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25+ Lego sets you can get for less than $100 on October Prime Day

Mashable - Tue, 10/06/2026 - 19:56
The best October Prime Day Lego deals under $100: Best Lego deal under $100 Lego Icons Project Hail Mary $69.99 (save $30) Get Deal Best Lego deal under $50 Lego Botanicals Peace Lily $39.99 (save $10) Get Deal Best Lego budget pick Lego Creator 3 in 1 Retro Telephone $16.79 (save $13.20) Get Deal

We're officially in the midst of the 48-hour Prime Big Deal Days mega sale and we've spotted tons of deals on Lego building sets — and they're not just at Amazon. While Lego isn't exactly known for being the cheapest of hobbies, there are plenty of sets on sale for less than $100. Heck, I even found over a dozen for less than $50. In Lego world, that's pretty dang cheap.

SEE ALSO: October Prime Day 2026 live: Updates on the latest deals on AirPods, Kindles, and Yeti coolers

Check out some of the best Prime Day Lego deals under $100 below, with a few of our top picks highlighted. While the majority of these deals hail from Amazon, I've included a few standouts from Walmart and Target as well — don't be afraid to shop around when it comes to finding the best Lego deals.

October Prime Day Lego deal under $50 Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Botanicals Peace Lily $39.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $10   Get Deal Why we like it

Biggest discount to date, anyone? The Lego Botanicals Peace Lily graced shelves earlier this year and was immediately one of our favorites. A peace lily that won't poison your cat or droop is a gift that keeps on giving. Its 474 pieces build out to an array of lilies in three stages of bloom: two furled buds, two partially open, and two flowers in full bloom. It also includes a peach colored plant pot that doubles as floral decor that never dies. At $39.99, it's down $10 for October Prime Day, marking its lowest price yet.

More Lego deals under $50October Prime Day Lego deals under $100 Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Icons Project Hail Mary $69.99 at Amazon
$99.99 Save $30   Get Deal Why we like it

Lego's Project Hail Mary building set got its first-ever discount for Prime Big Deal Days, knocking the $99.99 price tag down to just $69.99. Its 830 pieces build out to a replica of the Hail Mary ship, docked on a display stand. There's a built-in crank that actually turns to simulate the ship's centrifugal gravity system. Plus, there are mini Ryland Grace and Rocky figures to complete the build. Mashable Contributor Hannah Hoolihan pieced the set together and now considers it one of her favorites on her shelf.

More Lego deals under $100

22 October Prime Day board game deals to shop before they sell out

Mashable - Tue, 10/06/2026 - 18:31
The best Prime Day board game deals at a glance Best overall deal Ticket to Ride $29.99 (save $10) Get Deal Best board game for outdoor lovers Trekking The National Parks $29.99 (save $19.96) Get Deal Best card game deal Sushi Go! $11.37 (save $4.04) Get Deal Best straregy board game deal Ark Nova $74.75 (save $5.24) Get Deal

If you make it through winter with non-stop board game nights, October Prime Day has some epic deals in store. It's also smart to consider if anyone on your Christmas shopping list would enjoy a board game. I'm seeing excellent board game deals that I was desperately searching for during Black Friday 2025, but they never appeared.

Fair warning, however, that many of these options are at least 50% sold out. I don't expect most of them to last into the second day of Prime Day, especially the well-known titles. Start adding these to your cart and check out before they get snatched up.

Best overall board game deal Opens in a new window Credit: Days of Wonder Ticket to Ride $29.99 at Amazon
$39.99 Save $10.00   Get Deal Why we like it

Without leaving the dining room table, travel across the country with Ticket to Ride, one of my favorite board games. It's designed for ages 8 and up, and it works well for two to five players. One round of Ticket to Ride takes between 30 minutes and an hour, and it's easy to pick up for beginners. I've played this dozens of times at family game night, and it never gets old.

More board game deals

Prime members only have 48 hours to shop Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days sale. Sign up for a Prime 30-day free trial if you want to save some cash, and follow Mashable’s guide to the best October Prime Day deals and live blog for the latest updates.

Level up with these October Prime Day Nintendo Switch deals

Mashable - Tue, 10/06/2026 - 18:10
The best Prime Day Nintendo Switch deals Best Nintendo Switch Deal Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle $549.99 (Save $37.97) Get Deal Best Prime Day Nintendo Switch Deal The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time $59.88 (Save $10.11) Get Deal Best Prime Day Nintendo Switch Controller Deal 8Bitdo Ultimate 2 Bluetooth Controller $53.89 (Save $16.10) Get Deal Best Prime Day Nintendo eShop Deal $10 Nintendo eShop Gift Card $8.98 (Save $1.02) Get Deal

Have your eye on a new Nintendo Switch 2 console? October's Amazon Prime Day, happening Oct. 6 and 7, is the perfect time to pick one up or build out your game library for less.

Playing on Nintendo hardware got more expensive this year when Nintendo raised the Switch 2's U.S. price from $449.99 to $499.99 on Sept. 1, citing rising memory costs tied to the ongoing memory crisis. Nintendo consoles rarely go on sale, so Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event is a good chance to pick up a console bundle, games, or even some Nintendo eShop credit for less.

Here are the best Nintendo Switch deals we've spotted for Prime Big Deal Days so far.

Best Prime Day Nintendo Switch 2 deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle $549.99 at Amazon
$587.97 Save $37.98   Get Deal Why we like it

True, this isn't technically a Prime Day deal, since $549.99 is Nintendo's regular price for the bundle, but there aren't any other Amazon discounts on the Switch 2 itself right now, so the bundle is the best way to save some money on the console and get a game while you're at it.

It comes with a Switch 2 console, a digital code for Mario Kart World, and a three-month Nintendo Switch Online individual membership, so you can race other players online as soon as you're set up. The Switch 2 has a 7.9-inch 1080p screen that refreshes at up to 120Hz in handheld mode, and it outputs up to 4K when you dock it to a TV. Its Joy-Con 2 controllers snap on magnetically and can work like a mouse in supported games.

If you're ready to upgrade from your original Switch and want to get a little more bang for your buck, this is a great way to do so.

Best Prime Day Nintendo Switch 2 game deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time $59.88 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $10.11   Get Deal Why we like it

Nintendo rebuilt this 1998 Nintendo 64 adventure from the ground up for Switch 2, with overhauled visuals, voiced cutscenes, expanded dialogue, and a symphonic orchestral score, plus reworked camera and movement controls. Oh, and of course, there are faster load times. Link still travels between childhood and adulthood to stop Ganondorf, and now you can play his ocarina in-game by humming or playing a real instrument into the Switch 2's microphone. But most importantly, you can save on the game before it's out by preordering now.

Best Prime Day Nintendo Switch controller deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon 8Bitdo Ultimate 2 Bluetooth Controller $53.89 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $16.10   Get Deal Why we like it

You don't have to use Joy-Con controllers to play every single Switch game, and in fact, there are some more comfortable, better options out there. This Ultimate 2 controller from 8BitDo works with the Switch 2, the original Switch, and PCs. It uses Nintendo's button layout, so A and B are in the same place. Plus, its TMR joysticks are designed to avoid stick drift, and you can flip the triggers between Hall effect and tactile modes depending on what you're playing.

Best Prime Day Nintendo eShop deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon $10 Nintendo eShop Gift Card $8.98 at Amazon
$10 Save $1.02   Get Deal Why we like it

Shaving a buck or two off of your Nintendo eShop purchases is always a good idea. Once you redeem the code from this eShop gift card, the $10 goes into your Nintendo Account balance, and you can spend it in the eShop on a Switch 2 or an original Switch game, downloadable content, or a Nintendo Switch Online membership. Since the money sits in your account rather than on a specific console, it follows you to any system you sign into with that account. A gift card also lets kids buy their own games without a credit card attached to the account, and it works with U.S. Nintendo Accounts. Buy a few and stack them, and you'll save a little cash on digital purchases.

