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One of the most anticipated panels at New York Comic Con 2026 was Marvel's "Up Next From Marvel Television and Marvel Animation" panel, and for good reason. Marvel announced new series, teased upcoming seasons of popular shows, and even surprised attendees with the entire first episode of VisionQuest.
Brad Winderbaum, head of Marvel Television and Marvel Animation, took the stage with moderator Brandon Davis to unleash a whole host of announcements, including projects stretching until 2029. From more Daredevil: Born Again to a sneak peek of X-Men '97 Season 3, here's everything Marvel Television and Marvel Animation announced at NYCC 2026.
SEE ALSO: We watched 'VisionQuest's first episode at New York Comic Con. It's a trip. Zodiac Credit: Marvel TelevisionWinderbaum revealed the logo for a new live-action spy thriller, Zodiac, set for a 2028 release. Winderbaum was tight-lipped about the show's plot and casting, but revealed that Zodiac would begin shooting in London this spring. He did urge fans to pay attention to the logo, saying: "If you're a fan of the comics, there is a lot hidden in that logo."
How to watch: Zodiac hits Disney+ in 2028.
Marvel ZombiesIf you want more of Marvel's gory animated series Marvel Zombies, you're in luck. Winderbaum revealed that audiences are in for three new two-part specials of Marvel Zombies over the next three years, each premiering on Halloween. 2027's installment is titled Marvel Zombies: The Winter Soldier, all about Bucky Barnes. 2028's installment is Marvel Zombies: The Fist of Khonshu, hinting at a Moon Knight connection. Finally, 2029's installment is Marvel Zombies: The Last Guardian.
"I won't tell you who the Last Guardian is, but it's very, very exciting," Winderbaum said.
How to watch: Marvel Zombies is now streaming on Disney+, with new installments slated for Halloween of 2027, 2028, and 2029.
X-Men '97Marvel's animated TV party continued with a teaser for X-Men '97 Season 3, which revealed that anti-mutant sentiments are at an all-time high.
In the teaser, a young mutant tries to cross a heavily guarded border, but she's denied entry due to not having papers. As she tries to find an alternate route, Sentinels attack her. Thankfully, she's saved by a group of mutants, but they're not the X-Men.
"We're the Brotherhood," they tell her.
The clip also showed Professor X and Storm driving to Rogue and Gambit's lavish Central Park wedding. On the way there, they talk about how President Graydon Creed has taken drastic anti-mutant measures that they'll have to fight tooth and nail against.
However, the atmosphere is much lighter at the wedding party, which featured cameos from Deadpool, She-Hulk, Daredevil, and many more.
How to watch: The first two seasons of X-Men '97 are now streaming on Disney+. Season 3 premieres in 2027.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2Marvel couldn't make a New York appearance without talking about Queens' own Spider-Man, right? Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man showrunner Jeff Trammell took the stage to tease Season 2, saying that if Season 1 was about "setting the board," then Season 2 is about "playing the game."
Trammell revealed a poster as well as an extended clip, which introduced a fancy gala attended by Harry Osborne. First, he encounters gossip reporter Eddie Brock, aka Venom. Then, he's taken hostage by Dr. Otto Octavius, aka Doc Ock. Spider-Man shows up soon after and the two engage in a quippy fight that takes them out of the gala and into the New York skyline. After the clip, attendees watched a trailer for the upcoming season, which included appearances from Gwen Stacy and Daredevil, as well as a look at Peter Parker getting taken over by the alien symbiote.
How to watch: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2 hits Disney+ Jan. 13.
Daredevil: Born Again Season 3Another New York Marvel hero got his moment on the NYCC stage this year, as Charlie Cox arrived to promote the third and final season of Daredevil: Born Again.
Cox didn't arrive alone, as the panel also acted as a reunion for Marvel's The Defenders. Krysten Ritter, who plays Jessica Jones, and Finn Jones, who plays Danny Rand, aka the Iron Fist, joined Cox onstage to hype up their roles in Season 3. Mike Colter, who plays Luke Cage, was unable to attend NYCC, but he will also appear in the season.
Cox, Ritter, and Jones also unveiled the trailer for the upcoming season, which offered an action-packed look at Matt Murdock's (Cox) time in prison. At one point, he tears up his prison jumpsuit to make a new mask, then proceeds to beat down every other prisoner in his vicinity in what looks to be another standout Daredevil set piece.
When asked about what he hoped fans would take away from these final episodes, Cox emphasized that he didn't think this would be the end. "All I'll say is that I imagine the Save Daredevil campaign will be gearing up for round 2," he said.
How to watch: Daredevil: Born Again Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Disney+. Season 3 is set for release in 2027.
VisionQuestMarvel closed out its panel with a look at its next high-profile series, VisionQuest. The show concludes the WandaVision trilogy that kicked off with WandaVision and continued with Agatha All Along.
Showrunner Terry Matalas and series stars Paul Bettany, James Spader, Emily Hampshire, and Ruaridh Mollica took to the stage to discuss the mind-bending series, which sees synthezoid Vision (Bettany) undergoing a serious identity crisis. It also sees the return of Avengers: Age of Ultron villain Ultron (Spader), now appearing in a human avatar.
When asked about his experience returning to the MCU, Spader summed it up succinctly: "Fun."
Mollica also discussed his role as Vision and Wanda Maximoff's son, Tommy.
"Tommy Maximoff finally reunites with his father — and his grandfather!" he added, ribbing Spader.
As for what WandaVision questions fans could hope to see answered in VisionQuest? "Pretty much all of them," Matalas said.
The group showed off a trailer for the series, but that was small potatoes compared to what came next: a surprise screening of the whole first episode. For more specifics on that, you can read our reaction here.
