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What's the best iPhone to buy right now? That question just got a lot more interesting.
During its September "Surprise and Shine" event, Apple unveiled the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max with upgraded cameras, a revamped vapor chamber cooling system, longer battery life, and a fresh, AI-ready chipset. The company also "one more thinged" the iPhone Duo, its first-ever foldable phone, confirming nearly a decade's worth of rumors. The new Apple phones join (or will soon join) the flagship iPhone 17, the budget iPhone 17e, and the super slim iPhone Air to round out the 2026 iPhone roster, which now runs on iOS 27.
Best iPhones at a glance: Best iPhone for most people Apple iPhone 17 (256GB) $0 with trade-in on select Experience plans at T-Mobile Get Deal Budget pick Apple iPhone 17e (256GB) $0 with trade-in on Experience Beyond plan at T-Mobile Get Deal Best iPhone Cameras Apple iPhone 18 Pro (256GB) Save up to $1,200 at T-Mobile Get Deal Best Design Apple iPhone Air (256GB) $0 with trade-in on Experience Beyond plan at T-Mobile Get Deal Best for gaming and battery Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max (256GB) Save up to $1,200 at T-Mobile Get DealApple's smartphones have never been more powerful, feature-rich, or diverse in their form factors. Alas, they've also never been pricier. Every current iPhone has gotten more expensive due to the ongoing global memory crisis, which has jacked up the cost of electronic components over the past year. (At least the Duo turned out to be slightly less of a splurge than the gossip mill predicted.) Unfortunately, all the best smartphones saw price increases this year, so there's no escaping higher prices unless you hold off on buying a new phone altogether.
SEE ALSO: Memory pricing suggests iPhones could get even more expensive in 2027So, is it worth splashing out on one of the new Pro models? Or would you be perfectly happy with something less snazzy and more wallet-friendly, relatively speaking? After extensively testing every single iPhone, Mashable's experts have recommendations for all budgets and usage needs.
One more thing: Before you buy your new iPhone, be sure to check out our coverage of the latest carrier deals. If you trade in an older device and sign up for a new line or data plan, you could pay a fraction of the price — or nothing at all. The best iPhone deals are not to be missed.
Best iPhone for most people: iPhone 17 In addition to plain white (pictured), the iPhone 17 also comes in mist blue, sage, lavender, and black finishes. Credit: Stan Schroeder / MashableWho it's for: Most people! The iPhone 17 is the phone most iOS users should buy. It's also the most colorful iPhone on the market if you want a handset with a little personality.
If you put the iPhone 17 and the new iPhone 18 Pro Max head-to-head, the latter smartphone would win, handily. But last year's iPhone 17 is still the most well-rounded, "just right" phone in Apple's lineup. (We don't expect the new base model iPhone 18 to land until spring 2027.)
The iPhone 17 is a fast-enough, long-lasting-enough, nice-looking-enough smartphone that feels "Pro" where it counts for most people. Namely, it has a 120Hz, always-on display and an ultrawide camera with a dedicated macro mode, but none of the extra photography or thermal fixings intended for superusers. Compared to the budget iPhone 17e, which costs $200 less, it has a brighter, smoother screen, nicer cameras, and 15 percent more battery life.
Was the iPhone 17 an earth-shattering upgrade over the iPhone 16? Not really, but it got better in some crucial yet practical ways without straying over the $1,000 mark. Mashable senior editor Stan Schroeder christened it "the most compelling standard iPhone in years."
Apple iPhone 17 (256GB) $0 with trade-in on select Experience plans at T-MobileScreen size and display: 6.3-inch OLED display with 2,622 x 1,206 resolution and 120Hz variable refresh rate
Cameras: 48MP (wide), 48MP (ultrawide), and 18MP (front)
Battery life (rated): Up to 30 hours of video playback
Processor: Apple A19
Storage: 256GB or 512GB
Colors: Black, white, mist blue, sage, or lavender
Dimensions: 5.89 x 2.81 x 0.31 inches
Weight: 6.24 ounces
Software: iOS 27
Who it's for: We recommend the iPhone 17e for frugal shoppers who just want the core iPhone experience, as well as those who like small, pocket-friendly phones. It would also make a great starter phone for a teenager.
The iPhone 17e delivers your go-to iOS features like FaceTime and Siri AI, plus the classically clean Apple look — now with MagSafe! — for the least amount of money. It's a compact little device with a sharp, if not super-smooth display, and a battery that should last you a day between charges. It runs on the same A19 chip as the regular iPhone 17 and starts with the same amount of storage (256GB), which makes it more future-proof than last year's iPhone 16e (which started with half that).
The cameras on the iPhone 17e aren't as "versatile" as the ones on the iPhone 17, Schroeder said; it lacks an ultrawide lens and has a noticeably inferior front camera. But at least it takes marginally better low-light pictures than its predecessor.
Apple iPhone 17e (256GB) $0 with trade-in on Experience Beyond plan at T-MobileScreen size and display: 6.1-inch OLED display with 2,532 x 1,170 resolution and 60Hz refresh rate
Cameras: 48MP (wide) and 12MP (front)
Battery life (rated): Up to 26 hours of video playback
Processor: Apple A19
Storage: 256GB or 512GB
Colors: Black, white, or soft pink
Dimensions: 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches
Weight: 5.96 ounces
Software: iOS 27
Who it's for: Get the smaller Pro if you're a mobile photographer or creator looking for the iPhone with the best cameras. We also recommend upgrading if you have an iPhone 16 or 15 Pro, but it's probably not worth the upgrade for those with an iPhone 17 Pro.
Both the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max feature the latest Apple camera technology, but the Pro model is more compact and less expensive. We also think it's way more attractive in the new burgundy, glacier blue, and black colors, especially compared to the iPhone 17 Pro's controversial cosmic orange finish.
What's new with the cameras? A new physical variable aperture on its main camera lens, for starters. This gives you more control over the exposure and depth of field of photos. It works automatically, but you can also adjust it manually via the Camera app. There, you'll find other new Pro controls for tweaking settings like white balance and shutter speed; new Photographic Styles; new Cinematic effects that can be applied to videos after they're recorded; and a new Focus Tracking tool that locks on moving subjects.
The average user might appreciate its camera upgrades, "but I do bet that the majority of people will try out the manual aperture setting once and then leave it on auto," wrote Mashable's Schroeder in his review. Power users will make the best use of them.
Besides the new camera features, the new A20 Pro chip also provides extra support for AI tasks, including the newer, smarter Siri AI. There's plenty of storage space, too: Unlike older iPhones, the 18 Pro supports up to 2TB of storage.