More Prime Day Nintendo Switch deals

Pornhub is accessible for (some) Aussies again

Mashable - Tue, 10/06/2026 - 17:52

Pornhub is back in Australia — for certain users.

Aylo, Pornhub's parent company, blocked Pornhub from the country back in March due to an age-verification law that requires explicit websites to verify users' ages using personal data such as a facial scan and ID.

SEE ALSO: The UK is investigating Pornhub. Here's what Pornhub says about it.

Aylo has responded to many of these laws, including most in the United States, by blocking Pornhub from those regions due to the burden of complying. Aylo has also stated that these laws don't work because anyone can use a VPN to circumvent them or visit noncompliant websites instead.

But now, in Australia, Pornhub will be accessible to iOS users who have confirmed their age through Apple's Australian age-verification process.

"With their recent Australian update, Apple set a benchmark by enabling child safety features automatically for users who have not verified that they are adults, ultimately, making every phone or tablet kid-safe as a starting point. As a result, today Aylo welcomes eligible age-confirmed Australian iOS users back to Pornhub," Pornhub's vice president of brand and community, Alex Kekesi, said in a statement shared with Mashable.

The child safety update first rolled out in March in the UK, and Pornhub allowed access there again as well after initially blocking access.

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo could be the first devices that protect children by default, Kekesi continued. She praised Apple's new CEO, John Ternus, for making child safety Apple's "#1 priority."

The tube site urges Apple to expand these developments globally, and Google and Microsoft to implement the same solution as well, Kekesi continued.

"The technology exists. A precedent exists. The responsibility now lies with Apple and platforms, like ours, to pursue solutions that truly protect children across the entire internet," she said.

This is the latest time Pornhub and Aylo have advocated for device-level filters, which have long been the adult industry and free speech experts' preferred solution to minors accessing porn sites.

Device-level filters, such as the iOS update, put child locks on the device itself. Many laws in the U.S. and globally mandate platform-level filters, in which websites and apps implement their own filters. This results in privacy and safety concerns, experts have told Mashable, as visitors have to hand over their personal data to unknown handlers. It also forces them to verify their age with each visit. Filters on the device, however, occur once.

"This method protects minors without requiring adults to surrender unnecessary personal information to multiple apps and websites. It also avoids creating systems that are easily circumvented through tools like VPNs," Kekesi said.

In July, Pornhub sent a letter to U.S. lawmakers urging them to require Apple, Microsoft, and Google to enable device-level filters. It first sent a letter to the companies directly in Nov. 2025, calling on them to do it themselves.

Our favorite sleep earbuds are the cheapest theyve ever been on October Prime Day

Mashable - Tue, 10/06/2026 - 17:48

SAVE $40: As of Oct. 6, the first day of Prime Big Deal Days, the Soundcore Sleep A30 Special earbuds are down to just $159.99. That's their lowest price on record and $40 off their list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Soundcore Soundcore Sleep A30 Special $159.99 at Amazon
$199.99 Save $40   Get Deal

Whether you have noisy neighbors or live on a busy street, loud environments can often prevent a good night's sleep. While earplugs are a solid option, they're not the only option in 2026. If you like to listen to white noise, calming tunes, or even podcasts to fall asleep, sleep earbuds are a better alternative — and the Soundcore Sleep A30 Specials are our top choice.

Now that Prime Big Deal Days has kicked off, you can pick up the Soundcore Sleep A30 Special earbuds for only $159.99. They're usually $199.99 at full price (as per the Soundcore website), so that's $40 or 20% in savings. That also happens to be their lowest price to date.

Mashable Lead Shopping Reporter Bethany Allard tested the leading sleep earbuds on the market, and the Soundcore Sleep A30 Specials won by a landslide. Aside from their predecessor, they're the only sleep earbuds on the market with ANC. They also feature five different soundscapes to help you drift off to sleep, including AI audio brainwave, snore masking, white noise, Calm app sleep stories, and Calm app meditations. Within those soundscapes, there are also plenty of customization options.

The buds also track sleep data, have better battery life than the original Sleep A30s, and offer a slimmer profile than the Sleep A20s. And perhaps most importantly, they're comfortable for side sleepers, back sleepers, and belly sleepers, with plenty of wear options. As Allard puts it in her review, "The Sleep A30 Special earbuds aren't just better than their predecessors — they officially sit head and shoulders above all other available sleep earbuds."

Considering the competing Ozlo Sleepbuds 2's $279 price tag, the Sleep A30 Specials are a decent value at full price. But who can argue $40 off?

Best Buys Techtober sale rivals some of Amazons best deals on headphones, Apple products, Kindles, and more

Mashable - Tue, 10/06/2026 - 17:32
Best deals from Best Buy's Techtober sale Best Apple deal Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation $119.99 (save $59.01) Get Deal Best headphones deal Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen) $369 (save $80) Get Deal Best e-reader deal Amazon Kindle $103.99 (save $46) Get Deal Best creator deal DJI Osmo 3 Creator Combo $495 (save $54) Get Deal

Amazon's October Prime Day is here, so naturally, all the competing sales are too, including Best Buy's Techtober sale.

Though Amazon's sale is 48 hours from Oct. 6 to 7, Best Buy's sale is a weeklong affair, from Oct. 5 to Oct. 11. That said, the retailer stipulated that sale prices are liable to change during the sale dates and that only limited quantities are available. In other words, don't count on a deal you like lasting all week long.

SEE ALSO: October Prime Day 2026 is here: Live updates on the latest deals on AirPods, Kindles, and Yeti coolers

For the most part, you will find the best deals at Amazon. However, we've rounded up all the deals that are matched with Amazon's prices, slightly better, or within a buck or two of Amazon's sale prices for anyone who simply prefers to shop at Best Buy. All told, these are 22 of our favorite deals from Best Buy's Techtober sale (so far):

Best Techtober deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation $119.99 at Amazon
$179 Save $59.01   Get Deal Why we like it

Yes, the AirPods 5 are here, and yes, they are objectively the better Apple earbuds. However, with this deal, the AirPods 4 with ANC are officially the cheapest way to get noise cancellation and wireless charging from the AirPods line. And at the time of writing, they're completely sold out at Amazon.

Best Apple dealsBest headphones and earbuds dealsHeadphonesEarbudsBest TV dealsBest e-reader dealsEven more deals

Zombie star gets its close-up in a stunning new supernova image

Mashable - Tue, 10/06/2026 - 17:16

New observations from the Gemini North telescope on Maunakea in Hawai‘i reveal the most detailed view yet of Pa 30, a supernova remnant about 7,500 light-years away. Its distinctive streaks of gas look like sparks shooting outward. But zoom in, and those seemingly smooth trails turn out to be chains of knots, resembling pearls on a string. And these are some very big pearls.

"The planetary region of our solar system could fit in each knot about 10 times with room to spare," astrophysicist Ilaria Caiazzo, an assistant professor at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria, said in a statement. "The knots are quite strikingly uniform. We are excited to try to model them."

The findings, from a team co-led by Caiazzo and astrophysicist Tim Cunningham, are published in The Astrophysical Journal.

An explosion with a medieval paper trail

Researchers consider Pa 30 the likely remains of SN 1181, a supernova recorded by observers in Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic historical sources in 1181. It remained visible in the constellation Cassiopeia for 185 days.

