IT General

SAVE $60: As of Sept. 26, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ is on sale for $209 at Amazon. That's a 23% saving on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ $209 at Amazon
$269.99 Save $60.99 Get Deal

Prime Day deals are just over a week away, but some standout discounts have already dropped.

There's already a lot to consider, including the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ for $60 off at Amazon. As of Sept. 26, you can take this tablet home for the reduced price of $209. This price is for the 128GB tablet-only option. It's also available in graphite and silver colors.

SEE ALSO: The Segway Cube 2000 portable power station is over $1,000 off at Amazon — a new record-low price

This is the perfect tablet for watching shows or scrolling on social media, thanks to its bright 11-inch screen. It also has quad speakers with Dolby Atmos, so the sound quality is impressive too. And with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage (which is expandable with a microSD), there’s plenty of power and space for all your apps, shows, and games.

It's kid-friendly, too. The Samsung Kids app makes sure that all accessible content is safe and engaging, and the slim, durable design makes it easy for kids to carry with them.

And if you’d rather watch on the big screen, this tablet allows you to cast seamlessly with Smart View. Plus, with Galaxy connectivity, you can even take calls and reply to texts directly from your tablet.

Upgrade with this great tablet deal now.

As a somewhat recent subscriber to Paramount+, I am still exploring the depths of the streaming service's offerings. So I was delighted to scroll upon the three titles below, each I managed to binge over the course of a weekend.

During this time of year, weekends are for two things: college football (Geaux Tigers) and streaming whatever is up next on my watch list. I won’t lie, though. Most of my weekends are spent consuming content, and I love it. How else am I going to bring you such awesome recommendations?

Today's Connections: Sports Edition requires some knowlegde on golf and one of the great American cities.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, 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 the latest 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: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. 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: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Fighting words

• Green: Have a ball

• Blue: Lions and tigers

• Purple: The great indoors

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Bloodsport

• Green: Hole in one

• Blue: The Motor City

• Purple: Welcome to the thunder _______

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

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: Sports Edition #368 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Combat Sports Settings - CAGE, MAT, OCTAGON, RING

• Golf Brands - CALLAWAY, COBRA, PING, TAYLORMADE

• Detroit Sports Greats - BING, HOWE, KALINE, SANDERS

• ______ Dome - ASTRO, KING, SILVER, SUPER

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections 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.

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 today's Connections.

I've been using Netflix for more than a decade, so it's safe to say I've watched much of its catalog. It means I've seen some of the best TV shows ever created, but also that I've sat through my fair share of duds. I'm not getting that time back, so let me save you from making the same mistakes.

Ever wondered why the moon looks different tonight than it did last night? It's not random; the moon is actually moving through a cycle of eight phases known as the lunar cycle. The cycle lasts around 29.5 days, and happens as the Sun lights up different parts of the moon whilst it orbits Earth.

Cool, right? Keep reading to see where the moon is as of Sept. 26 in the lunar cycle.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Friday, Sept. 26, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent, and according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation, there is 19% visible.

It's day five of the lunar cycle, and the moon well and truly feels like it's coming back to us. With just your naked eye, look to the top right of the moon to see the Mare Crisium. If you avert your gaze to the middle right of the moon, you'll also see the Mare Fecunditatis. If you're in the Southern Hemisphere, these will be positioned towards the bottom left.

Much like last night's viewing, you'll also catch a glimpse of the Endymion Crater with binoculars or a telescope.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Oct. 6. The last full moon was on Sept. 7.

What are moon phases?

NASA tells us that moon phases are part of a 29.5-day cycle of the moon’s orbit. This changes the angles between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Moon phases are how the moon looks from Earth as it goes around us; sometimes it looks full, sometimes it looks like it's disappeared entirely, but we always see the same side of the moon, it's just how much of it is lit up by the Sun that changes depending on where it is in its orbit.

This is how we get full moons, half moons, and moons that appear completely invisible. There are eight main moon phases, and they follow a repeating cycle:

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.

Last Quarter (or Third 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.

Happy Saturday and welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, the Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move onto the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity for how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 20, 2025

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible – and common – for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for September 19, 2025 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Sept. 26 Pips

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 6-0, placed horizontally.

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally; 6-0, placed horizontally; 6-3, placed horizontally; 6-4, placed vertically.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 6-4, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Sept. 26 Pips

Number (6): Everything in this space must add to 6. The answer is 6-5, placed horizontally.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add to 9. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally; 5-1, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add to 10. The answer is 6-1, placed vertically; 4-2, placed horizontally.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add to 1. The answer is 1-0, placed vertically; 0-0, placed horizontally.

Number (15): Everything in this space must add to 15. The answer is 6-5, placed horizontally; 5-5, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add to 3. The answer is 5-1, placed horizontally; 4-3, placed horizontally.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add to 0. The answer is 0-0, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Sept. 26 Pips

Number (2): Everything in this space must add to 2. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically.