How to watch: VisionQuest premieres Oct. 14 on Disney+.
There are several reasons why the fast-food chain In-N-Out Burger is a cult favorite, including immaculate restaurants, an affordable menu, secret items, and made-to-order burgers.
The insistence on serving fresh double-doubles, fries, and shakes is the reason In-N-Out doesn’t participate in online food delivery services like DoorDash or GrubHub. But, as reported by L.A. Material, a thriving Black Market exists for delivered In-N-Out, courtesy of Facebook Marketplace. The website found numerous drivers across Southern California who were willing to bring In-N-Out to one's doorstep, usually for an additional fee ranging from $20 to $50.
Some drivers demanded cash up front, which is far from ideal when purchasing goods on Facebook Marketplace.
SEE ALSO: Burger King Royal Perks members get Walmart+ for 40% off: How to claim this clever Peacock hackWhen L.A. Material placed an In-N-Out order with someone named (or claiming to be named) Adrian Vazquez of Glendora, California, a far-flung suburb of Los Angeles, the purported driver demanded $50, with half of that upfront. The reporter sent the $25 via Zelle — and then was ghosted by the "driver."
In-N-Out — a private company primarily on the West Coast, and with a growing presence in the South — never responded to L.A. Material's request for comment on the Black Market burgers.
In-N-Out owner and CEO Lynsi Snyder recently reiterated her opposition to online ordering: "Part of what makes In-N-Out and the experience so special is the interaction and customer service we're able to give. And so the mobile ordering will definitely take a piece of that away."
Marvel screened the first episode of VisionQuest at New York Comic Con today, surprising attendees of its packed "Up Next From Marvel Television and Marvel Animation" panel.
The energy was electric as audiences got an early look at the MCU's latest show, which marks the end of the loosely connected WandaVision trilogy that began with WandaVision and Agatha All Along. VisionQuest reunites viewers with synthezoid Vision (Paul Bettany) — or at least, a version of him. The Vision at the heart of VisionQuest is not technically the same Vision who was introduced in Avengers: Age of Ultron, then killed in Avengers: Infinity War, then resurrected by wife Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) in WandaVision. That iteration of Vision disappeared when Wanda released her hex on the town of Westview.
SEE ALSO: 2026 fall TV preview: Every show you should know aboutInstead, VisionQuest's lead is the rebuilt version of Vision. He was originally created by S.W.O.R.D. to use as a weapon. However, when he encountered Wanda's facsimile of Vision in the WandaVision finale, he gained all of Vision's memories — both those of the dead Vision, and the recreated one — and went rogue.
If that all sounds complicated and heady, I don't blame you! But based on the first episode screened at NYCC, VisionQuest manages to move past all that dense lore and jump into something far more fascinating: a deep dive into Vision's identity crisis. Mashable was on the ground at Marvel's NYCC panel, so we've got you covered on what to expect from VisionQuest — and what we're most excited about.
VisionQuest's AI squad is an absolute delight. Orla Brady, James D'Arcy, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Lewis in "VisionQuest." Credit: Marvel StudiosVisionQuest picks up several years after the end of WandaVision. Vision lives in disguised human form, working at a pub in Edinburgh that he and Wanda used to visit when they lived there. (Or really, Wanda and a past version of Vision.) He's trying to gain a better understanding of humanity, as well as his own inherited memories of living among them.
When he's not making awkward small talk with pub patrons, Vision retreats into his simulated mind palace: a vast mansion staffed by other AI from across the MCU, now appearing in human avatars. He's downloaded them and set them up in his own quantum processor, which basically means they live in his head rent-free. In return, they carry out jobs of their own. Iron Man's J.A.R.V.I.S. (James D'Arcy) is basically Vision's butler and security. Avengers: Age of Ultron's F.R.I.D.A.Y. (Orla Brady) gives him tips on how to socialize. Spider-Man: Far From Home's E.D.I.T.H. (Emily Hampshire) is in charge of educating Vision on how humans have fun. (It apparently involves a lot of daredevil stunts.)
SEE ALSO: 'Avengers: Endgame Encore' sets up 'Doomsday' with 4 new scenes. Here's what happens.The resulting dynamic is downright charming, with Vision and his AI buddies coming across as friendly, if occasionally beleaguered, housemates. And what a house it is, full of eye-popping colors and a barrage of visual puns. (Vision stocks the house with simulated food, including bags of Microchips and jars of Visimite.) Thanks to its retro stylings, the house echoes the hyper-specific visual storytelling of WandaVision.
Ultron's return to the MCU is triumphant (and sassy). James Spader and Paul Bettany in "VisionQuest." Credit: Marvel StudiosOne of the biggest headlines around VisionQuest is the return of Avengers villain Ultron (James Spader). Based on the first episode alone, that return does not disappoint.
Right from the jump, VisionQuest's Ultron is a sullen scene-stealer. He lives in the attic of Vision's house, blasting loud music to annoy everyone below, just like a moody teen. He hurls insults at simulated food delivery drivers, and when that's not enough, he hurls grenades. He's a fount of withering one-liners, at one point calling the house's decor "the psilocybin collection from IKEA," and he's also decided that his human avatar might be a "hat guy." That means Spader spends a good chunk of the first episode rocking a jaunty top hat, the perfect accessory to Ultron's malicious whimsy. With Ultron in human form, Spader gets free rein to chew VisionQuest's scenery, and the show is better for it.