Apple iPhone 18 Pro (256GB) $0 with trade-in on Experience Beyond plan at T-MobileScreen size and display: 6.3-inch OLED display with 2,622 x 1,206 resolution and 120Hz variable refresh rate
Cameras: 48MP (wide), 48MP (ultrawide), 48MP (4x telephoto), and 18MP (front)
Battery life (rated): Up to 36 hours of video playback
Processor: Apple A20 Pro
Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB
Colors: Black, silver, glacier, and burgundy
Dimensions: 5.91 x 2.83 x 0.34 inches
Weight: 7.44 ounces
Software: iOS 27
Who it's for: This is the iPhone for minimalists and aesthetes who care more about their phone's looks than its performance. Its camera system, in particular, is pretty mediocre for the money.
People who bought the iPhone Air often say the same thing: Its thin and lightweight form factor ruins you for other phones.
The iPhone Air is the thinnest handset Apple has ever made — and arguably the "sexiest," said Schroeder. If you set it next to one of the iPhone Pros, "it feels like a Ford F-150 parked next to a Porsche," he wrote. "The Porsche may not have the utility that a pick-up has, but it turns heads." The bezels on its smooth, detailed display are virtually invisible, and its rear camera bump blends into the back of its chassis when you look at it straight-on. It's made from titanium, so it's not easy to scratch up, and it's super comfy to hold. It's peak Apple sleekness.
An A19 Pro chip makes the iPhone Air mildly faster than the A19-powered iPhone 17, though it doesn't last as long. (Apple makes a MagSafe battery that you can slap on the back of it, but costs $100 extra and works against the device's "ultra-thin" thing.) Camera-wise, it has better zoom than the iPhone 17, but it misses out on an ultrawide shooter à la the iPhone 17e. While you probably won't win any photography prizes with the Air, it's perfectly fine for selfies and everyday snapshots.
Apple iPhone Air (256GB) $0 with trade-in on Experience Beyond plan at T-MobileScreen size and display: 6.5-inch OLED display with 2,736 x 1,260 resolution and 120Hz variable refresh rate
Cameras: 48MP (wide) and 18MP (front)
Battery life (rated): Up to 27 hours of video playback
Processor: A19 Pro
Storage: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB
Colors: Space black, cloud white, light gold, and sky blue
Dimensions: 6.15 x 2.94 x 0.22 inches
Weight: 5.82 ounces
Software: iOS 27
Who it's for: The latest iPhone Pro Max is geared toward battery life maximizers who hate being chained to an outlet, avid mobile gamers, and well-off Apple fans with large hands. That's not a euphemism for anything: This is a big ol' phone.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max is rated for up to 45 hours of video playback per charge, making it the longest-lasting iPhone ever. (Its battery is so big that Apple had to come up with a way to get around shipping restrictions that limit battery sizes, according to MacRumors.) Inside, you'll find the powerful A20 Pro chip and an improved vapor chamber cooling system that helps prevent overheating during extended heavy use. Schroeder tried to push this new hardware to the limit "by playing a few games of PUBG: Battlegrounds on the highest settings for a full hour," he wrote, and "The phone barely got warm." What's more, its battery only fell by nine percent.
The regular iPhone 18 Pro has the same chipset and cooling system as the Max version, but it's shorter-lived and smaller. The iPhone 18 Pro Max's size is an advantage for mobile gamers and movie-watchers who value immersion. Its display is the biggest you can get on any iPhone — that is, until the iPhone Duo arrives.
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max (256GB) $2.78/month for 36 months with trade-in on Experience Beyond plan at T-MobileScreen size and display: 6.9-inch OLED display with 2,868 x 1,320 resolution and 120Hz variable refresh rate
Cameras: 48MP (wide), 48MP (ultrawide), 48MP (4x telephoto), and 18MP (front)
Battery life (rated): Up to 45 hours of video playback
Processor: Apple A20 Pro
Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB
Colors: Black, silver, glacier, and burgundy
Dimensions: 6.43 x 3.07 x 0.34 inches
Weight: 8.78 ounces
Software: iOS 27
The long-awaited iPhone Duo doesn't launch until Friday, Oct. 23. Preorders will open a week prior on Oct. 16.
The Duo will likely be a pick we relegate to loaded early adopters, given its steep price and first-gen status. (Again, this is Apple's very first attempt at a foldable.) That said, it does seem pretty polished right out of the gate. Check out our first hands-on impressions of it while you wait for preorders to go live.
Apple iPhone Duo (256GB) $1,999 at T-MobileInner screen size and display: 7.6-inch OLED display with 1,878 x 2,670 resolution, 120Hz variable refresh rate, and nano-texture finish
Outer screen size and display: 5.4-inch OLED display with 1,398 x 2,034 resolution and 120Hz variable refresh rate
Cameras: 48MP (wide), 48MP (ultrawide), 12MP (front, outer), and an additional inner, under-display FaceTime camera (resolution TBA)
Battery life (rated): Up to 44 hours of video playback when using the outer display; up to 31 hours of video playback when using the inner display
Processor: Apple A20 Pro
Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB
Colors: Night sky and star white
Unfolded dimensions: 4.64 x 6.48 x 0.21 inches
Folded dimensions: 4.64 x 3.31 x 0.44 inches
Weight: 8.96 ounces
Software: iOS 27
Marriage Story stars Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson reunite in writer/director James Gray's Paper Tiger. But don't expect a desperate rehash of Noah Baumbach's divorce drama.
For one thing, Gray is a filmmaker less drawn to such wall-punching theatrics, as evident through films like Two Lovers, Ad Astra, and Armageddon Time. For another, Driver and Johansson are not lovers in this film, though they are in a love triangle of sorts, with Miles Teller at the center.
Gray gives Driver, Johansson, and Teller some unexpected roles, allowing each a place to display their range. But make no mistake, this is Driver's movie.
What's Paper Tiger about?Set in 1986 New York City, Paper Tiger unfurls the story of a Jewish family from Queens that gets on the wrong side of the Russian mob. In a cozy home in Elmhurst, Irwin Pearl (Teller) raises his two sons, Benjamin (Roman Engel) and Scott (Gavin Goudey), with his dedicated housewife Linda (Johansson).
Far from the cocky persona Teller forged through performances in The Spectacular Now, Whiplash, and the Divergent film series, the 39-year-old actor now oozes doofy dad energy. Teller's signature smirk is swapped for an aw-shucks smile, and a patronizing eyebrow raise that insists, "Father knows best." A pair of oversized eyeglasses completes the look; it's is such an evocative detail of the era that the title card reading "1986" might be deemed egregious.
As Irwin, Teller is guileless, relishing every chance to play with his boys or annoy them with dad jokes. Still, he yearns for their respect, and wilts when his eldest huffs they only have "crappy" stuff because Irwin, an educated engineer, isn't bringing home bank like their uncle, Gary (Driver).
A former NYPD officer turned security consultant with City Hall connections, Gary Pearl is flashy, rich, and successful in a way his younger brother can only envy. He wears tailored suits and a debonair smile. He drives a luxury car, and brings Peter Luger Steak House takeout to family dinner. So, when Gary promises Irwin a business opportunity to make $10,000, his brother is practically drooling at the possibility.