But connecting those accounts to something astronomers could study today took centuries. Amateur astronomer Dana Patchick discovered Pa 30 in 2013 while examining data from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer as part of a citizen science effort. The object turned out to have an especially unusual resident: a surviving stellar remnant at its center, nicknamed a "zombie star."

Pa 30 is considered the only known remnant of a Type Iax supernova in the Milky Way. These are relatively low-energy, incomplete stellar explosions that can leave a surviving star behind. A standard Type Ia supernova, by comparison, destroys the exploding white dwarf.

The Gemini North telescope’s laser guide star beams up into the atmosphere. The laser guide star is used to measure turbulence in the Earth’s atmosphere so the telescope can correct for it and achieve clear images of the night sky. Credit: International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab What the new image reveals

The Gemini observations reveal roughly 10 times as many filamentary features as earlier images showed. They also expose the chains of gas knots that make up those filaments, giving researchers new clues about how the debris took shape.

According to NOIRLab, differences in temperature or density in the material surrounding the star may have helped shape the expanding ejecta. Exactly how those remarkably uniform knots formed remains a question for researchers to investigate.

The team also found that the surviving star sits almost exactly at the remnant’s center. An uneven explosion can give a surviving star a "kick," sending it away from the center. Pa 30’s configuration indicates that its star received no large sideways kick, offering another clue about the blast.

Researchers hope to use Pa 30’s distinctive features to help find similar remnants in our galaxy and nearby ones. For now, this medieval light show is still giving astronomers something new to look at.

The best headphones we found on October Prime Day for under $100

Mashable - Tue, 10/06/2026 - 16:49
The best Prime Day headphones deals under $100 at a glance: Best headphones deal under $50 JLab JBuds Lux $39.80 (save $60.19) Get Deal Best headphones deal under $100 Sony WH-CH720N $88 (save $91.99) Get Deal Best earbuds deal under $50 Soundcore P30i $23.68 (save $26.31) Get Deal best earbuds deal under $100 Apple AirPods 4 $79 (save $50.99) Get Deal

Believe it or not, headphones don't have to cost hundreds of dollars. In fact, there are plenty of worthy options with budget-friendly price tags. And now that Prime Big Deal Days has arrived, those prices are even better.

Amazon's October Prime Day event is overflowing with deals on headphones, including Mashable editor favorites and award winners. But even at 40% off or more, some of the most popular picks might be over your budget. That's fine; we found 20+ other options that are under $100 and still pretty dang great.

For those ballin' on a budget, check out some of our top October Prime Day picks for headphones and earbuds deals under $100.

Best October Prime Day headphones deal under $100 Opens in a new window Credit: JLab JLab JBuds Lux $39.80 at Amazon
$99.99 Save $60.19   Get Deal Why we like it

They may not be the most well-known headphones on the market, but they deserve more credit. We named them the best budget headphones of 2026, thanks to their well-balanced sound, decent comfort, functional ANC, and killer battery life. And despite the price, they don't feel cheap. On any given day, they're less than $100, but for October Prime Day, they're *checks notes* under $40.

More headphones deals under $100Best October Prime Day earbuds deal under $100 Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods 4 $79 at Walmart
$129.99 Save $50.99   Get Deal Why we like it

While its Amazon's time to shine on Prime Big Deal Days, Walmart's Fall Deals event is not to be slept on. The AirPods 4 are down to just $79 at Walmart, while Amazon no longer has them in stock now that the AirPods 5 have arrived. These entry-level Apple earbuds might not have noise-cancellation, but they're still pretty great. They're also 39% cheaper than the newer model announced last month. Mashable's Bethany Allard notes that while they're still $10 away from their record-low price, they likely won't be around long enough to see that discount. Stock is already low, so you want the most affordable AirPods on the market, we recommend grabbing them now.

More earbuds deals under $100

Fake influencers, real money: Inside the AI creator business

Mashable - Tue, 10/06/2026 - 16:35

You don’t need to be a model to land a brand deal. You don’t need to step onstage to post a stand-up clip. And in the AI influencer business, the person attracting all that attention doesn’t even need to exist.

If you haven’t encountered one yet, an AI influencer is a character whose images or videos are created using artificial intelligence. A person or company gives it a face, a name, and a social media account, then posts as that character. It might appear to be a model, a lifestyle creator, or a stand-up comedian, with followers who can be directed toward brand promotions, products, or paid subscriptions.

The pitch is that you can do all this without getting in front of a camera. With tools that put AI characters into existing footage, you may not even need to film anything.

The people promoting the opportunity aren’t being especially subtle. "this is like ecom in 2016," one post declares, comparing it to an early opportunity in online retail. "these AI characters have gotten 100M+ views in only the last couple of days," he adds, "making them is SO easy it feels unfair." Another promises a "you can do it in 5min," ending with "hope you get millions of views with this one."

Credit: Screenshot: X

A growing industry supports all of this, from AI platforms that generate faces and voices to agencies managing fictional talent and people selling courses on how to get started. Here's how AI influencers are made, how they make money, and why real creators are pushing back.

SEE ALSO: Seen an ad with an AI influencer or actor? It may be against the law. How do you make an AI creator?

The tutorials circulating on social media break the process into a few steps. First, decide what your character looks like. Some recommend browsing Pinterest for inspiration and using ChatGPT or Claude to help develop the character. Next, make a "character sheet": a set of reference images showing the same fictional person from different angles. Those images give the video tool a guide to the character’s appearance.

Then, users bring those images into a tool such as Higgsfield’s Genjutsu, along with a video they want the character to appear in. Several promotional posts recommend downloading a viral video and keeping its movement, lighting, framing, and overall appearance while swapping out the performer. A sample prompt is:

"replace the person in @ video1 with the character from @ image1. keep the same motion, camera movement, color grading, lighting, framing, and overall video quality."

Another (seemingly sponsored) tutorial recommends using luxury lifestyle footage to make a character appear wealthy. "while everyone was busy making bizarre AI characters, this creator found a MUCH bigger angle. he made poor person look filthy RICH." The post added that "he grew this account to 280K+ followers in just two days posting multiple times a day."

Credit: Screenshot/Higgsfield AI Influencer Studio

Not everyone suggests that users should take someone else’s video. "Shoot on your phone, Genjutsu does the production: wardrobe, set, grade," Higgsfield says on its website. In that approach, you film yourself performing the movements, then use the tool to transfer them to your fictional character. The platform's AI Influencer builder allows users to choose features including age, ethnicity, hairstyle, and body proportions. A similar platform, HeyGen, offers talking AI avatars — digital characters that appear to speak on camera — while ElevenLabs supplies AI-generated speech. Together, these services let an account’s operator create the appearance of a person who can pose, move, and talk, without that person existing at all.

Over the past few years, but especially in recent weeks, these sort of accounts have gone viral, particularly in the sketch and stand up comedy spaces. Popular creators include Abu Shalab, Leopold Delarue, Jean Phil, and Percival Ashcroft.

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The business extends into beauty, fashion, and fitness, too. Examples include imma, a Japanese virtual influencer featured in an SK-II skincare ad, Shudu, a digital model who appeared in Balmain’s "Virtual Army," Hazel Delarose, who posts dating and GRWM content, and Lil Miquela, whose fictional life has included starring in a BMW campaign (she also has 2.2 million followers).

Credit: Screenshot: Instagram/@hazeldelarose How does a fictional person make real money?

An AI influencer can attract millions of views, but those views don’t come with a fixed paycheck. The person running the account can earn through platform payments, brand deals, or selling something to the audience.