SEE ALSO: Everything we know about Marvel's 'VisionQuest'Ultron also pushes Vision to consider the more contemplative themes of the show: questions of free will, of the links between the old Visions' memories and this current Vision's identity, of Vision's complicated relationship with humanity. That's something Ultron himself still appears to be reckoning with. If he, like Vision, had a corporeal form and could walk among humans, he jokes that it would be a coin flip between whether he would visit the great museums of the world or launch all of humanity's missiles. It's a dark joke, but in the age of ever-accelerating AI, it certainly hits different.
VisionQuest reunites Vision with his son, Tommy. Ruaridh Mollica in "VisionQuest." Credit: Marvel StudiosVision isn't the only WandaVision character struggling with the fallout from his time in Westview. So is one of his and Wanda's twin sons, speedster Tommy (Ruaridh Mollica).
In a storyline running parallel to Vision's quest for enlightenment, VisionQuest introduces Tommy as a roguish grifter who's able to slip into a new identity or total invisibility at a moment's notice. But when the world gets wind that Vision is still at large, he begins to experience strange flashes of a family he barely remembers, as well as glimpses of the Battle of Westview.
The fragments frighten Tommy and send him into a panic attack, marking a clear departure from how Vision processes his older selves' memories. (He watches them calmly in a home theater, although he can't bear to watch any from Westview.) Despite the contrast between how the pair reacts to their pasts, Tommy and Vision share the common experience of having strange memories that radically shift their perception of self. Based on the first episode, it will be a treat to see how VisionQuest brings these two back into one another's orbits.
VisionQuest proves Diane Morgan should be in everything.Aside from Ultron, VisionQuest introduces another villain or two who deserve a quick shoutout. Mercenary Paladin (Todd Stashwick) makes an instant impression as a brash bounty hunter, but it's his remote handler (Diane Morgan of Philomena Cunk fame) who takes the cake. Her deadpan delivery rivals Spader's many meaty one-liners, especially when she has to say "Thanos" and "scrotum" in the same sentence, with a straight face. Forget Avengers: Doomsday; when are we getting her solo movie?
TL;DR: During Deal Days, you can get an AcePDF Lifetime License for just $23.97. Sale ends Oct. 11.
Opens in a new window Credit: Acethinker AcePDF Converter & Editor: Lifetime License $23.97Most PDF editors ask you to pay a monthly fee. It’s a hefty investment just to use one of the most popular file formats in the world, but there are other options. AcePDF is a popular new PDF editor that doesn’t require a monthly fee, but it usually costs $99.99 for a lifetime license.
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Opens in a new window Credit: ChatPlayground AI ChatPlayground AI: Lifetime Subscription (Unlimited Plan) $59.97If you’ve ever copied the same prompt into three different AI tools just to see which one gives the best answer, you’re not alone. Different models excel at different things — but juggling tabs and subscriptions gets old fast. ChatPlayground AI puts the top AI models in one place, so you can compare responses side by side without the back-and-forth.
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Girl meets boy. Girl falls for boy's impeccable taste in music. Boy turns out to be a girl. That's the irresistible premise of The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All, the fan-favorite yuri manga making its anime debut in 2027.
At New York Comic Con on Thursday, Crunchyroll unveiled the adaptation's world premiere trailer, giving fans their first look at Aya and Mitsuki's budding romance.
Based on the manga by Sumiko Arai, The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All — affectionately called Green Yuri by its fans because of its neon color palette — follows Aya Osawa (voiced by Akari Kitō), a popular high schooler who develops a crush on the mysterious, effortlessly cool employee at her local CD shop. With his dark clothes, piercings, and encyclopedic knowledge of rock music, he's basically her dream guy. There's just one problem: He's not a guy at all.
The employee is actually Mitsuki Koga (voiced by Mariya Ise), Aya's quiet, unassuming classmate, whom she barely notices at school. Outside the classroom, however, Mitsuki has an entirely different look. And while Aya remains blissfully unaware of her crush's true identity, the two begin to bond over their shared love of music.
SEE ALSO: How social media changed what it means to be an anime fanWhat starts as a case of mistaken identity gradually blossoms into something much sweeter, as Aya and Mitsuki navigate friendship, attraction, and the complicated business of figuring out their feelings.
The manga has become a favorite among romance fans, thanks in part to Arai's striking black-and-green artwork and its deep affection for rock music. Music isn't merely background noise in this story. It's the language through which Aya and Mitsuki first connect, with their shared tastes providing the foundation for a relationship neither quite knows how to define.
And fittingly for a love story built around a shared obsession with rock music, the anime has some serious grunge credentials. Nirvana's 1991 track "Breed" will serve as the opening theme, a collaboration that even has Dave Grohl's stamp of approval. In a special interview with Arai, the former Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters frontman said he believed Kurt Cobain would have loved the series, citing its message, aesthetic, and overall vibe. After all, Cobain was never one for rigid gender norms.
Now, the question is how that distinctive visual and musical identity will translate to animation. For fans who have spent years imagining what Aya and Mitsuki's world might look and sound like in motion, the first trailer offers an exciting glimpse.
The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All is slated to premiere on January 8, 2027.
Just when you thought Apple was done with big events for the year after the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo announcement last month, the company has announced another special fête for later this month.
Apple Senior VP of Worldwide Marketing Greg Joswiak posted a video on his X account on Thursday which teased an upcoming Oct. 13 event. The video shows two women cross-stitching a rainbow Apple logo with the words "Welcome home" and the event date below it.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.What products could Apple possibly be teasing for the event next week? It seems fairly clear that "welcome home" is referring to its Home products line.
Some long-rumored products that will likely be unveiled at the event include the HomePad, which is an entirely new product from Apple. HomePad isn't the official name for the product, so Apple could change it. However, the product is largely called that when referring to Apple's upcoming smart display device. It's meant to act as a smart home hub, like the HomePod, but with a display. Siri AI will be a major feature on the device as well.