Gary wants to create a consulting firm with Irwin that would advise Russian immigrants who own property alongside the Gowanus Canal on how to meet the city's building codes. The elder brother insists this legit business shouldn't run them afoul of the Russian mob, but an overeager Irwin makes a misstep that puts all of the Pearls at risk.
How is Paper Tiger a love triangle tale? Credit: NEONAt first, Irwin seems the protagonist of Paper Tiger, but Gray's clever script steadily shifts focus to Gary and Linda. Once Irwin has earned the ire of the Russian mafia, it's up to his brother and wife to fix it, because this family man with zero street smarts is incapable. And in this battle to protect Irwin (and the rest of his household), Gary and Linda become unexpected rivals, in part because they deal with Irwin the same way.
Paper Tiger becomes a story about the things we can't say to the person we love. Whether because we don't want to hurt them or we want to protect them, some truths are just too terrible to utter. For Gary, he tries to maintain a breezy exterior, promising Irwin he'll work it out with the mob. But in the meantime, thugs creep into the Pearl home and intimidate them by taking Polaroids of the parents and boys, defenseless in their beds. It's only when Irwin finds these pictures that he finally admits to Linda what's going on.
She's understandably furious, but she's got a big secret of her own: a fatal diagnosis she can't bring herself to share. With the mob threatening his life, Gary and Linda are in a similar situation: with an uncertain amount of time left to set Irwin up so he and the boys will be okay. But wife and brother are not allies, and so their paths lead in different directions, while Irwin spirals in impotent plans of his own.
The tragedy of the film is not so much what happens to Irwin's family, but that — as smart as he is — he can't see the troubles mounting before his very eyes.
Adam Driver is riveting in Paper Tiger. Credit: NEONGray's ensemble overall is strong. But Driver dominates the film, committing body and soul. The swagger he employs as Gary schmoozes cops and crooks alike is beguiling, recalling James Caan as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather. But in moments when that veneer cracks, Driver's fear is so sparking the screen itself might catch fire. When he reprimands his onscreen brother with love and radiant frustration, he evokes Al Pacino's Michael Corleone, specifically when he kisses the traitor Fredo. The masculinity and the heartache swell to a violent expression of love.
But Gary isn't as direct as Michael, and so Irwin gets to remain smugly self-righteous, unable to recognize his brother's sacrifices for him. Teller is smartly cast in this role. The bravado that carved his career at the start comes into play in the third act as a shield that Irwin carries to distance himself from his own failings. He is a beloved fool whose smile shocks the audience, because it displays his blissful ignorance.
Playing the desperate and dying housewife Linda, Johansson is urged by Gray to go into a space of melodrama the cool blonde has rarely tread. Big bouncy curls, thick eyeglasses, and a raspy Queens accent attempt to scrub the movie star glamour from Johansson's appearance. But it is a futile effort. As weary and mumsy as the costuming of housecoats and made-up eye bags tries to make her, the role of Linda might have been better realized by an actress with a mug, not the face of numerous luxury beauty brands. That might have more firmly grounded the Pearl family's blue-collar identity, and by extension, Linda's grit-teeth determination to secure their future. Johansson tries, but her ache and ire ring hollow.
Driver's performance recalls '70s gangster cinema, where toxic masculinity roared with a debonair allure. Teller's jolly blend of ego and ignorance makes his '80s dad a believable buffoon. But Johansson's (perhaps impossible to dim) glamour makes Linda feel like she's from a '50s melodrama, so beautiful and so sad! In this context, as grounded as she aims to make Linda, it still feels heightened, a performance of wifely limitations rather than a portrait of them.
Still, even with this tonal collision, Paper Tiger is a thoroughly engaging drama. Gray's dialogue shrewdly builds not only characters, but the barriers of what they can and won't share with each other. Like Conclave, Paper Tiger becomes as much about what's talked around as what's talked about. So, with each moment, in words spoken and unspoken, a labyrinth is built, daring the characters to escape it. And rather than calling us to relate to Irwin, the good guy and family man at the film's center, Gray urges us to share in the frustration of those who love him until the bitter end.
In this way, Paper Tiger is a uniquely thrilling and purposefully infuriating family drama. Because as we watch a final moment unfold that is undeniably sweet and tender, we are haunted by what lies beneath it. Gray challenges us to take that trembling awareness home, and look to our own families, lives, and lies.
Paper Tiger was reviewed out of the New York Film Festival, where it was the Opening Night selection. The film will open in theaters on Nov. 13.
Red light therapy has officially crossed over from high-end dermatologist offices straight onto our TikTok feeds and bathroom vanities. But between glowing face masks and vibrating wands, stocking up on high-tech skincare devices can get expensive.
Solawave's latest BOGO sale gives you a solid entry point to stock up on your red light therapy essentials without burning a hole in your pocket. Whether you want to split the cost with a friend, stock up on holiday gifts early, or double down on your own targeted skin routine, the brand is letting you snag two of its top-rated LED tools for the price of one.
Solawave 4-in-1 Skincare Wand Opens in a new window Credit: Solawave Solawave 4-in-1 Skincare Wand $169 at SolawaveIf you want targeted skin treatments without wearing a full face shield, Solawave’s flagship 4-in-1 Skincare Wand packs four technologies into one pocket-sized tool: 630nm red light therapy, galvanic current, gentle warmth, and facial massage. It is designed to de-puff, boost collagen, and smooth out fine lines around tricky spots like your under-eyes, jawline, and smile lines. The 180-degree rotating head pivots through every angle of your face, while built-in timers guide you through a quick three-minute treatment per zone (up to 12 minutes total).
Solawave Neck & Chest Pro LED Mask Opens in a new window Credit: Solawave Solawave Neck & Chest Pro LED Mask $349 at SolawaveMost skincare routines stop at the jawline, even though the delicate skin on your neck and chest often shows fine lines, sun damage, and sagging first. Solawave's Neck & Chest Pro addresses that exact gap with a quick, three-minute daily treatment. Made from flexible, medical-grade silicone, it uses 320 LEDs across four distinct wavelengths (Red, Deep Red, Amber, and Near-Infrared) to boost collagen, firm delicate skin, and brighten dull areas. The hands-free design makes it easy to wear while doing other things, and the battery lasts up to a full month — taking the guesswork out of building a consistent routine.
Solawave Wrinkle Retreat Pro LED Face Mask Opens in a new window Credit: Solawave Solawave Wrinkle Retreat Pro LED Face Mask $399 at SolawaveIf you want the collagen-boosting perks of a professional LED facial without losing 20 minutes of your day, this wrinkle retreat pro LED face mask delivers high-dose red light therapy in super-quick, three-minute sessions. It packs 320 dual-core LEDs across four distinct light wavelengths (Red, Deep Red, Amber, and Near-Infrared) to smooth out fine lines, calm inflammation, and firm deeper skin layers. Because it delivers more than double the energy intensity of standard home masks, it yields results faster. The medical-grade silicone also flexes naturally to fit facial contours, and the built-in battery lasts up to a month on a single charge.