On YouTube, the platform pays eligible creators a share of advertising revenue through its Partner Program; for Shorts, YouTube pools revenue from ads shown between clips and allocates money based on each creator’s share of eligible engaged views. AI-generated videos can qualify, but channels must join the program and meet its originality requirements. YouTube specifically lists "AI-generated content made with generic or unoriginal templates giving the impression of mass production without adding the creator’s original, authentic insights or perspective" as ineligible for monetization.

TikTok’s Creator Rewards Program, on the other hand, pays eligible creators for original, high-quality videos longer than one minute — but on that platform, along with Instagram, it's more likely that an AI clip could attract millions of views without earning anything. That's why, according to one post, "views alone pay little, the money is in what you put behind." That's why for some accounts, free videos are advertisements for paid subscriptions. Profile links send viewers to NSFW-subscription platforms like OnlyFans or Fanvue to purchase additional content. Fanvue, which explicitly welcomes AI creators, offers subscriptions, paid posts and messages, and tips.

Many of these influencers sell courses or guides on how to make this sort of content. For example, Aitana López, an AI fitness and lifestyle personality who has more than 400,000 Instagram followers and 1,000 YouTube subscribers, sells instructions to followers on how to create characters like her. Aitana’s Instagram links to AI community platform skool.com's AI Creator Aicademy, whose page promises: "Learn how to build, position, and monetize a profitable AI avatar through strategy, structure, and systems." The community lists a $9 monthly price and lessons on making AI content, developing advertising campaigns, and automating production.

Credit: Screenshot: Skool.com "AI stole my joke and outfit"

A recent case of a viral AI comedian shows what can happen when that strategy relies on a real creator’s work.

"Tiffany Sloane," posting on Instagram as @tiffany.bbyx, has about 377,000 followers and 118 posts (as of Oct. 6). Its earliest post appeared on Sept. 11, less than a month ago. Since then, Tiffany's AI has appeared in generated sitcom episodes and stand-up clips. Videos get a range of 10,000 views to millions. The profile describes Tiffany as an actress and discloses that she is AI generated (a change that developed while writing this story). Its Instagram highlights link to Tiffany's OnlyFans page, with a bio that reads "19, and yeah, the body’s real." Who operates that page, and whether it features a real woman, remains unconfirmed, and the Instagram account's page has since been seemingly deactivated.

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Of course, since Tiffany is not a real person, she also did not come up with the joke, or the mannerisms behind her character on stage. In an Oct. 4 Instagram video, comedian George Brett Olsen shared a side-by-side comparison showing himself and Tiffany wearing similar outfits, gestures, and telling the same joke. "AI stole my joke and outfit!" he declared.

"What’s crazy to me is you can’t report this. A bunch of people tried," Olson added. "This account has 300k followers, counting, and just full send stealing jokes from comics. What’s more, it’s scary that it’s either bots commenting, people who don’t know the difference or just don’t care. Also they screwed up my punchline."

A concerning aspect is how many people genuinely take the account seriously. Before all her videos were taken down, there were comments on posts like "she's the funniest!" and "When do you do live shows?" Though most people can see through the facade. "Ew. This thing gets follows for stealing jokes?? Who wants to see this?" Venture capital partner Justine Moore even posted on X that the tactic was a "genius marketing hack."

Other comedians have encountered the same problem as Olson. AI performer @aylenskye3000 delivered a joke by comedian Olivia Carter in a (now deleted) video about asking out her personal trainer — material the comedian had performed on Netflix and The Tonight Show. According to Carter, via Gizmodo, initially she couldn’t see one of the copied videos herself because the account had blocked her. Jokes by comedians Sarah Purdum and Julia Jasunas were also identified on the same bot account that connects to a Fanvue profile with close to 5,000 likes.

Purdum told Mashable she knew of one instance involving her own work, but that the comedy community had been discussing similar experiences, particularly among women. "It seems to be that female comedians work is being stolen and repurposed for sexy AI models," she said. "I feel annoyed that my work is being taken for the purpose of drawing in men, although I think the models could say anything and it would mean the same to a man that is there for unrealistic bodies."

Credit: Screenshots: TikTok

Purdum has a point: The AI women in these vides have exaggerated breasts and hips, tiny waists, and practically painted-on clothing. Serving a sexualized image attracts attention that can be directed toward paid subscriptions on platforms — or just to get views. Along the way, they put real women up against bodies designed to grab eyeballs, potentially feeding insecurities about how women are supposed to look. Sara Ziff, founder and executive director of the Model Alliance, warned that using AI to create idealized people who don’t exist risks "narrowing our definition of beauty instead of broadening it," according to the New York Times.

"I would hope platforms would take down work that has been plagiarized," she added. Mashable has reached out to Instagram and TikTok for comments.

There are real agencies for fake people

Beyond accounts repackaging viral videos, more and more companies are starting to build fictional personalities specifically for advertising and entertainment. Think of a talent agency where the agency also designs the talent. For example, The Clueless manages López, describing her as, "Born in Barcelona and 26 years old," with a "sporty style and a bold attitude." The fictional creator has appeared in an Amazon Black Friday campaign, and according to the agency, works with brands like L’Oréal and Coca-Cola.

Other companies have developed entire casts of fictional personalities. Inception Point AI’s roster has more than 100 characters covering subjects including gardening, cooking, and celebrity gossip, and are designed to host podcasts, appear in videos, and interact with followers.

As CEO Jeanine Wright told the Times in August, "As long as people like the content, we think they’ll accept that it comes from A.I.." Andreea Petrescu, who co-founded AI marketing agency Seraphinne Vallora, addded that: "With A.I., it’s like a clean slate: You can design it the way you want, she can be as gorgeous as you want, and she’s all yours."

"With A.I., it’s like a clean slate: You can design it the way you want, she can be as gorgeous as you want, and she’s all yours." - Andreea Petrescu, co-founder of AI marketing agency Seraphinne Vallora

Platforms have rules addressing parts of this. Fanvue permits AI content but prohibits deception and infringement of ownership rights, while OnlyFans requires it to clearly feature the verified creator and be identifiable as AI. Meta applies "AI info" labels, and TikTok introduced a similar AI-labeling tool back in 2023, and YouTube began rolling out its disclosure tool in 2024, with updates this past May. All of these require disclosures of realistic synthetic content, but a label doesn’t establish where the original performance came from or whether its creator agreed to its reuse in the first place.

TikTok prohibits certain synthetic depictions even when labeled, including likenesses of anyone under 18 and those of adult private individuals used without permission. In August, a source at TikTok told Mashable the company was testing certain AI tools like "AI Cast," which helps users create an "AI Self" that can appear in AI-generated videos. In response to various influencers and musician's content getting ripped off, the platform said, "We are testing strategies broadly to help protect AI likeness on the platform." YouTube, meanwhile, clarified in July 2025 that repetitive or mass-produced content cannot earn money through its Partner Program.

SEE ALSO: What happens when your AI self starts influencing without you?

Getting noticed in an already crowded entertainment and influencer economy is hard enough. But in an ecosystem where a stranger can put a new face on your performance and use it to build their own following, creators are now also left competing with a version of their own work.

Hey gamers, dont miss these Samsung gaming monitor deals

Mashable - Tue, 10/06/2026 - 16:09
The best Samsung gaming monitor deals Best Samsung Gaming Monitor Deal Samsung 32" Odyssey OLED G8 $999.99 (Save $300) Get Deal Best Mid-Tier Samsung Gaming Monitor Deal Samsung 32" Odyssey OLED G7 $749.99 (Save $350) Get Deal Best Budget Samsung Gaming Monitor Deal Samsung 27-Inch Odyssey G50D $209.99 (Save $140) Get Deal

Mashable's reporters and editors are constantly testing the latest gaming gear, from headsets and controllers to handheld PCs and monitors. This year, upgrading a gaming PC has gotten a lot more expensive, with RAM and SSD prices climbing because of the ongoing memory crisis. If your rig's internals have to wait, Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days, better known as October Prime Day, has knocked down prices on the screen you play on, including several of Samsung's Odyssey gaming monitors.

Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days is officially live, running Oct. 6 to 7. We've covered this fall shopping event since its 2022 debut, and this year we're tracking Samsung's gaming monitor discounts as they drop. We've found several options across different price points to choose from if you're ready to dive in and give your gaming setup a leg up on the competition. With games like Grand Theft Auto VI on the horizon, there's no better time than now to give your gaming battlestation a bit of a boost.

Here are the best Samsung gaming monitor deals we've spotted for October Prime Day so far.

Best Samsung gaming monitor deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Samsung 32" Odyssey OLED G8 $999.99 at Amazon
$1,299.99 Save $300   Get Deal Why we like it

Need some seriously crisp visuals? The Odyssey OLED G8 pairs a 4K QD-OLED panel with a 240Hz refresh rate, so you don't have to choose between sharp detail and smooth motion. Plus, its 0.03ms response time keeps fast action from smearing while you're trying to stay on top of the leaderboard. This premium-tier monitor also boasts a glare-free finish to cut down on reflections from lamps and windows, with an OLED Safeguard+ feature helps protect the panel from burn-in when static elements like HUDs and taskbars stay on screen for hours. If you're looking for a fantastic experience with your gaming monitor, this option should give you plenty of satisfying sessions.

Best mid-tier Samsung gaming monitor deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Samsung 32" Odyssey OLED G7 $749.99 at Amazon
$1,099.99 Save $350   Get Deal Why we like it

The Odyssey OLED G7 is no slouch when it comes to great visuals. It has a dual-mode panel, so you can play at 4K and 165Hz when you want a sharp picture in single-player games, then switch to 1080p at up to 330Hz for more fast-paced competitive rounds of games like Overwatch or Apex Legends. With a 0.03ms response time and support for both G-Sync and FreeSync Premium Pro, fast motion is free from screen tearing and looks the best it can. Plus, its DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification and Pantone-validated color means you get true-to-life hues. Raise, tilt, swivel, or pivot it on the included stand until it sits where you want it and get your game on.

Best budget Samsung gaming monitor deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Samsung 27-Inch Odyssey G50D $209.99 at Amazon
$349.99 Save $140   Get Deal Why we like it

This more wallet-friendly option pairs a 1440p resolution with a 180Hz refresh rate, which gives you sharper detail than a 1080p screen and smoother motion than a standard 60Hz or 144Hz monitor. It has a Fast IPS panel with a 1ms response time and 178-degree viewing angles. It even supports both AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync Compatible to cut down on screen tearing, while VESA DisplayHDR 400 adds a contrast boost in HDR games. If you don't need the best of the best in terms of what money will get you, there's absolutely nothing wrong with going down this path with a budget gaming monitor that truly delivers.

More Samsung gaming monitor deals

Energy Firms Try to Squeeze More Power Out of Old Nuclear Plants

NYT Technology - Tue, 10/06/2026 - 15:37
It takes a long time to build new nuclear plants. So, some U.S. companies are looking to get more electricity out of reactors that already exist.

ChatGPT generates fake New Yorker cartoons, complete with artist signatures

Mashable - Tue, 10/06/2026 - 15:34

OpenAI's ChatGPT can't seem to shake its plagiarism problem.

Amid an ongoing battle with authors and publishers over its text-based outputs and continued criticism that the chatbot's creative mind is ripping off human artists, the chatbot is under fire again. This time because of poor imitations of New Yorker cartoons, complete with signatures of real, paid artists.

Recent viral outputs shared on social media seem to show a repeated pattern of the chatbot adding fake signatures of prominent New Yorker staff cartoonists to its artificially-generated images, reported Nieman Lab.

SEE ALSO: OpenAI is adding an invisible watermark to AI-generated text

ChatGPT was able to generate the signatures of more than a dozen professional cartoonist and affix them to the fake images, often rendered in the signature style of the publication, Nieman Lab reported. The artists were not asked permission or provided compensation.

"I can see the DNA of my work in there, but it still doesn’t look like something I drew. It’s kind of like seeing a distant cousin," contributor Emily Flake told Nieman Lab.

The New Yorker signatures are likely the result of two factors: The ubiquity and popularity of New Yorker cartoons across the internet and internet-wide scraping that aims to siphon content for model training.

Many publishers, including Condé Nast, are now pushing Congress to enact federal laws that would prevent unlicensed bot scraping. In recent years, these same publishers have signed deals with AI companies to recoup revenue lost from previously unlicensed data grabs, including a 2024 partnership between publisher Condé Nast and OpenAI. Under the deal, OpenAI paid for use of content from Condé Nast brands, including New Yorker, Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, and Bon Appétit.

However, a New Yorker spokesperson clarified that the deal did not grant OpenAI permission to train its models on cartoons or use its logo and art in image generation. In addition, the publication clarified that contributing cartoonists retain copyright of their work.

In response to reports of potential plagiarism, an OpenAI spokesperson said: "We believe the future of creativity is one that is fundamentally human, and our focus is on building tools that empower human creativity and creators. We very much appreciate the community flagging bugs and unintended behavior by our models, so we can address them."

The chatbot now warns users of potential content violations when prompted to generate New Yorker-style images. It reads, "This prompt may violate our guardrails concerning similarity to third-party content." However, ChatGPT will still generate images in the style, including signatures, the publication reported.

Wondering what to buy on Prime Day? Shop our top 10 deals of the sale.

Mashable - Tue, 10/06/2026 - 15:28

Amazon's October Prime Day event kicked off in the wee hours of the morning on Oct. 6 with tons of deals begging for your attention. It's tough sorting through what's actually worth your hard-earned cash, so we've taken it upon ourselves to do that part for you.

Mashable's shopping team has been hunting deals in the weeks leading up to Prime Big Deal Days and now that it's officially begun, we've gathered our top 10 deals of the sale. If you're itching to knock out some early holiday shopping or simply have a "treat yourself" kind of week, but aren't sure what to buy, here are our picks for the best Prime Day deals so far.

The newest Apple Watch Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm) $349.99 at Amazon
$399 Save $49.01   Get Deal Why we like it

Apple's latest flagship smartwatch is just a few weeks old, but it just got its first notable discount for Prime Day. What's new about the Series 12? More regular heart rate variability (HRV) readings, quicker charging, a faster processor, and a new Daily Readiness score. Unfortunately, the battery life is still the same at around 24 hours.

A limited-edition Yeti cooler Opens in a new window Credit: Yeti Yeti Tundra 45 Hard Cooler $243.75 at Amazon
$325 Save $81.25   Get Deal Why we like it

Spotting a Yeti cooler on sale is like finding a four-leaf clover: rare, but possible if you look hard enough. This gorgeous limited-edition ultramarine violet Tundra 45 hard cooler can squeeze in 26 cans with a 2:1 ice-to-contents ratio, can keep ice frozen for days, and is 25% off for Prime members. It's a bit hefty to tote around, but that heft is what makes it virtually indestructible.

A smart charging brick to match your phone Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Nano Smart Display Charger $25.99 at Amazon
$39.99 Save $14.00   Get Deal Why we like it

Anker always drops some of the best Prime Day deals on its charging tech. This cute Nano USB-C wall charger is under $30 and comes in colorways that match your phone — including the new burgundy iPhone 18 Pro. It also has a sleek smart display that shows you the real-time charging status.