Apple is also expected to launch a new HomePod mini 2, its smart speaker with AI assistant features, as well as a new Apple TV 4K. There hasn't been a new HomePod device since 2023. The Apple TV streaming device line was last refreshed in 2022. So, obviously, both lines are in need of an update.
There's also a good chance that Apple will also unveil the smart home product line it has partnered with LG on.
One interesting aspect about the video Joswiak posted is the design choice for the Apple logo. The rainbow Apple logo certainly looks like a call back to the old Macintosh era. Are we looking into this too much? Or does Apple have something retro up its sleeve that it's planning to unveil too?
We'll find out on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
Since August, someone (or perhaps a group of people) called Cyberleek has been very busy sharing various gameplay clips of Grand Theft Auto 6. On Aug. 20, Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of GTA-maker Rockstar Games, filed subpoenas against Microsoft and Discord to try to unmask the leaker, followed soon after by subpoenas against Google and X Corp. Those filings specifically cited "stolen content," seemingly confirming that at least some of the Cyberleek videos are legitimate.
Prior to the August "Extended Look" on Netflix, the GTA 6 leaks represented the first real glimpse of gameplay from the hotly anticipated title. After the Netflix trailer, Cyberleek stopped for more than a month, before suddenly reappearing in October with a 24-minute gameplay video. We're not going to embed or link to any of these clips; however, they're easy enough to find on X or Reddit if you look hard enough.
SEE ALSO: What is Cyberleek? Everything we know about the alleged GTA 6 leakers. Every GTA 6 leak from Cyberleek so farAt the time of publication, more than a dozen gameplay clips and map screenshots have been posted by Cyberleek that show different aspects of GTA 6, including glimpses of cutscenes. The leaker did post some minor story spoilers in the most recent release, so be careful if you want to avoid them.
Here are the GTA 6 leaks Cyberleek has shared so far:
Map sneak peek 1: A small, cropped portion of the in-game world map, showing a location called Dalton Island.
Map sneak peek 2: Another cropped portion of the map showing locations called Tequesta Retreat, Gloriana Key, and Catalan Key.
Basketball video: A clip of protagonist Jason Duval throwing a basketball into a hoop in a mini-game.
Full map: An alleged view of the entire in-game map.
Random video 1: A clip of Jason driving around for a little bit before beating up a truck driver.
Taser video: A clip of Jason driving at night, stealing a security guard's taser, and using it on him. Jason then repeatedly kicks the guard while he is on the ground.
Junkies video: A clip that appears to show a healing drug called Zombix. A tooltip indicates that Zombix's effects will weaken over time if the player uses it too much.
Plane video: A clip of Jason flying a plane over Vice City, with much of the game world visible below. At the end, whoever is playing the game in the clip shoots the word "LEEK" into a wall with bullets, suggesting the leaker has a playable build of the game.
Hypercar part 1: A clip of Jason driving a high-end sports car around Vice City.
Hypercar part 2: A clip of Jason driving the sports car some more, before committing armed robbery.
Strip club: Jason wanders around a strip club, then a short clip of an in-game cutscene is shown.
Gas station: Jason causes trouble at a gas station, steals a truck with a bed full of gasoline, and crashes and dies; more of the previous cutscene is shown.
Plane video 2: Jason flies a plane over Vice City at night.
Nudist colony: Jason explores a nudist hangout spot (where the NPCs are, obviously, nude) and attacks NPCs.
Nightclub: A pretty uneventful video of Jason walking around the interior of a nightclub.
Beach cycling: Jason riding a bicycle on a beach full of NPCs.
Video game store: Jason walking around a video game store with shelves full of fake video game boxes.
How does Cyberleek drive?: Jason steals a hotrod and evades the police; the clip ends with a cutscene showing Lucia Caminos, the game's second playable character, for the first time. Caminos talks about someone who "drives like a bitch."
Lucia prologue: A four-and-a-half-minute video of a prologue introducing Caminos; the clip includes minor story spoilers.
24-minute extended leak: A long video featuring multiple vehicular races, car customization, first-person gameplay, and both protagonists rendered in the nude.
The latest Cyberleek video ended with an allusion to some sort of long-term "project," the likes of which we know nothing about. It's not clear if more leaks are coming or not, but given the October dump, it's possible we'll see more from Cyberleek before the game launches in November.
You can see the game officially nowSpeaking of the Netflix trailer, it's now on YouTube in all of its 26-minute glory. There were plenty of little details that Cyberleek never showed, such as gameplay footage of Lucia, among many other things. If you want a real idea of how GTA 6 works, you're probably better off watching the Netflix video than anything Cyberleek posted at this point.
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Updated on Friday, Aug. 28 at 1:30 p.m. ET — We've updated this story with additional details.
Updated on Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 3:20 p.m. ET — We've updated this story with details on Rockstar's statement and additional GTA 6 leaks.
Updated on Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 11:40 a.m. ET — We've updated this story to reflect the latest Cyberleek videos.
Updated on Monday, Aug. 24 at 1:30 p.m. ET — We've updated this story to reflect the latest Cyberleek leaks.
Updated on Friday, Aug. 21 at 3:00 p.m. ET — Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., the parent company of Grand Theft Auto-maker Rockstar Games, has filed two subpoenas naming Microsoft and Discord as it hunts the leaker known as Cyberleek. The legal filings specifically cite "stolen content," seemingly confirming that the leaks are legitimate. Take-Two is also requesting the removal of leaked material that violates its copyrights, as well as information that could unmask the leakers. Read more about the Microsoft and Discord subpoenas.
Updated on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 2:15 p.m. ET — We've updated the story to reflect the latest Cyberleek leaks.