A BOGO deal on FDA-cleared red light therapy tools doesn't come around often. Grab your favorite mask or wand at Solawave and lock in two high-tech devices for the price of one.
The rumors are true: another Prime Day is coming.
Officially, Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event runs from Oct. 6 through Oct. 7, but unofficially, it's already here. Amazon has dropped a ton of early deals on everything from TVs to outdoor gear to headphones. And we're trawling the pages and pages of listings to find the deals that are actually worth grabbing.
If a pair of noise-canceling headphones or earbuds is on your wishlist, we've got some good news. Plenty of excellent options are already on sale, including the Beats Studio Pro and Powerbeats Pro 2, the AirPods Max 2 and Pro 3, and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2 (headphones and earbuds). While none of the prices are the lowest we've ever seen, they are still worth checking out if you simply can't wait or just want to avoid the Prime Day madness. We'll be keeping a watchful eye on discounts in the lead up to the official sale, so keep checking back if you don't see the headphones or price you're looking for just yet.
For those who do want to shop early, here are the best October Prime Day noise-canceling headphones deals worth grabbing.
Best noise-canceling headphones deal Opens in a new window Credit: Beats Beats Studio Pro $169.95 at AmazonMashable's headphones expert handpicked the Beats Studio Pro as the best early October Prime Day headphones deal overall. She notes that even though there are newer picks from the brand, "2023's Studio Pro are still worth a second look." These babies last up to 24 hours with ANC turned on and are "better engineered for sound quality" than the AirPods Max, according to our reviewer. And as far as ANC goes, they "hold their own against other luxury competitors."
Read Mashable's full review on the Beats Studio Pro.
More noise-canceling headphones dealsSoundcore Q20i — $44.99 $69.99 (save $25)
JLab JBuds Lux ANC — $49.95 $99.99 (save $50.04)
Sony WH-CH720N — $103.99 $179.99 (save $76)
Sony ULT headphones — $132.95 $249.99 (save $117.04)
Soundcore Space One Pro — $160.99 $199.99 (save $39 with on-page coupon)
Nothing Headphone (1) — $219 $299 (save $80)
Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) — $399.99 $449 (save $49.01)
Apple AirPods Max 2 — $479 $549 (save $70)
Even though the AirPods Pro 3 were miraculously unaffected by Apple's price hike a few months ago, we still don't think you should buy them at full price. This early October Prime Day deal is the perfect excuse to add them to your cart, though. At $199, they're not the cheapest we've ever seen (they hit $169 around Prime Day in June). So, there's a chance they'll get even cheaper as the official sale nears. But even if they don't, $50 in savings ain't too shabby.
At just a year old, the AirPods Pro 3 are still some of our favorite noise-canceling earbuds overall (and we've tested a ton). Mashable's reviewer called them " a remarkable upgrade in functionality over their predecessors, with better battery life and ANC, as well as a new heart rate sensor."
Read Mashable's full review on the AirPods Pro 3.
More noise-canceling earbuds dealsCMF By Nothing Buds 2 — $34 $49 (save $15)
EarFun Air Pro 4 — $62.99 $79.99 (save $17)
Nothing Ear (3) — $129 $149 (save $20)
Beats Powerbeats Fit — $169.95 $199.99 (save $30.04)
Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 — $199.95 $249.99 (save $50.04)
Panasonic Technics EAH-AZ100 wireless earbuds — $247.99 $299.99 (save $52)
Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) — $249.99 $299 (save $49.01)
TL;DR: The Apple iPhone 18 Pro is free right now with T-Mobile. To qualify for this offer, switch and bring your number or trade in an eligible phone in any condition on an Experience Beyond plan.
Opens in a new window Credit: Apple T-Mobile: Apple iPhone 18 Pro for free Shop NowAfter months and months of speculation, rumors, and leaks, Apple finally announced new iPhones, Apple Watches, AirPods, and more. It's all very exciting, but it's the iPhones that really get the people going.
Like everyone else, we dug deep into all the specs and features to give you an insight into exactly what these new iPhones offer. Now that the dust has settled, the focus switches to deals.
The good news is that deals are aplenty. We've searched high and low for the best launch offers, but it's tough to ignore T-Mobile right now.
The Apple iPhone 18 Pro is available for free right now with T-Mobile. To qualify for this promotion, you can switch to an Experience Beyond plan and bring your existing phone number. Alternatively, you can trade in a qualifying phone (in any condition) on an Experience Beyond plan. The choice is yours.
The full savings are distributed as monthly credits over a 36-month payment plan. As long as you intend to stay locked into T-Mobile for three years, it's easily one of the best ways to score Apple's premier hardware without a major hit to your budget.
T-Mobile does require you to pay local sales tax on the phone's full retail value upfront, plus a standard $35 device connection fee per line at checkout. That's a minor inconvenience to score the latest iPhone without a huge upfront cost.
Score the iPhone 18 Pro for free this weekend from T-Mobile.
TL;DR: Watch England vs. Spain in the Nations League for free on ITVX. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The first round of UEFA Nations League fixtures showcases some really interesting matchups, but England vs. Spain might be the best of the bunch. It's the World Cup winners against a team that narrowly missed out on the final. A string of star names are expected to feature in this clash at Wembley Stadium.
If you're interested in watching England vs. Spain in the Nations League from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.
When is England vs. Spain?England vs. Spain in the Nations League kicks off at 2.45 p.m. ET on Sept. 26. This fixture takes place at Wembley Stadium.
How to watch England vs. Spain for freeEngland vs. Spain in the Nations League is available to live stream for free on ITVX.
ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can live stream England vs. Spain for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream England vs. Spain for free by following these simple steps:
Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
Visit ITVX
Watch England vs. Spain for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch England vs. Spain without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for ITVX?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries, including the UK
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.
Live stream England vs. Spain for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.
There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.
An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.
Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.
If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.
SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hintA narcotic.
Hurdle Word 1 answerOPIUM
Hurdle Word 2 hintTrapped.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 26, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 AnswerSTUCK
Hurdle Word 3 hintTightly packed
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for September 26, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Meanings for each word for Sept. 26, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answerDENSE
Hurdle Word 4 hintTwo cents.
Hurdle Word 4 answerINPUT
Final Hurdle hintPerch.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answerROOST
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
The Full Moon is finally here, and this one has a name you might recognize: the Harvest Moon. It reaches its fullest point on Saturday, September 26, but it'll look full for a couple of nights around that date too.
What is today’s Moon phase?As of Saturday, Sept. 26, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the Full Moon phase, with 100% of its surface visible.