A speedy new MacBook Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,099 at Amazon
$1,299 Save $200   Get Deal Why we like it

The M5 MacBook Air is Mashable's favorite MacBook for most people, thanks to its absurdly powerful M5 chip, sleek design, portability, and unrivaled performance for the price. Our laptop expert Haley Henschel calls it "the sweet spot in Apple's lineup." This $200 discount basically negates the price hike from earlier this year.

Noise-cancelling headphones that are actually comfortable Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort Noise-Cancelling Headphones (1st Gen) $169 at Amazon
$359.99 Save $190.99   Get Deal Why we like it

Whether you have a long trip approaching or just need something to quiet the noise of your commute, Bose's QuietComfort headphones deliver all-day comfort and excellent noise cancellation. Mashable Lead Shopping Reporter Sam Mangino said these are her all-time favorite headphones, even after testing a ton of other options.

A portable SSD that's virtually indestructible Opens in a new window Credit: SanDisk SanDisk Extreme 1TB Portable SSD $209.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $90   Get Deal Why we like it

Despite the global memory crisis causing steep increases to SSDs, this SanDisk Extreme 1BT Portable SSD is the cheapest it's ever been at $90 off. It's built to withstand practically anything, from spills to drops, and is ridiculously speedy compared to previous generations. Plus, it packs an entire terabyte of storage space.

A mid-range OLED TV for a budget-friendly price Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 65-Inch S90H OLED 4K TV $1,497.99 at Amazon
$2,699.99 Save $1,202.00   Get Deal Why we like it

If an OLED TV has been on your wishlist, now's a great time to make the leap. The S90H is Samsung's mid-range OLED model from 2026, which is just a step down from our favorite OLED of the year. It packs superior contrast, a brightness increase from last year's model, an upgraded anti-reflection display, support for 4K at 165Hz, and gaming perks like NVIDIA G-SYNC and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. It's also down to its best price ever.

The latest AirPods Pro Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Pro 3 $179 at Amazon
$249 Save $70   Get Deal Why we like it

Time to replace your AirPods? You might as well grab the Pro 3's while they're just $10 away from their best-ever price. They're no longer the latest AirPods, but they are the latest Pro model, featuring a bunch of excellent features — Live Translation, heart rate sensing, adaptive noise cancellation, and three-dimensional spatial audio. They can even act as hearing aids.

A basic Kindle for just over $100 Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Kindle (2024) $103.99 at Amazon
$149.99 Save $46.00   Get Deal Why we like it

Amazon raised the prices of its Kindle models over the summer, then dropped a whole batch of new ones. None of the new editions are on sale for October Prime Day, but the basic Kindle from 2024 (the exact model I own) is on sale for just over $100. That knocks it back down below its price pre-increase. While it may not be the newest Kindle on the market, it remains the best e-reader on a budget.

The ultimate Dyson Airwrap dupe from Shark Opens in a new window Credit: Shark Shark FlexStyle 4-in-1 Air Styling & Drying System $199.99 at Amazon
$349.99 Save $150   Get Deal Why we like it

The Shark FlexStyle is way more affordable than the Dyson Airwrap at full cost. Now it's even better at under $200. Mashable Lead Shopping Repoter Bethany Allard tested it and called it the best Airwrap dupe we've seen, even noting that it outperformed the original as a multi-styler.

October Prime Day live shopping: Talking the best Amazon deals on Apple, Kindle, more tonight

Mashable - Tue, 10/06/2026 - 15:24

Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale (aka October Prime Day) is in full swing. The 48-hour sale runs through Oct. 7 at 11:59 p.m. PT (that's 2:59 a.m. ET on Oct. 8), and there are literally millions of deals live on Amazon.

The Mashable shopping team has been busy sifting through Amazon to find the best October Prime Day deals that are actually worth your money. And trust us, we've been tracking prices and covering Amazon sales for almost a decade, so we know a good deal when we see one.

And look, we'll be the first to admit that shopping Amazon's sales can feel a little overwhelming. But think of us as your internet bestie helping you navigate it all. If you're not sure what to look for this Prime Big Deal Days, Mashable Tech Editor Timothy Beck Werth is livestreaming around 6:30 this evening to talk about the products and deals backed by him and the rest of our team here.

Follow along on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram to see all of our picks.

And check out our curated list of October Prime Day deals you can shop right now:

The best October Prime Day deals live now Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm) $349.99 at Amazon (save $49.01) Get Deal Apple AirPods Pro 3 $179 at Amazon (save $70) Get Deal Amazon Kindle (2024) $103.99 at Amazon (save $46) Get Deal SanDisk Extreme 1TB Portable SSD $209.99 at Amazon (save $90) Get Deal Bose QuietComfort Noise-Cancelling Headphones (1st Gen) $169 at Amazon (save $190.99) Get Deal Anker Nano Smart Display Charger $25.99 at Amazon (save $14) Get Deal

The Shark FlexStyle in a cute baby blue is 43% off for Prime Day

Mashable - Tue, 10/06/2026 - 14:20

SAVE $150: As of Oct. 6, get the Shark FlexStyle in Glacial Blue for $199.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $349.99. That's a discount of 43%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Shark FlexStyle $199.99 at Amazon
$349.99 Save $150   Get Deal

Amazon's October Prime Day sale is officially here, and you know what that means: time to start shopping all the excellent deals on offer. Among them are plenty of great options in terms of beauty tools, including the Shark FlexStyle, which can help you achieve gorgeous at-home salon-quality hair without having to leave your home.

As of Oct. 6, get the Shark FlexStyle in Glacial Blue for $199.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $349.99. That's $150 off and a discount of 43%.

SEE ALSO: October Prime Day 2026 is here: Live updates on the latest deals on AirPods, Kindles, and Yeti coolers

This 4-in-1 multi-styling tool is for all types of hair, from straight to curly, and works without inflicting heat damage to your locks. This model comes in a gorgeous Glacial Blue shade, and it offers multiple attachments for a variety of use cases. It measures heat 1,000 times per second to stay at certain air temperatures to keep your hair safe and secure.

It acts as a blow dryer, curler, straightener, volumizer, and much more to achieve whatever style it is you're looking for, no matter if you have fine, thick, coily, or wavy hair. Just twist the default dryer mode into the tool you need to use and get started whipping your mane into shape.

If you're tired of using multiple styling tools to achieve different outcomes with your hair, this is the one that you can finally use to replace them all, and at a great price. Grab yours while it's still up for its Prime Day price, and in a cute pastel shade while you're at it.

Windows 11 update reduces RAM usage

Mashable - Tue, 10/06/2026 - 13:30

When the new Windows 11 26H2 update was released last week, Microsoft highlighted a number of features and improvements. These included Windows Search improvements, additional Start menu customization options, a smarter File Explorer, new archive formats, new AI enhancements, and more. There are a lot of little additions and fixes, but nothing too mind-blowing.

However, one of the biggest improvements users are reporting after installing Windows 11 26H2 appears to be one that Microsoft didn't announce. Multiple Windows users have reported that RAM usage has dropped after the Windows 11 26H2 upgrade, providing a significant performance boost to their computers.

Over at Windows Latest, for example, one writer found that RAM consumption on a three-year-old 16GB laptop was reduced by a whopping 2GB after the update was installed. On Reddit, users are reporting similar experiences, with some even finding a RAM usage reduction of 3GB.

While the biggest differences are seen when idle, systems that have updated to Windows 11 26H2 are seeing increased performance when applications are running due to overall enhanced RAM management. 

So, what's happening? Some responsiveness improvements are being attributed to a Windows feature called Low Latency Profile, though it hasn't been established as the cause of the reported RAM reductions.