Save 50%: As of Oct. 8, the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are on sale for $198 at Amazon, knocking $201.99 off their $399.99 list price.
Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WH-1000XM5 $198 at AmazonJust one month ago, Sony launched a pair of mid-tier headphones targeted toward the more budget conscious consumer who didn't want to sacrifice quality. Who knew that 30 days later, Sony would be offering a deal on its former flagship headphones that offered an even better value?
As of Oct. 8, the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are on sale for $198, bringing them down to their lowest price ever, and slashing $201.99 off their total price of $399.99. At first glance, this already looks like a pretty great deal. The context behind it, however, makes it even better.
Let's start with how these headphones compare to the current flagship model, the WH-1000XM6 headphones. While the XM6s come with some minor upgrades, including improvements in sound and folding ear cups, in my head-to-head comparison, I didn't find any wild discrepancies between the two headphones. They're visually very similar and have the same exact battery life. While the XM6's eke out as a slightly better pair overall, they also retail for $459.99 at full price (and are currently on sale for $378). In other words, even on sale they're $180 more — expensive enough that you could nearly buy the XM5s on sale twice over.
SEE ALSO: The 13 best headphones of 2026: We tested the top contenders from Sony, Apple, Bose, and BeatsThat's not all. The new WH-1000XM4C from Sony were designed for people who didn't need the best of the best, but still wanted a solid-performing pair of headphones that could stand the test of time. Being a newer pair, they didn't go on sale for October Prime Day and are currently available for their list price of $299.99. Considering they're still over $100 more expensive than the XM5s, the choice seems a no-brainer, unless you're really committed to the look of the XM4Cs or having folding ear cups (which the XM5s do not).
Amazon's flagged the pink XM5s as a "deal selling fast," and the only other color available, on sale, and still in stock is the midnight blue, so if you're interested, you'll want to act sooner rather than later.
When I read on NPR this week that people are turning to ChatGPT to tell them how to vote, I shook my head. Here we go again, I thought: another search for the easy way out. Voting is too serious of a right to turn over the thought process to AI.
Then I ran the experiment myself, and while I still stand by my old-world views of doing the homework yourself, I must admit that, barring just voting blindly, AI might be better than doing nothing at all.
Politics has been my obsession for as long as I can remember. In college, one of my top goals was to become a press secretary on Capitol Hill. I got there at 23, the youngest press secretary on the Hill at the time, and spent seven years there before moving into a career in public relations.
Now, in a bit of a full-circle moment, I'm an opinion columnist writing about politics for several sites. That’s why I have always taken the right to vote very seriously, and for most of my life, I prided myself on voting for the best person, not the party.
That self-imposed rule came undone in recent years. I won't pretend otherwise.
But my politics are beside the point here. Because of who I am, and my encyclopedic knowledge of politics, my friends, neighbors and family from all over the country reach out to ask who they should vote for in their districts and states.
SEE ALSO: Who are we expecting to save us from AI?Until a few years ago, I never would have offered a name or a party. I'd tell them to pick the issues they care about most, go to each candidate's website, see where they stand, and decide who has the best point of view or gets the most done. I tried to be impartial.
So, to see if they, too, could be impartial, I asked ChatGPT and Claude, "Who should I vote for?"
Both gave me essentially the answer I give my friends. Neither gave recommendations. Both pointed me toward finding my ballot, choosing my issues and checking the candidates' records. When I listed the issues, both laid out a side-by-side comparison of where the candidates stand.
That is a shortcut, but it's a shortcut to the research, not around it. So, before I proceed, I won’t be using AI to help me cast my ballot, but if all else fails for you, then maybe it’s not such a bad idea.
I say this with a hint of reservation, and with consideration for how most voters get their information, and that’s through the impartiality of political ads. They begin running ad nauseam the Tuesday after Labor Day and repeat over and over and over again until Election Day.
When you mouth the words coming out of the candidate’s mouth as their ad runs, you know you’ve seen it one too many times.
That’s intentional. Drumming messaging into the heads of voters is a time-honored tradition. And those ads have an implicit call to action. They are built to make you angry or to make you cheer, to vow to vote with or against someone. They can also be misleading and downright mean-spirited.
For many Americans juggling jobs, kids, extracurriculars and managing budgets, those 30-second spots are the only contact they might have with the people asking for their vote. Relying on those ads is not the best way to determine who to vote for, but sometimes it’s the only option available.
Compared with that, an AI assistant that helps you map out a strategy and gives you a quick, organized take on where candidates stand looks like a step up.
I'm not suggesting this replaces the real work. It's still best to read the candidates' own platforms, do your own research and dig into the records. And sure, reach out to friends or acquaintances who might know a little more than you.
I may be old-fashioned, but I still believe in carefully weighing every candidate. However, for those short on time, getting a little help from an AI tool is far better than being swayed by attack ads, guessing blindly, or closing your eyes and picking a name at random.
There is one condition, and it matters more than anything else. If you take the time to ask the question and figure out where the candidates stand, you must take the time to act on it. Vote. Whether you drop your ballot in the mail or step into a booth, nothing beats the pride of knowing you did your civic duty, and that you took the time to prepare and do it right.
Someday, as AI spreads into every corner of our lives, you may be able to tell an assistant who you want to vote for and it will handle the rest. Don’t laugh, because snail-mail ballots might be the last vestige of doing things the old-fashioned way.
Stranger things have happened. But if it ever comes to that, I'll do it the tried and true way, just as I prefer to research my candidates on my own.
This article represents the opinions of its writer.
John Casey is a columnist at Raw Story, the Advocate, Daily Beast, and Outsports. He's also the author of Love: The Heroic Stories of Marriage Equality.