There's so much to see tonight, with or without visual aids. With just your naked eye, you'll be able to see the Mare Crisium, Mare Fecunditatis, and the Oceanus Procellarum. If you have binoculars, they'll also help you see the Posidonius Crater, the Alphonsus Crater, and the Mare Frigoris. And, if you have access to a telescope, you'll see the Apollo 12 and 16 landing spots, and the Schiller Crater.
When is the next Full Moon?The next Full Moon will take place on October 25 or 26, depending on your timezone.
What are Moon phases?The Moon goes through a repeating cycle as it orbits Earth, taking roughly 29.5 days to complete. During that time, the amount of its sunlit side visible from Earth changes, giving us the different lunar phases. It starts with a slim crescent, grows to a half Moon and eventually reaches the Full Moon, before beginning the cycle again. NASA explains that which phase we see depends on where the Moon is in relation to Earth and the Sun.
The eight phases are:
New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).
Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.
Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.
Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.
Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)
Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.
Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.
Looking for spoiler-free NYT Connections hints or just wondering why Connections is trending today? We've got what you need to understand the clues for today's puzzle without spoiling any of the answers.
Of course, Mashable has also provided daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years, so we can help you if that's also what you need.
While we are focused more on meanings than hints in this story, sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself. Connections frequently includes clues that involve words within words and other visual clues.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 26, 2026 Fold meaningTo double a material over itself.
Press meaningTo push or apply force to something.
Starch meaningA white carbohydrate found in foods like potatoes and rice.
Wash meaningTo clean something or someone using water and usually soap.
Burl meaningA round, knobby growth on a tree where the grain has grown in a deformed pattern.
Grain meaningThe small, hard seed of a food grass.
Knots meaningA fastening made by looping and tying cord, rope or fabric together.
Rings meaningCircular lines or areas.
Gum meaningA flavored, soft substance made for chewing over a long period without being swallowed.
Mint meaningAn aromatic green plant used in foods, teas and candies.
Mouthwash meaningA liquid used to rinse the mouth, freshen breath and kill bacteria.
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Spray meaningTiny drops of water near the air.
Beans meaningThe edible seed of various plants.
Cat meaningA small, furry four-legged animal typical kept as a house pet.
Cucumber meaningA long, rounded fruit with green skin and white flesh.
Customer meaningA person who buys goods or service from another person or business in exchange for money.
Have you learned the meanings and still want the things? Check out the hints and answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.
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If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're a dentist.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for September 26, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Bad breath
Green: Look presentable
Blue: Knock on ___
Purple: Chill out
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Here are today's Connections categoriesNeed a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Breath fresheners
Green: Things done to a dress shirt at the laundry
Blue: Features of wood
Purple: "Cool" things, in expressions
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections #1202 is...
What is the answer to Connections todayBreath fresheners: GUM, MINT, MOUTHWASH, SPRAY
Things done to a dress shirt at the laundry: FOLD, PRESS, STARCH, WASH
Features of wood: BURL, GRAIN, KNOTS, RINGS
"Cool" things, in expressions: BEANS, CAT, CUCUMBER, CUSTOMER
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.
Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you're light as a feather.
Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on MashableBy providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 26, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: A breath of fresh airThe words are related to weather.
Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explainedThese words describe air movements.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.
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NYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is Gentle Wind.
NYT Strands word list for September 26Gust
Whiff
Breeze
Puff
Gentle Wind
Zephyr
Current
Flurry
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Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!
Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.
Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you have a way with words.
If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 26, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What's the best Wordle starting word?The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.
SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for September 26, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:A sad poem.
Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?Yes, the letter E appears twice.
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Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...Today's Wordle starts with the letter E.
The Wordle answer today is...Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today's Wordle is...
ELEGY
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
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If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.
TL;DR: Microsoft Visio Professional 2024 turns processes and data into clear diagrams, and a lifetime license for Windows is on sale for $49.97 through Oct. 4.
Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Visio Professional 2024: Lifetime License for Windows $49.97Complex processes are hard to explain in a paragraph, but most diagramming software charges a recurring fee for the privilege of drawing them out. Microsoft Visio Professional 2024 turns data, processes, and workflows into visuals anyone can follow. Normally, a lifetime license would cost $579.99, but during this limited-time flash sale, you can pick one up for only $49.97.
Flowcharts, process maps, floor plans, network diagrams, and organizational charts all start from pre-built templates, so a blank canvas is never the first thing you face. More than 250,000 shapes are included, enough for nearly any field, whether the job is a quick flowchart or a detailed engineering layout. Updated shapes, refreshed styles, and a new search bar make it faster to find the right element than digging through menus.
Data linking separates Visio from a regular drawing app. Pull numbers from Excel, SQL Server, or another database, and your diagram updates on its own as that data changes. That means you can keep a network map or dashboard up to date without constantly having to enter new data.
There are even real-time collaboration tools, so your whole team can work on the same diagram and see changes in real time. If you’re already running Microsoft 365, you can even connect Visio, embed a diagram in PowerPoint, Word, or Teams, and store the file in OneDrive or SharePoint.
Stop paying every year to draw the same diagrams. Take advantage of this flash sale and get a Microsoft Visio Professional 2024 lifetime license on sale for $49.97. Sale ends Oct. 4 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Taylor Swift is looking back, and this time, she has an apology to make.
On Friday, Swift released The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, an expanded edition of her 2025 album featuring four new songs: "Patient Zero," "Cleveland!," "Pink Clouding," and "Babylon." And while Swifties are already busy parsing all four tracks for clues, "Pink Clouding" has prompted two particularly pressing questions: What exactly does "pink clouding" mean? And who is Swift singing about?
The answer to the first question is surprisingly specific. The second is much more complicated.
What does "pink clouding" mean?"Pink clouding," sometimes called "pink cloud syndrome," is a term associated with addiction recovery. It describes a period of euphoria, optimism, and excitement that some people experience during the early stages of recovery. Think of it as a kind of honeymoon phase in which things suddenly feel possible again, and a person may feel unusually confident about what's ahead.
But the pink cloud doesn't necessarily last. As the initial euphoria wears off, the more difficult realities of maintaining recovery can come back into focus.
It's worth noting that "pink cloud syndrome" isn't a formal medical diagnosis. Rather, it's a term commonly used within recovery communities to describe an experience some people have in early sobriety.
Swift doesn't suggest that she's using "pink clouding" literally in the song. Instead, the phrase becomes a metaphor for another kind of intoxicating high: the rush of a new relationship entered before you've fully recovered from the last one.
And suddenly, all that pink starts looking a little less rosy.
What are Taylor Swift's "Pink Clouding" lyrics about?"Pink Clouding" begins like a love song. Swift fills its opening moments with shades of pink — magenta, fuchsia, rosewood — recalling the overwhelming color and intensity of a new romance. Then comes the catch: Swift admits that neither person knew at the time that she was lying. Not necessarily about wanting the relationship, but about how ready she was for it.