Low Latency Profile on Windows 11 forces a CPU to finish a task, such as opening an app, as fast as possible instead of trying to sustain a consistent processing speed. By doing so, the processor is able to move to an idle state more quickly. In turn, RAM is freed up and a user's system runs better.

Microsoft stated earlier this year that there would be some memory optimization and performance improvements on the way with Windows 11, and these reports suggest users may be seeing some of those benefits. It is interesting though that the company hasn't announced a RAM reduction with 26H2, especially based on the positive reaction around the reports. Perhaps even more improvements are on the way?

Nintendo Switch Sports Resort brings Wii Sports antics to Switch 2

Mashable - Tue, 10/06/2026 - 13:06

Before I get to the meat of this article, I'm going to say something startling and unpleasant: Wii Sports turns 20 years old this November. Just take a second to let the weight of time sink in, and then we can move on.

That fact was something I thought about during a recent Nintendo press event, where I got to play Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, an upcoming Switch 2 exclusive that serves as a spiritual successor to Wii Sports and, more specifically, its lesser-known-but-actually-better sequel, Wii Sports Resort. It's also a sequel to 2022's rather forgettable Nintendo Switch Sports, but for all intents and purposes, that doesn't really matter.

While playing Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, I was mostly struck by how well the simple, family-friendly formula of Wii Sports still works two decades later. After about an hour of gameplay, I can't say if this new motion-controlled party game will elicit anywhere near the level of long-term fondness that the original did back in 2006. Still, it seems like a much more fleshed-out and invigorating experience than the 2022 revival.

SEE ALSO: The 25+ best October Prime Day tech deals, hand-picked by our gadget-obsessed experts Motion controls are still fun in the right hands Gonna fly now. Credit: Nintendo

Basically, everyone who was alive in 2006 played Wii Sports at some point, if Nintendo's sales data is to be believed. It was a genuine phenomenon, and for good reason: Playing it was as simple as picking up a Wii remote and moving it around, with almost no complex button commands required.

The same holds true of Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, only you're using Switch 2 Joy-Con controllers instead of a Wii remote. While they may be a little less ergonomic than the Wii remote, they benefit from 20 more years of motion-sensor development, making them much more accurate and capable.

SEE ALSO: 'Pokémon Legends: Z-A' is getting a physical Switch 2 bundle with 'Mega Dimension' DLC

Structurally, you pretty much know what to expect here. There are 12 motion-based mini-games to choose from, including skateboarding, cruising on a jet ski, flying a plane around, and old favorites like boxing and bowling. Those, along with table tennis, archery, and thumb wrestling, were the ones I got to sample at the press event, and they all worked exactly as they should.

Boxing and bowling are more or less the same as they were in 2006, though again with more sensitive motion controls. Table tennis is very similar to Wii Sports tennis, albeit on a smaller scale, and it's worth noting that regular-sized tennis is in here, too. There is honestly not much to say about any of these mini-games other than they were all roughly as fun in 2026 as they were in 2006.

Cue Goldfinger's 'Superman' now. Credit: Nintendo

The new mini-games were the real highlight of the demo. Skateboarding makes clever use of the Switch 2's oft-ignored mouse controls, as you position the Joy-Con on your leg or a table and pull back to accelerate on the skateboard. Jerk it upward and you'll do an ollie, and doing that again in mid-air will do a trick. This was all in the context of a split-screen multiplayer mode where another player and I skated around the game's island setting, jumping off ramps and searching for collectibles within a time limit. It was pretty casual and slight, but a fun diversion nonetheless.

Both the airplane and jet-ski mini-games worked exactly the same in terms of goals and objectives, but with different vehicles. You control the plane by holding a single Joy-Con in your hands like it's a toy airplane, and you control the jet ski by holding both Joy-Cons horizontally in front of you, as if they were jet ski handlebars. All of this was intuitive and responsive, making better use of the Switch 2's motion inputs than anything else I've played to date. That said, my shoulders got a little tired after a few minutes of the jet-ski game. Maybe that's on me.

If I have one broader conclusion from all of this, it's that motion-controlled mayhem can still be a blast in the right circumstances. The key is to design a game entirely around those sorts of inputs, and that's exactly what Nintendo has done here. If I had kids and a Switch 2, I'd wishlist this joint immediately.

I love Wuhu Island It's like that 'Pilotwings' 3DS game! Credit: Nintendo

Probably the coolest aspect of Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, though, is the reason it has "Resort" in the title. It's set on Wuhu Island, a setting Nintendo used for a few games in the Wii and 3DS eras before relegating it to a Super Smash Bros. level for most of the last 15 years.

I've always been a big fan of Wuhu Island because it adds a sense of place to the proceedings, no matter what game it's in. In Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, every mini-game takes place somewhere on Wuhu Island. When you fly around in the plane, you might pass over the boxing ring or the table tennis arena. It's a fully contiguous and explorable 3D space that also happens to be home to a bunch of sporting events. I just think that's really neat.

Unfortunately, at least by default, the player characters in Nintendo Switch Sports Resort are redesigned Mii characters that don't have the same iconic appearance as the Miis in older Wii Sports titles. They don't look bad, but they do look a little more generic, and that's a bummer. This strikes me as an odd decision, given the popularity of Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream earlier this year. Old-school Miis are on the come-up, and Nintendo shouldn't back away from that.

I have no idea if Nintendo Switch Sports Resort will hold my attention for more than a couple of hours when it launches on Oct. 22, but I'm also not 12 anymore, and that's OK. Hopefully, today's kids can get as much joy from this game as I did from the original back in the day.

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.

Cuffing season has arrived! Here are the best dating apps for serious relationships.

Mashable - Tue, 10/06/2026 - 13:00

Don't worry if your summer hookup fizzled out. As Mashable's deputy culture editor, Olivia Tauber, wrote, fall is the best time to date.

Between cozy sweaters and dates at the apple orchard, autumn is a great time to find your special someone. And while several single women and men recently told Mashable that dating in 2026 isn't necessarily fun, that doesn't mean there's no hope.

SEE ALSO: The 10 best hookup apps of 2026: I swiped until my thumb hurt

While singles are increasingly frustrated with dating apps, one coach we spoke to said the apps aren't keeping people single; it's how they're using them. If you're swiping into the void and avoiding talking to people, yes, it may be hard to find a date! But it is absolutely possible to find your person online. In fact, Mashable recently interviewed several married couples who met on dating apps.

According to 2023 findings from the Pew Research Center, one in ten partnered adults (married, living with a partner, or in a committed relationship) met their partner on a dating app or site. If you're a younger adult and/or LGBTQ, you're more likely to have met your significant other online: one in five adults under 30 and nearly one in four for LGBTQ adults.

The same study found that almost half (44 percent) of dating app users said a major reason for using them was to meet a long-term partner. So, if that's you, you're certainly not alone, despite what you might see people lament on TikTok. 

But with so many apps, from Bumble to eharmony, it can be challenging to determine which ones to invest in. And the discourse on dating app culture can be unrelenting. In 2025, singles told Mashable they'd rather meet a potential partner in person, but they're begrudgingly on the apps. Some, like Tinder, have seen their revenue decrease in recent years, while Hinge is growing. Even then, though, daters bemoan even the most popular of apps. A Kinsey scientist recently told Mashable where daters are going wrong: use dating apps as a tool, not to let them run the show — and stop self-optimizing, already.

Despite the frustration over The Apps™, it's undeniable that if you want to date from the comfort and safety of your home, they're the way to do it. If you're, say, introverted or have difficulty approaching someone in person, an app can still be useful.

What is the #1 best dating app?

Considering the variation in experiences on all the dating apps, it's difficult to quantify which ones are the "best." Some people find their spouses on Tinder, while others are disappointed that their matches are only looking for hookups. 