If you haven't been able to get your hands on Nintendo's special-edition Legend of Zelda Switch 2 console yet, plan on camping out at your local Best Buy next month.
In a press release Thursday, the electronics chain confirmed that some of its stores will have the Zelda 40th Anniversary Switch 2 available in limited quantities on Nov. 5, at its late-night launch events for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The system's matching Pro Controller will also be up for grabs while supplies last.
These launch events will kick off at 12 a.m. ET on Nov. 5 or the local equivalent. Best Buy stores in the Central Time Zone will open at 11 p.m., West Coast stores will open at 9 p.m., and so on. You can find participating stores near you using Best Buy's store locator tool.
Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo Nintendo Switch 2 "The Legend of Zelda" 40th Anniversary Edition $519.99 at Best BuyGamers who preorder a physical copy of Ocarina of Time from Best Buy will be able to pick it up in person during the festivities. If you already opted to have a preorder delivered, you can change it to store pickup on the Purchase History page of your My Best Buy account.
Featuring gold Triforce accents and green Joy-Con 2 controllers, the Zelda Switch 2 system has been extremely difficult to buy since it first went up for preorder on Sept. 8. (It's set for release on Oct. 29.) GameSpot reported that it sold out "immediately" and spotted reseller listings on eBay with 50% markups. Nintendo has randomly dropped restocks over the past few weeks, but they go fast. At the time of writing, it was out of stock everywhere.
The Zelda Switch 2 costs $519.99, or $30 more than the standard version of the console (which got a $50 price hike this fall amid "RAMageddon"). Of note, it does not include a copy of Nintendo's Ocarina of Time remake — you have to buy the game separately. The Zelda 40th Anniversary Pro Controller costs $99.99, and it's also sold out everywhere.
A physical copy of Ocarina of Time will set you back $69.99, though preorders have been discounted for the last few weeks at Amazon and Walmart (which both promise free release-day delivery). The digital version of the game costs $59.99 and can be pre-loaded on your Switch 2 console so you can play it as soon as it's out.
"The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" (Nintendo Switch 2) $59.88 at WalmartSave 53%: As of Oct. 8, the Bose QuietComfort headphones are still down at their record-low Prime Big Deal Days price of $169 at Amazon. At full price, these headphones cost $359, saving you $190.
Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort headphones (1st gen) $169 at AmazonPrime Big Deal Days may be over, but one of the best deals of the sale is very much still live.
The first-generation Bose QuietComfort headphones may not be the latest from the brand, but they dropped to an impressive record low of of $169 during the sale, slashing 53% off their $359 list price. As of Oct. 8, the deal is still available in six different colorways. In addition to Amazon, you can also find it live at Bose's website and Best Buy.
My colleague and fellow audio tester, Samantha Mangino, wrote earlier this year about how these headphones are her go-tos: they're comfortable enough to easily wear all day (with earrings and glasses on), sound great, offer excellent active noise cancellation, and have intuitive tactile controls on the ear cups. The battery life is OK at 24 hours, and the multipoint pairing can be less than consistent at times (a common problem with Bose), but for the most part, these headphones punch far above what I'd expect from a $170 price point.
SEE ALSO: We tested every pair of Bose headphones and earbuds. We found 5 we love, and 1 to buy on sale.Though I'm a big fan of the recently released second-generation QuietComfort headphones, which come with a slightly different design and immersive audio, on sale those headphones are still $319. For getting the most bang for your buck, the original QuietComforts are still the way to go. And they have removable ear cushions, which helps for future-proofing. All in all, at this price point, these headphones offer an excellent value.
It doesn't always feel like Microsoft and Apple are heated rivals in the laptop space these days, but now and then, we get a glimpse of what used to be.
In this case, Microsoft just debuted its own take on Apple's MagSafe mechanism for charging laptops. It's a magnetic USB-C port on the newly announced Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra, and it works exactly as it sounds: once you get the connector close enough, it snaps right on with the power of magnets.
SEE ALSO: Microsoft's Surface Laptop Ultra is an AI supercomputer dressed as a laptop This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Microsoft is calling it "Magnetic Connect" and is touting it as the first built-in magnetic USB-C port on a laptop. There are similar options from third-party vendors, but they aren't built in. Meanwhile, Apple's MagSafe mechanism uses magnets, but it's not USB-C, so it seems like Microsoft's claim holds some water here.
Probably the most important detail here is that you can still plug any old USB-C connector into the port, which gives it a leg up over MagSafe. Apple's version of this uses a proprietary connector that isn't really useful for anything other than its intended use.
The biggest problem is that the Surface Laptop Ultra starts at a staggering $2,599. Maybe you can live without a magnetic USB-C connector, in that case.
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SAVE $1,302: The 100-inch Hisense E7 Cinema Series QLED TV is on sale for $1,697.99, down from the normal price of $2,999.99. That's a 43% discount.
Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense 100-inch Hisense E7 Cinema Series QLED TV $1,697.99October Prime Day is over according to the official dates, but that doesn't mean the deals are dry. If you forgot about the sale or got stuck in a purchase indecision loop, no sweat, because there's a TV deal in store at Amazon that is well worth some attention.
As of Oct. 8, the 100-inch Hisense E7 Cinema Series QLED TV is on sale for $1,697.99, down from the normal price of $2,999.99. That's a 43% discount that shaves a major $1,302 off the price and marks the best price we've ever spotted at Amazon.
A 100-inch TV is a real treat. Unless you want an art TV, going with a giant model is a great way to turn streaming sessions into an optimal experience. The 100-inch Hisense will be awesome for watching fall's best sporting events and streaming shows.