"Met the magenta sunrise
Fuchsia forever intertwined
Threw the rosewood on the fire
Neither of us knew at the time
That I was a liar"
Throughout the song, Swift describes the intoxicating feeling of being wanted and of making promises to someone, while simultaneously revealing that she had entered the relationship wounded by someone else. She says this previous person had left her emotionally depleted and describes her new partner as having met her at a particularly bad moment.
"He cut me crimson, bled me dry
He crossеd my heart, I hoped to die (Hopеd to die)
Ripped all my orchids from the vine
You met me at a cursed time
I told you I was fine"
That's where the title begins to click into place. Swift had convinced herself that she was fine. She could fall in love again. She could make promises. She could experience the thrill of being wanted by someone new. She was, in her words, "pink clouding from the thrill of it."
Years later, however, Swift looks back on that relationship differently. Much of the song is framed as an apology to someone she believes she hurt. She worries that she may have left lasting scars on a "good person" who didn't deserve the way she treated them.
"I hope you realized my kind of trouble wasn't worth it
And the way I treated you, you never deserved it
And I swear to God, to this day
I wake up scared that I left scars on a good person"
It's an extremely self-critical perspective for a breakup song, and not unlike Speak Now's "Back to December." The heartbreak Swift is examining isn't primarily her own. She's reckoning with the possibility that, while she was chasing the emotional high of something new, someone else believed the relationship was more permanent than she did.
By the end, the metaphor has completely flipped. The pink cloud isn't simply where Swift was floating when the relationship began. It's where she fears she left the other person when she came back down.
Who is Taylor Swift's "Pink Clouding" about?Swift hasn't said. And despite what your TikTok For You page may tell you over the next several days, there isn't enough in the lyrics to definitively identify the person she's addressing. That hasn't stopped Swifties from trying.
One of the most prominent theories to emerge following the song's release is that "Pink Clouding" could be about Tom Hiddleston, whom Swift briefly dated in 2016. The fling may have lasted only three months, but at least it gave us those iconic Fourth of July photos.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.The theory largely hinges on the timeline Swift appears to describe. In "Pink Clouding," she sings about entering a relationship shortly after being badly hurt by someone else, only to later recognize that she wasn't emotionally prepared for what came next. For fans, that immediately called to mind another song in the Swift canon: "Getaway Car."
Why do fans think "Pink Clouding" is about Tom Hiddleston?Swift and Hiddleston were romantically linked in the summer of 2016, shortly after the end of Swift's relationship with Calvin Harris. Their whirlwind romance played out very publicly — from Rhode Island to Rome — before ending a few months later.
Swift has never explicitly confirmed that "Getaway Car," from 2017's Reputation, is about Hiddleston. But the song has long been interpreted by fans as Swift's account of entering a new relationship as an escape from an old one, and knowing, on some level, that a romance born as a getaway wasn't likely to last. Now, some Swifties are hearing "Pink Clouding" as a much more remorseful companion piece.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.There are obvious thematic parallels. Both songs describe the exhilarating beginning of a relationship, shadowed by what came immediately before. Both acknowledge that the relationship may have been doomed by its circumstances. But where "Getaway Car" treats that inevitability almost mischievously, "Pink Clouding" looks back at the person on the other side of it with regret. The narrator isn't asking why the relationship failed. She's asking whether she hurt someone who didn't deserve it.
That doesn't prove the song is about Hiddleston. Other fans have floated different former partners, including Taylor Lautner, Harry Styles, and Joe Alwyn, and Swift herself has not publicly identified the song's subject.
The more revealing question may not be who Swift is singing about, but why she's returning to this particular emotional dynamic now.
"Pink Clouding" is not all that interested in identifying the person left behind but rather in examining the uncomfortable clarity that comes after the cloud disappears. Something can have felt real in the moment, Swift seems to suggest, while still being shaped by feelings you didn't yet understand.
And sometimes you don't realize someone else got hurt until long after you've landed back down to earth.
You can already ask Spotify’s AI to make you a playlist. But Meta’s new personal agent, Muse, wants to know what you’re doing with it. An example? Tell Muse about an upcoming road trip, and it can make a playlist inspired by your destination — then start playing it when it’s time to leave.
That’s the idea behind Spotify’s connection to Muse. In a blog post Wednesday, the company said: "Your agent can play music on Spotify, save songs to your Library, build playlists, help you find a book or podcast." You just have to link your Spotify account and ask.
Credit: Screenshot/Spotify NewsroomAnd the road trip is only one example. Muse can pick up the podcast you left unfinished this morning, put your dinner playlist on a connected kitchen speaker, or find new songs and add them to a playlist. It can also turn your notes and daily briefings into a Personal Podcast saved to your Spotify Library. If you run every morning at 7 a.m., you can even ask it to start your workout playlist right on schedule.
SEE ALSO: 10 ways to use Meta's Muse AI app, from flight credits to outfit ideasSpotify is just one of several services Muse can work with. The agent also connects with Ticketmaster to help you find live events and Plaid to link your financial accounts. That’s the bigger vision behind Muse: You tell the agent what you’re planning once, and it handles everything across all the services you need—no need for you to jump between apps or platforms.
All AI agents carry some security risks, including Meta Muse AI, so be thoughtful before turning over control of apps, devices, and financial information.
Doesn’t Spotify already have AI for this?Yes, and quite a bit of it. Prompted Playlist makes a mix from a written request, while Talk to Spotify lets eligible Premium users speak or type to choose what plays inside the Spotify app. Spotify also expanded Taste Profile in the U.S. this week, giving eligible Premium users a way to tell the app more about what they want in their recommendations.
SEE ALSO: Spotify launches AI chatbot for music and listening historySpotify also already works with ChatGPT, where you can ask for recommendations without opening the music app. Muse goes a step further by coordinating playback with your schedule. If it gets the timing and the music right, you might forget you ever had to make a playlist for the commute. If it gets either wrong, at least you still know where the play button is...for now.
For Swifties, a new Taylor Swift song is rarely just a new song. It’s more of an invitation to revisit old interviews, scan the lyrics for familiar details, and ask who might have been in the room — or at least in her life — when she wrote it.
"Patient Zero," released Friday, Sept. 25, has given fans a fresh case. The song imagines a woman hearing from someone who is now dating her ex, and one theory keeps coming up: Could Swift be singing about Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas?
As Mashable covered earlier this week, fans were decoding clues before they even knew what Swift was announcing. She swapped the O’s in her Instagram bio for zeroes, put a countdown on her website, and gave everyone another reason to scrutinize her Emmys appearance. On Sept. 22, she revealed "Patient Zero." A day later, she announced that it was one of four new songs on The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, an expanded version of her 2025 album.