That being said, if you're looking for something serious, your best bet is likely an app with a large user base, options for you to indicate what you're looking for in your bio, and filters to weed out who you really want to partner with. There are also apps whose branding is geared towards finding one's ultimate match — like eharmony and Match, both decades-old sites with reputations for helping users find their spouse. Hinge, Bumble, and Coffee Meets Bagel also have a reputation for more "serious" connections.

Depending on the type of relationship you're seeking, you may also benefit from a more niche app. Take one app on our list, SilverSingles, for people over 50. Sure, there are older adults on apps like Tinder and Bumble as well, but you may have more luck finding someone age-appropriate if you're in a space meant just for you.

Which dating site is best for serious relationships?

Mashable has researched to pick out a few from the plethora of dating sites (and apps) out there. These options are available for both Android and Apple users, so the type of phone you have won't determine your options. In terms of monetary investment, you can use some of these for free (like Tinder and Bumble), while others are more pay-to-play. We've also included some "niche" options, like the aforementioned SilverSingles and Elite Singles, so you have more than the standard buffet of dating apps.

Here are the best dating apps for serious relationships:

Asos hacked notification: What a snowflake instance is

Mashable - Tue, 10/06/2026 - 12:07

UPDATE: Oct. 6, 2026, 11:55 a.m. This article has been updated to reflect the statment Mashable recieved from a Snowflake representative.

ASOS app users in the UK woke up Tuesday to an unsettling pop-up. As Mashable reported, messages that appear to come from hackers have been showing up inside the official ASOS app. One of them, addressed to the retailer's data protection officer and IT team, claims the senders "have fully compromised the Snowflake instance" and threatens to leak it.

For most people, any app you use that stores your personal information is a bit scary. Beyond that, though, most shoppers probably have no idea what a Snowflake instance even is. So, why should ASOS customers be worried?

What is Snowflake?

Snowflake is a company that sells a cloud-based data platform. Businesses use it to store large amounts of information and run analyses on it. According to Snowflake's documentation, the platform combines data storage, processing, and analytics into a single service, and it handles the hardware, software, and maintenance itself. Customers don't install it on their own servers; instead, it runs on major public clouds such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.

SEE ALSO: The 6 biggest cybersecurity breaches of 2026 so far

The data can take many forms. Snowflake's documentation says the platform can hold neatly organized tables with rows and columns, looser formats like JSON files, and unstructured material such as documents, images, and audio. Companies also use it to build data pipelines, train machine learning models, and share data with partners.

So, think of Snowflake as a highly organized warehouse that a company rents. The company decides what goes inside and who gets a key, while Snowflake runs the building.

What's an 'instance'?

In cloud hosting, an instance generally means one running copy of something. Most often, that's a virtual server. On Amazon Web Services, for example, a virtual machine you rent is called an "EC2 instance." You pick its size, meaning how much processing power, memory, and storage it gets, start it up, and it runs until you shut it down.

Keeping up with the analogy, an "instance" is one company's own private section of Snowflake's warehouse, according to Snowflake's documentation. Snowflake has many corporate customers, and each one gets a separate environment with its own data, users, and access controls. Snowflake's documentation describes security, authentication, and access control as built-in parts of the platform.

When attackers claim to have compromised "the Snowflake instance," they're saying they gained access to the environment where ASOS stores its data. In this case, it appears that only ASOS has been affected and not the entirety of Snowflake's customer base. As of this writing, Snowflake has not publicly commented on the ASOS breach. A spokesperson for Snowflake responded to Mashable through email with the following statement:

"As soon as we became aware of the notification that is currently being reported, we began an investigation. At this time, we can report that we have found no compromise of the Snowflake platform. We take customer privacy and security very seriously. The investigation is ongoing and we will provide further updates as soon as more information becomes available."

Several key details remain unconfirmed. As noted in our previous report, it isn't publicly established that ASOS uses Snowflake, and ASOS isn't on Snowflake's published list of partners. ASOS addressed the incident in a statement posted to its Instagram Story on Tuesday.

The company apologized to customers who received what it called an "unauthorized push notification" and asked them to ignore the message and not click its link. ASOS said it is investigating, has restricted access, and is working with internal and external specialists and the relevant authorities.

Based on what it knows so far, the company said, basic personal information, including names and contact details, may have been accessed. ASOS said it doesn't believe payment card information or account passwords were affected.

The statement doesn't mention Snowflake, so it's still unconfirmed whether the data the hackers claim to have taken was stored there. ASOS also didn't say how the hackers were able to send messages through its app, or how many customers may be affected.

What ASOS is saying

ASOS says its website and app are working as usual. Users shouldn't click the link in the pop-up message, which leads to a Telegram channel run by a group calling itself the "Xuanye Group."

The bigger risk may come later. If names and contact details were taken, scammers could use them to send convincing phishing emails or texts that appear to come from ASOS. Be wary of unexpected messages that mention your ASOS account, an order, or a refund, especially ones asking you to click a link or enter personal details.

ASOS doesn't believe passwords were affected, ASOS said on Instagram Tuesday. However, changing yours is a simple precaution. That's especially true if you use the same password on other sites.

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Get cozy for fall and check out the best dating apps for LGBTQ women

Mashable - Tue, 10/06/2026 - 12:00

It's October. At least in the northern hemisphere, the temperature is dropping, and the desire for hooking up may be weakening. If you want to cozy up with a sapphic love interest this autumn, consider finding one on a dating app.

As a lesbian, you probably know all about them. Lesbian Americans (along with bisexual and gay Americans) are far more likely to have ever used dating apps than straight Americans: 51 percent to 28 percent, according to the Pew Research Center.

SEE ALSO: Forget 'Hot Girl Summer.' Fall is the best time to date.

​​Online dating as a lesbian can be a joyous experience, but it can also involve having your space invaded by straight people or seeing your ex-girlfriends (and your ex-girlfriends' ex-girlfriends) show up in your feed over and over. You might also be subject to lesbian vs. bi discourse, but that's not a prerequisite. Scroll on by and focus on doing you.

Over the decades, queer women have turned to personal ads, frequented bars, and relied on word of mouth to find love. These days, it's not too different. From trying to find a date on WLW TikTok to entrapranureal lesbians creating new apps just for them, LGBTQ women are down to get creative to find their special someone.

Thankfully, in 2026, there are both niche and general apps where queer women can find a partner — whether for one night or for life. Which ones are the best dating apps for lesbians? We tested the most popular dating sites and apps and drew on insights from our Dating & Relationships writers to find out.

How to find the best dating apps for lesbians Niche lesbian dating apps aren't your only option for finding love. Credit: Stacey Zhu / Mashable

In Mashable's recommendations below, you'll find both general dating apps and apps specifically for queer people. As the former appeals to the general population, you'll find more users in these spaces. The caveat, however, is that when you swipe on other women, you might find those coupled with men who are looking for another woman to have a threesome with (aka unicorn hunters). No judgment here, but that's probably not what you're looking for. Then again, people of all types are on dating apps like Tinder and Hinge. You never know who you may come across.

Then there are apps specifically for the community, like HER and Lex. If you yearn for a smaller dating scene, head for these apps. While there's no "Grindr for lesbians" — we go into why in the FAQ section — these apps are more so like stepping into your neighborhood lesbian bar than an app like Bumble. 

You can also try multiple dating apps, as each one below has a free version. You can filter by the gender you identify with and are looking for, and sometimes, as with OkCupid, there are many options to choose from.

Diving into the dating pool isn't easy, but the water's fine. Check out our guide below for the full rundown of our recommendations and dating app reviews.

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