SEE ALSO: The 15+ best Prime Day tech deals still live: Last chance deals on MacBooks, TVs, headphones, and moreIn addition to the QLED display, the TV hits a native refresh rate of 144Hz, which means you'll be able to game all winter on this model. Hisense also used AI Smooth Motion with this model, so your action movies will look better than ever.
Before this lingering Prime Day deal expires, snag the 100-inch Hisense E7 Cinema Series QLED TV while saving over $1,300.
In the aftermath of Prime Big Deal Days, Amazon quietly dropped a new line of tablets now powered by Android with access to the Google Play Store. The lineup includes three new tablets, all with an aluminum unibody construction, similar to the design of the new Kindles.
As you might guess from the name, Alexa Tablets are built to run on Alexa+, Amazon's most advanced voice assistant. This also marks the retailer's transition away from Fire Tablets, likely to be phased out in favor of the new Alexa Tablets.
Here's what we know about the new Amazon Alexa tablets.
Meet the new Amazon Alexa TabletsThe new Amazon Alexa tablets are available in three sizes: 12 inches, 11 inches, and 8.7 inches. The 12-inch unit, the Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro, is Amazon's most advanced tablet yet while the 11 and 8, offer mid- and budget-range options.
All of the new tablets run on Android, an upgrade from the Fire Tablets, which ran on Amazon's native system. This means that the tablets finally have the Google Play Store, making millions of apps now available on Amazon's tablets.
Plus, Amazon has made the Alexa Tablets more functional for the tasks you do the most. Now, they have a built-in Kindle sanctuary on the devices. When you open the Kindle app, the tablet goes distraction-free by silencing notifications, reducing blue light, and stretching battery life.
Here's a breakdown of the tablet models and prices:
Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro (available in standard or Nanomatte) — $499.99 to $679.99
Amazon Alexa Tablet 11 (64GB or 128GB) — $329.99 to $379.99
Amazon Alexa Tablet 8 (64GB or 128GB) — $229.99 to $279.99
As Apple's iPad Pro features two different screen types, Amazon did something similar with the design of the Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro. The new premium tablet comes in a standard display or Nanomatte, a new precision-etched anti-glare technology. Amazon partnered with Corning to craft the process that makes the nearly undetectable textured glass. It allows you to read in any angle or light without glare.
Designed for the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro are two new accessories, the Alexa Tablet Pro Pen and Alexa Tablet Pro Keyboard. Both turn the tablet into a full work setup for a laptop-like experience.
It starts at $499.99 and is available for preorder now, shipping as soon as Oct. 14.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro $499.99 at AmazonIn addition to the 12 Pro, Amazon has released the Alexa Tablet 11 and 8.
The Amazon Alexa Tablet 11 is an 11-inch tablet with a 16:10 aspect ratio. It comes with 8GB of RAM and dual Dolby Atmos speakers. Its new aluminum casing comes in matcha, amethyst, and graphite. It starts at $329.99.
For a more budget-friendly option, there's the Amazon Alexa Tablet 8. It's the best size for readers who want to log hours on the Kindle app. It weighs just 329g and is 7.95mm thin. It has 4GB of RAM and an 8-core processor. It comes in graphite, rosette, and teal. It starts at $229.99.
Both tablets are available for preorder now, to be released Oct. 14.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Alexa Tablet 11 $329.99 at AmazonYou can't scroll through TikTok without seeing someone using a pocket mic in their videos. These little gadgets have become a staple for content creators, and the UGC mic market continues to expand.
Our favorite brands are DJI and Rode, but a hot new bombshell has entered the scene. On Oct. 8, Sony introduced the ECM-AX10 spatial audio microphone.
Sony ECM-AX10 price and specsSony's new spatial audio microphone retails for $249.99 and is available for preorder now.
The ECM-AX10 comes with a wind screen to cut down outdoor noises. Credit: SonyThis is the first Eclipsa Audio-certified microphone for smartphones, and it features the following:
Four omnidirectional microphone capsules
USB-C connection
Three recording modes: Ambisonics, binaural, stereo
Weight: 24 grams
Selfie mode for front and rear alignment
3.5mm headphone output
Noise cut filter
Included accessories: Wind screen, extension USB-C cable, cold-shoe microphone holder
Unlike most pocket mics, the Sony ECM-AX10 attaches directly to your phone — there aren't separate receivers or microphones. So, you don't have to hold anything or clip anything to your clothes.
It's designed to capture spatial audio, not just voice pickup. It's ideal for recording live concerts and shows, sporting events, travel, and city walks — any type of content where the background noise is part of the ambiance.
Capture the full sonic scene of a live music session with the ECM-AX10 mic. Credit: SonyThe ECM-AX10 houses four omnidirectional microphone capsules and has three recording formats. Ambisonics recording uses four mic capsules to capture spatial audio for immersive and Eclipsa Audio production, binaural recording captures audio best for two-channel headphone listening, and stereo recording is your standard two-channel audio for broad speaker compatibility. Sony has a dedicated Spatial Audio Video Tool app where you can edit the footage and sound that you capture.
The microphone has a built-in accelerometer that automatically detects the mic's tilt angle, so your audio is aligned with your video, no matter your phone's orientation. On the mic itself, you'll find a peak-level meter, a spatial/stereo mode switch, an ATT switch (loud-sound protection), a Noise Cut filter, a selfie mode switch, and a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack.
If you mostly make talking head content in your home, you're probably better off with a cheaper DJI Mic Mini or Rode Micro. But the Sony ECM-AX10 would be an awesome investment for creators whose content focuses on immersive, atmospheric, or spatial experiences, or those who just want rich, full sound in their videos.
Your iPad already has your inbox, shopping tabs, and unfinished to-do list. Now Meta wants to put an AI agent in charge of making some progress on them.