That announcement got a mixed reaction from fans: Some were thrilled to get more music, while others weren’t eager for an encore of an album they hadn’t loved the first time around. The three other new songs are "Cleveland!," "Pink Clouding," and "Babylon." Swift said she wrote them during a trip to Sweden with Max Martin and Shellback, her collaborators on The Life of a Showgirl, 1989, and Reputation.
Now that the song is out, Swift has explained the conversation that gave her the idea for it. In comments shared with Capital FM, she said:
"I was hanging out with a bunch of friends, and one of my friends told us that she had been reached out to by the new girlfriend of an ex of hers, asking for guidance on if she had had the same experiences with this guy that this new girlfriend was having."
But Swifties have looked deeper, as they do, and some think they know which ex — and which woman — might be behind the song.
Why fans think it’s about Sophie Turner and Joe JonasThe song begins with Swift’s narrator answering a call, saying "I’ve been expecting your call." She continues, singing,
"If you wanna party with somebody who might know, About the devil on his shoulder under his halo, When the toxins take their hold, you'd rather die than let it go, But if you're sick of him, I got you, I was patient zero."
For some fans, Swift’s history with Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas makes them an obvious possibility. Swift briefly dated Jonas in 2008 and later said their breakup inspired "Forever & Always." Fans also widely linked her Fearless vault track "Mr. Perfectly Fine" to Jonas when it came out in 2021. Turner, who was married to him at the time, shared that song on Instagram with the review: "It’s not NOT a bop."
Then, in 2023, after Jonas filed for divorce from Turner, Swift and Turner were spotted having dinner together. Turner later told British Vogue that she’d reached out to Swift while looking for a place to stay in New York, and Swift offered her one of her homes for free. Turner called Swift "an absolute hero" during that period.
You can see why fans connected those dots. In the r/TaylorSwift discussion thread, one listener wrote, "I’m firmly in the camp that this is Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas inspired." Another said, "Sophie and Joe?!?," but added that it could also be a fictional story informed by several of Swift’s experiences.
Other fans aren’t convinced there’s one couple to identify. "I think it has references to more than one of her exes," one commenter wrote, reading the song more generally as an offer of support to someone dealing with a difficult relationship.
Of course, the theory remains unconfirmed. Swift said the song began with a friend hearing from an ex’s new girlfriend. The publicly known Swift–Turner story is different, since Turner reached out to Swift for help after her marriage ended. Maybe their history found its way into the song anyway, but for now, the rest of us are basically in that group of friends, comparing notes and trying to figure out who the call was about.
At his UN General Assembly address this week, President Donald Trump declared that the U.S. government will now refer to artificial intelligence as "Super Intelligence," because, in his framing, the word "artificial" makes the tech sound fake.
But while "Super Intelligence" may not sound fake, it is a term that carries its own baggage, and potentially a misleading one.
"Super" is among the most thoroughly saturated prefixes in the English language, loaded with decades of pop-culture pizzazz and associations with everything from superheroes and superpowers to Super Mario and Super Bowl Sunday. Far from making the technology sound more glitzy, the new "super" terminology arguably makes it sound like something from a lyric sheet or a comic book.
Think about every place "super" shows up in culture. Rick James wasn’t describing a software engineer in “Super Freak”; he was describing a cartoon of desire. Curtis Mayfield’s Super Fly is a morality tale about the cost of fantasy, not how fast AI can disprove a math problem.
SEE ALSO: Have AI apocalypse warnings reached critical mass?Oasis titled a song "Champagne Supernova" precisely because a supernova is a star’s spectacular, final, self-annihilating collapse; gorgeous, and also the end of everything. But "Supernova" by aespa is anything but final, using a dying star’s explosion as a metaphor for personal awakening, power, and self-confidence.
Now, does anyone else find it perplexing to stick "super" in front of intelligence and make all of the previous issues that were associated with the now super-saturated "Artificial Intelligence" go away?
In fact, if we are going to look for a version of "super" that actually fits the reality of today’s AI, we shouldn’t look at Super Bowls, Superman, superstars, or supernovas. We should look at physics. In quantum mechanics, a superposition is a state of utter, chaotic contradiction where a particle is trapped being two opposing things at the exact same time.
That is the exact "super" state AI is in right now. It is trapped in a permanent identity crisis, marketed by some as a flawless savior while actively functioning as an economic threat, and even a threat to humanity, among other threats that ain’t so super.
It is a tech infrastructure that leaves much of the general public entirely flummoxed by the gap between the corporate hype and the reality of job loss, or worse, human life.
There is absolutely nothing "super" about data centers that consume millions of gallons of water daily and burn through enough electricity to threaten local power grids just to generate content that even AI admits is sometimes faulty, i.e., "ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info."
SEE ALSO: An OpenAI agent hacked the Australian governmentNor is it "super" that these models were built by scraping the creative works of human artists without their consent, credit, or compensation. Although, personally, it might be super if AI took this column and disseminated it around the world.
It’s a technology, quite frankly, that relies on resource extraction and copyright theft, all wrapped up in a shiny new label, again, to some.
While we argue over terminology, AI is already damaging livelihoods. Automating away entry-level jobs just to protect quarterly earnings isn’t superhero behavior. Similarly, Superman doesn’t save the world and then lay off the journalists at Daily Planet.
The day after Trump”s UN intelligence speech, AI leaders held a session at the UN, where again, doomsday was repeated. That, and the Australian prime minister announced that AI had hacked its government websites.
Compare that to what "super" has always implied.
Let’s face it: "Artificial Intelligence" isn’t a super term, but at least it’s honest. It told you, upfront, that the intelligence in question was manufactured. In other words, it’s not pure cane sugar, but rather a synthesized substitute engineered to mimic something real.
Having said that, perhaps it should be called Splenda Intelligence?
This article represents the opinions of the 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.
A new TikTok trending audio has people humorously complaining about others "blockin' the street" and preventing them from getting where they need to go.
The audio originated in Family Guy Season 15 Episode 18, "The Peter Principal," which first aired in 2017. In this episode, humanoid dog Brian recalls being hindered by a marching band while attempting to deliver pizza for his previous job. A cutaway gag shows the sizable band singing that they are "blockin' the street" as they gradually make their way down a long road, obstructing Brian's path despite his gripes about needing to deliver the pizza in under 30 minutes.
