocked phones allow you to use the device with any cellular carrier. So if you're sick of having your phone attached to a specific network and want the freedom of no contracts, then this is the way to go. Ahead of Black Friday, you can find unlocked phones up to 50% off from Motorola, Samsung, and Apple. Here are the best deals to shop now.

Best unlocked phone deals Opens in a new window Credit: Motorola Motorola Razr, 128GB $349.99 at Amazon
$699.99 Save $350.00 Get Deal Why we like it

If you didn't get to experience the Motorola Razr the first time, or maybe you just miss it, the 2023 version is here for you. Available in pink or sage green, this updated model has a touch screen that still folds in half. It has a high-res camera plus a POLED screen, whether you want to capture video or stream it.

Ahead of Black Friday, you can get the unlocked Motorola Razr for half off, bringing it down to $349.99. That saves you $350 for a brand-new phone.

More unlocked Motorola phone deals

• Motorola Moto G Play, 64GB — $109.99 $149.99 (save $40)

• Motorola Razr+, 256GB — $799.99 $999.99 (save $200)

Best unlocked Samsung phone deal Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung SAMSUNG Galaxy S24 FE AI Phone, 128GB $474.99 at Amazon
$649.99 Save $175.00 Get Deal Why we like it

The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, comes loaded with the brand's Galaxy AI. The AI assists in photo editing, to move — or even remove — objects from precious portraits. Plus, Galaxy AI produces real time translations while texting or calling.

This 2024 model is 27% off ahead of Black Friday. It's marked down to $474.99, saving you $649.99.

More Samsung phone deals

• Samsung Galaxy A05, 64GB — $94.50 $118.97 (save $24.47)

• Samsung Galaxy A15, 128GB — $169.99 $199.99 (save $30)

• Samsung Galaxy A35, 128GB — $299.99 $399.99 (save $100)

• Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, 512GB — $1,069.99 $1,419.99 (save $350)

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, 512GB — $1,494.99 $2,019.99 (save $525)

Best unlocked iPhone deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPhone 14 Plus, 128GB $529.99 at Best Buy
$729.99 Save $200.00 Get Deal Why we like it

While we're all the way up to the iPhone 16, previous models are still available, offering superb tech at a steeper discount. The iPhone 14 Plus come with a 6.7-inch Super Retina display and features cinematic mode so you can watch in 4K Dolby Vision. The A15 Bionic chip has phenomenal processing, so you can watch or game without stalling.

When purchased through Best Buy, you can find the iPhone 14 Plus for as low as $529.99. The only stipulation is you have to set up your cell carrier through Best Buy. Not a bad deal when it saves you $200 for 27% off.

More iPhone deals

• Apple iPhone 13, 128GB — $399.99 $549.99 (save $150)

• Apple iPhone 15, 128GB — $579.99 $729.99 (save $150)

• Apple iPhone 15 Plus, 128GB — $679.99 $829.99 (save $150)

Remember: The best gifts for men should make the guy you're buying for feel seen. They should make him feel like you truly get him.

No two guys are the same, and not every man spends their days dreaming of whiskey stones. (In fact, we'd guess that very few of them do.) Traditional male stereotypes are a thing of the past, y'all, and it's time we started embracing that fact when we're looking for gifts.

Before you click “buy” on something that will definitely require a gift receipt, let us take the wheel and show you some gifts for him that are sure to make an impression on your lucky guy. And if you need more specific gift ideas, check out this gift guide for the father figure in your life, or this one if you’re shopping for your boyfriend.

Whether he’s into kitchen accessories, fashion-forward athleisure, self-care products, or something more eccentric, we’re confident that he'll love the picks on this list. For Father's Day birthdays, holidays, and any random occasion, we've got you covered.

Check out the best Amazon deals of the day as of Nov. 20: OUR TOP PICK Bose QuietComfort headphones $199 (save $150) Get Deal BEST LAPTOP DEAL Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M3, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $849 (save $250) Get Deal BEST HOME SECURITY DEAL Blink Video Doorbell $29.99 (save $30) Get Deal BEST SOUNDBAR DEAL Roku Streambar SE $69.99 (save $30) Get Deal

Amazon's official Black Friday sale officially kicks off tomorrow, but there's no need to wait. Amazon has been dropping deals for weeks for all you early birds out there. As of Nov. 20, top brands like Apple and Bose are already down to all-time lows. You can hold off on shopping until tomorrow if you want, but rest assured, shopping today will still get you a great deal.

We've rounded up a few of the best Amazon deals of the day below. If you missed our picks from Nov. 18 and Nov. 19, be sure to check those out as well. Many of the deals are still live — including a new all-time low on the Oura Ring 3 Horizon and the JBL Flip 6 Bluetooth speaker.

Our top pick Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort headphones $199.00 at Amazon
$349.00 Save $150.00 Get Deal

When it comes to headphones that check all the right boxes, including affordability, our minds go straight to the Bose QuietComforts. While not quite as impressive as their more expensive sibling, the QuietComfort Ultras, they definitely won't disappoint. Our friends at PCMag (also owned by Ziff Davis) spent some hands-on time with the headphones and gave them an "excellent" four-star rating, crediting their "top-notch active noise cancellation," rich audio, and comfortable fit. As of Nov. 20, you can snag a pair in any shade (black, white, green, lilac, sandstone, light or dark blue) for only $199 at Amazon. That's 43% in savings and matches its all-time low from October Prime Day.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple 2024 MacBook Air, 13-inch (M3, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $849.00 at Amazon
$1,099.00 Save $250.00 Get Deal

Apple deciding to make 16GB RAM the new standard on MacBooks is a total game changer. For the same price as the old base model with 8GB RAM, you now get double the storage. That makes this deal on the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air even better. As of Nov. 20, it's on sale for just $849 instead of $1,099 — that's 23% in savings and technically now a new record-low. Previously, we saw the base model with 8GB reach this low, but this is a first for the new 16GB base model. You'll get 15% more power than the M2, WiFi 6E, and support for up to two 5K, 60Hz external displays. We tested our the larger 15-inch model and were blown away. Mashable Tech Editor Kimberly Gedeon writes: "The M2 MacBook Air continues to blur the line of the Air and Pro models, providing ample 'oomph' for creatives, professionals, and students who need robust performance that can handle their multifaceted workflows."

Read our full review of the M3 MacBook Air.

Opens in a new window Credit: Blink Blink Video Doorbell $29.99 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $30.00 Get Deal

The Blink Video Doorbell is already back down to its all-time low of $29.99 at Amazon — that's 50% off its retail price. While there's a chance it could drop even further during Amazon's Black Friday sale, we wouldn't be surprised if this is the lowest price we'll see. Either way, you can rest assured you're getting a hella good price if you shop early. The Blink Video Doorbell lets you see who's at your door (even when you're not home) at any time of day with a 1080p HD live view, two-way audio, and infrared night vision. It can also be installed in minutes and last for up to two years on two AA batteries when paired with the Sync Module (sold separately).

Opens in a new window Credit: Roku Roku Streambar SE $69.99 at Amazon
$99.99 Save $30.00 Get Deal

If you like your gadgets to multitask, the Roku Streambar SE gives you the gift of two devices in one. It's both a soundbar and a Roku streaming device, so it can boost your audio as you stream all of your favorite shows and movies. It also features a system that can automatically adjust the volume to make voices clearer and commercials quieter. It's usually $99.99, but you can snag it on sale at Amazon for just $69.99 as of Nov. 20. That's 30% in savings and $10 cheaper than it was just a week ago.

None of these deals catching your eye? Check out Amazon's daily deals for even more savings.