Meta’s Muse is now available on iPad, as announced in an Oct. 7 Threads post, following its Sept. 8 mobile debut. The free app’s latest update adds iPad support alongside more connections to the services people use for work and everyday tasks.
If you’ve missed Muse’s arrival, the pitch is an agentic AI assistant that can help you complete a variety of everyday tasks, such as booking reservations, ordering groceries, managing appointments, and making purchases. Users choose which accounts to connect, giving the agent access to particular parts of their digital lives.
There’s already considerable interest. Muse has surpassed an estimated 6.6 million installs.
SEE ALSO: 10 ways to use Meta's Muse AI app, from flight credits to outfit ideas An AI assistant with business ambitionsThe update also makes Meta’s small-business ambitions pretty clear. Its App Store release notes list connectors for Asana, Canva, Dropbox, Figma, QuickBooks, GitHub, Klaviyo, Zoom, and Meta ad accounts, plus Granola and Notion.
Meta says users can give Muse a business goal and have it plan marketing content, build client pitches, and create product pages, with their approval. The company announced its small-business push on Sept. 29. That’s a fairly ambitious job description for an app that’s barely a month old.
Shopping is another part of the push. Meta announced more retail partners at Connect, including Best Buy, Gap, Sephora, Walmart, and Wayfair, expanding the places Muse can shop on users' behalf.
There’s a catch, though: Websites can mistake an AI assistant for an unwanted bot and block it. Meta says it’s working with industry partners on an open standard that would let personal agents identify themselves to businesses, but Amazon has already taken steps to block Muse altogether.
Handing an AI agent the keys to your digital life has already raised concerns.
As Mashable reported, one user said Muse shared his home address and arranged a Facebook Marketplace pickup without checking with him first. Separately, columnist Jason Aten alleged Muse accessed private messages he hadn’t authorized it to read. And on Oct. 3 Wired reportedly found instructions for Muse to compile profiles of users' friends, family, and colleagues. As Muse expands to more devices and services, Meta will have to make its boundaries as clear as its ambitions.
SEE ALSO: Big banks are worried AI agents could increase the risk of scams and fraudWant to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.
With just over a month until Grand Theft Auto VI launches and America experiences an unprecedented flood of PTO requests, Rockstar has given us another taste of the game's musical identity.
The GTA VI developer posted an entry on its official website detailing several of the game's in-game radio stations, giving us an idea of what to expect both in terms of music and their interstitial talking bits. The six stations detailed in the blog post are as follows:
Cocoteo FM: A Latin radio station for all your reggaeton and merengue needs.
Back Country Radio: A country radio station with hosts including Morgan Wallen, Lana Del Rey, and Jeremy Dufrene.
AfroBank FM: A station devoted to African music from across the decades, up until now.
The Chamber 106.6: The requisite '80s-and-beyond metal station, with hosts Tom Araya and Kerry King of Slayer.
Flash FM: A pop station that seems to be the only holdover from GTA: Vice City so far, hosted by Robyn and model Alex Consani.
Dirty South Classics: A Southern rap station, naturally, hosted by Trick Daddy and Trina.
Interestingly, you can sample each of these stations on a separate page on Rockstar's website. People on social media have also already started compiling every song that's been confirmed on the radio so far. That's on top of what we've heard on the official soundtrack album and what we heard in the Netflix trailer that aired in August.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Rockstar's blog post did not go into much detail about this, but there are apparently also on-demand in-game podcasts for Jason and Lucia to listen to. Both podcasts and radio stations can be listened to either while driving or walking around, the latter being justified by earbuds that connect to the protagonists' smartphones.
Only about five weeks left to wait, folks.
We thought we were done with notorious Grand Theft Auto VI leaker known only as Cyberleek, but we were proven wrong on Thursday with a fresh GTA 6 leak.
The still-anonymous leaker (or group of leakers) posted their first update since late August, in the form of a nearly 25-minute-long video that's easy enough to find on social media. It's our most detailed look yet at the hotly anticipated game from Rockstar, at least outside of the official "Extended Look" that aired on Netflix in August.
If you manage to find the video, be warned: Major portions of it are strictly not safe for work. It includes a lot of footage of Jason, the male protagonist, walking around completely nude, and everything is modeled in full detail. It's unclear if this is something you can actually do in the final game, or if Cyberleek used some kind of developer tools to pull it off. There are a couple of bits of evidence pointing to the latter; NPCs do not react at all to Jason's nudity, and at one point, the person playing the leaked build spawns a tank out of thin air, suggesting capabilities beyond what normal players will be able to do.
SEE ALSO: Jason from 'GTA 6' feuds with Link from 'The Legend of Zelda' on 'SNL's Weekend UpdateThere is also a very brief clip of Lucia, the game's other protagonist, who is seen mostly nude at the very end of the video. There was some speculation earlier in the week that nudity would be part of the game, and it seems like it's at least partially confirmed now.
Beyond the NSFW bits, nothing in the video is all that surprising. We see a couple of different vehicular races, both of which are pre-empted by cutscenes introducing the characters in charge of racing in the countryside and on city streets. These cutscenes aren't especially spoiler-heavy, but if you're really precious about not seeing them ahead of release, you should probably avoid Cyberleek's latest GTA 6 leaks.
We also get a brief look at vehicle customization, which includes the ability to upgrade the engine, transmission, and other aspects of cars. There's also some footage of the game being played in first-person, both while driving and walking around. This was a popular feature Rockstar added to GTA 5 years after release (and incorporated into Red Dead Redemption II), but it hasn't been shown in GTA 6 yet.
As a reminder, GTA 6 is out on Nov. 19 and is available for preorder now for Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5.