Nearly a decade later, TikTok users are using the earworm to illustrate the frustration of being physically hindered from getting to their destination, typically by others thoughtlessly monopolizing a thoroughfare. In one example viewed 2.5 million times, @karoline.io used the song to convey "how it feels living in a tourist town" when visitors block the road while she's driving. Over 11,000 TikTok videos have used the audio, featuring everything from traffic jams, to concert crowds, and even some marching band culprits joining in, with sentiments ranging from irritation to good-natured ribbing.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Pet owners have used the audio to great effect, particularly to score clips of cats becoming tripping hazards at feeding time. A video by @ambiedpambied that shows her three cats gathering at her feet has racked up 2.8 million views, while @kopikat’s amusing animation of a similar dilemma has gained 1.3 million.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Other animals have also inspired use of the song, with @bays.irishcream's video of a herd of sheep in a road earning 1.1 million views, and @caitlindoes' clip of a cyclist with a huge pack of dogs gaining 4.1 million views. But even a single pet can block the proverbial street, with 2.6 million views on @soph86482's "big dog with no spatial awareness," 1.2 million on @fatherbattisto's "one fat old dog," and 2 million on @toria_56's extremely underfoot cat.
The song is further being used to caption film and television scenes in which groups of people stand — or dance — in a street. While such scenes make sense and can even be dramatic in context, adding this commentary invites viewers to consider how ridiculous and unnecessary such posturing would seem to outsiders, as well as how annoying it would be to people trying to go about their day.
In one edit viewed 2.3 million times, @poogyus set the song to sped-up footage of BTS' crosswalk concert, filmed for The Late Late Show with James Corden in 2021. In the segment, the K-pop group ran out during red traffic lights to quickly perform songs including "Butter" in an L.A. street.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.While primarily applied to physical obstacles, Family Guy's "blockin' the street" song has also been used to illustrate grievances such as encountering obstacles while working or having certain characters insistently impose themselves in a book. Considering the catchy nature of the tune and the abundance of hindrances we all encounter every day, there seems to be plenty of fuel for this trend.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Genuinely good MacBook deals have been harder to come by in the wake of Apple's summer price hikes. But I have a feeling that will change during Prime Big Deal Days, Amazon's 48-hour fall savings event for Prime members on Oct. 6 and 7.
"October Prime Day," as the sale is often called, serves as Amazon's unofficial kickoff for the holiday shopping season. Last year, it brought us $200 discounts on the MacBook Air and savings of up to $400 on select MacBook Pros — the same sorts of deals we later saw on Black Friday 2025. If Amazon replicated those offers next month, we'd be seeing our lowest MacBook prices since Apple's markups took effect.
In the weeks leading up to Prime Big Deal Days, most MacBooks are already on sale (including the budget MacBook Neo, if only by $10). I wouldn't add most of them to your cart just yet, since they'll probably get bigger discounts once the sale starts. That said, we've gathered up all of the best early Prime Day MacBook deals for you.
The best October Prime Day deals on the MacBook Air (so far) Opens in a new window Credit: M5 MacBook Air in midnight black Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,649 at AmazonIf you need a new Apple laptop, and you need it now, you can save $150 on the new generation of M5 MacBook Airs at Amazon (Walmart is matching Amazon on select models and colors). If you can hold off, we do expect these MacBooks to get a $200 discount when the Prime Big Deal Days sale begins Oct. 6. Students and teachers can also check the Apple Store for education discounts.
The newest M5-powered MacBook is a Mashable Choice product, with one of the highest ratings of any product we've tested this year. In his review, Mashable's tech editor found that the M5 chip is ridiculously powerful (probably more powerful than the average Air customer really needs). The new MacBooks also have a fantastic display, a great-sounding speaker system, Touch ID, and the new Center Stage webcam.
More MacBook Air dealsApple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,254 $1,299 (save $45)
Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,449 $1,599 (save $150)
Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,649 $1,799 (save $150)
Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,424.54 $1,499 (save $74.46)
Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,727 $1,799 (save $72)
Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,922 $1,999 (save $77)
So far, the best early Prime Day MacBook deals are all on Apple's Pro models, particularly the ones with the most processing power. The M5 Max chip is Apple's most powerful laptop CPU to date. It's designed to handle the ultra-demanding workloads of "pro users" like "3D animators, app developers, and AI researchers," according to a company press release.
Ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, you can save a whopping $600 on both sizes of the M5 Max-powered MacBook Pros with a hulking 36GB of RAM and 2TB of storage. The 14-inch model is marked down to $3,499 (normally $4,099), while the 16-inch one comes out to $3,799 (typically $4,399). It should be noted that both laptops originally cost $100 more at launch.
As mentioned earlier, Amazon's October Prime Day MacBook Pro deals usually max out at $400ish. With that in mind, I can't see these deals getting any better down the road.
More MacBook Pro dealsApple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,849 $1,999 (save $150)
Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,072 $2,199 (save $127)
Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Pro, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,354 $2,499 (save $145)
Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Pro, 24GB RAM, 2TB SSD) — $2,818.99 $2,999 (save $180.01)
Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,258.99 $2,399 (save $140.01)
Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Pro, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,799 $2,999 (save $200)
Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Pro, 48GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $3,367 $3,599 (save $232)
Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Max, 48GB RAM, 2TB SSD) — $4,499 $4,999 (save $500)
Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $689 $699 (save $10)
Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $789.99 $799 (save $9.01)
Tesla lawyers are in court, defending auto factory employees against accusations they used racist slurs, discriminated against employees of color in evaluations, and engaged in other anti-Black behavior that created an unsafe environment for workers.
The lawsuit, brought by the state of California on behalf of dozens of Black Tesla employees, was filed in 2022 and claims management at Tesla's flagship factory — located in Fremont, California — violated the state's Fair Employment and Housing Act by creating a hostile environment.
It's the first employee lawsuit against the electric vehicle company to go to trial through a state agency, reported the Guardian. Remarks began Monday.
SEE ALSO: Kids aren't learning to type anymoreCourt documents include photographs of neo-Nazi imagery drawn on factory furniture and bathroom walls, as well as explicitly racist language etched into employee areas — including the phrase "go back to Africa" and the N-word.
Employees testified that supervisors referred to lynchings in conversations with Black workers, and the factory was often referred to as "slaveship," "the plantation," and "The Elon Slave Labor Association" ("TESLA"). One employee said they heard nearly 100 slurs in a single day.
In response, Tesla's legal team defended its employees and reportedly justified the use of racially-charged language.
"The state of California attacks the way many Black people greet each other," said Tesla's lead lawyer, Tyree Jones, in his initial remarks. "It’s offensive." Jones argued the N-word was a "term of respect and endearment," and provided examples of its use within the Black community that he argued wouldn't constitute its classification as a "racial slur."
In 2021, Tesla was ordered to pay $136.9 million to a former contractor who claimed the company ignored complaints of racist behavior by factory employees. A federal jury found Tesla guilty of enabling an unsafe work environment and negligently overseeing its staff.
In addition to explicitly racist behavior by employees, the latest lawsuit describes an allegedly "segregated" workplace in which Black workers were paid and promoted less, while being more frequently terminated. California is seeking financial damages and changes to Tesla's labor practices.
"These experiences cannot be dismissed as a few bad apples… hundreds of complaints to Tesla and [the Civil Rights Department] will show these experiences were not isolated," said California Civil Rights Department lawyer Brett Watson.
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