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically; 3-5, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add to 2. The answer is 4-2, placed vertically.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 1-0, placed vertically.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 0-2, placed vertically.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically; 4-2, placed vertically; 1-4, placed vertically

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 1-0, placed horizontally; 0-0, placed horizontally; 0-6, placed vertically.

Number (22): Everything in this space must add to 2. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically; 0-6, placed vertically; 5-5, placed horizontally.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

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.

The NYT Connections puzzle today shouldn't be hard to solve if you like the great outdoors.

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 2, 2025 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Mixing in the kitchen

• Green: Subtle

• Blue: Furry beasts

• Purple: Unclean

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Stir vigorously

• Green: Hard to make out

• Blue: Kinds of bears

• Purple: Dirty ___

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

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 #838 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Stir vigorously: BEAT, CREAM, WHIP, WHISK

• Hard to make out: DIM, FAINT, LIGHT, PALE

• Kinds of bears: BLACK, BROWN, POLAR, SUN

• Dirty ___: BLONDE, POOL, RICE, WORD

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for September 2, 2025

Are you also playing NYT Strands?

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 today's Connections.

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands 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 Mashable

By 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.

Today's NYT Strands puzzle should be easy to solve, provided that you're always on time.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 2, 2025 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 2, 2025 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: As old as time

The words are related to time.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are parts of a timepiece.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Grandfather Clock.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for September 26

• Chimes

• Winder

• Grandfather Clock

• Gears

• Weights

• Pendulum

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 today's Strands.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

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.

Today's NYT Wordle puzzle shouldn't be difficult to solve if you're a procrastinator.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 2, 2025 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 2, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

To waste time.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter L appears twice.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter D.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. 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...

DALLY

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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for September 2, 2025

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

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 today's Wordle.

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.

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 hint

A fashion sense.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

STYLE

Hurdle Word 2 hint

An addictive drug.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 4, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

OPIUM

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Attached.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 4 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for August 4, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

STUCK

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Thick.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for August 4 Hurdle Word 4 answer

DENSE

Final Hurdle hint

Two cents.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

INPUT

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Instagram has always been pretty precocious. Now, just ahead of its 15th birthday, we have a new measure of its global fame — and it is on a level far beyond the dreams of regular teenagers.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Wednesday that the once-humble photo-sharing app, which he had the foresight to buy for a mere $1 billion in 2012, now has more than 3 billion active users. That's an extraordinary achievement, and not just because Instagram had barely cracked 30 million monthly active users at sale time.

Three billion is nearly 37 percent of the population of Earth. If it were a country, Instagram would be larger than India (which has the largest Insta audience), China, the U.S. and the E.U. combined. The Roman Empire, the British Empire, the American whatever-this-is — they can only dream of this level of conquest.

No empire, real or virtual (and these days who can tell the difference), has ever been forged this quickly. Even Instagram's older sibling, Facebook, only just hit 3 billion users in January, at the ripe age of 21. Instagram, launched on Oct. 6, 2010, is the true prodigy of the social media family. (WhatsApp is Meta's middle child; the company says it has 3 billion users too, but your mileage may vary on whether it counts as social media.)

Based on these growth numbers, there's every reason to believe Instagram will soon overtake big brother, and become synonymous with social media in the 2020s (and maybe even 2030s) the way Facebook was in the 2010s. (TikTok is on Insta's tail, but currently eating its dust with an estimated 1.6 billion active users.)

SEE ALSO: What to expect when you're expecting 8 billion internet users

Just as Alexander the Great was said to have wept when there was no more of the then-known world to be conquered, Zuckerberg may well lament that there are less than 5 billion smartphone users who could possibly download his app. (It's still banned in China, which Alexander couldn't reach either.)

Who counts as an Instagram 'user'?

But how does Zuckerberg's Meta count Instagram's "active users," anyway? And does it matter as much as the hype suggests?

It's an important question because Zuckerberg has been zigging and zagging on his metrics of late. In July, the company simply said that 3.48 billion people used the Meta "family of apps" — and that they did so every day. The last time Zuckerberg broke out Instagram's user number, on a quarterly call for investors and analysts in 2022, he pinned it at 2 billion monthly active users, which is the more frequently-used number. (MAUs are what we've used for TikTok and WhatsApp above.)

And Monthly Active Users (MAUs) is what Zuck meant this week, according to his Threads post. One that threw in a Breaking Bad GIF — "billions, with a b" — for extra swagger.

SEE ALSO: Who is actually using Threads?

So why switch from monthly to daily and back again? Is counting users as simple as receiving pings from servers when they log in, or is fuzzy math involved? Are we talking across all devices and web browsers, or smartphones only? Mashable reached out to Meta and asked them to walk us through the MAU-counting process, but the company is staying tight-lipped for now.

Still, there is some evidence to suggest that a Monthly Active User ain't what they used to be — and that counting the amount of time spent on the app may be a more relevant metric.

Take me, for an extreme example. Technically, I'm a Monthly Active User of Instagram. I'm part of the three billion-strong empire! But what that means is practice is that once or twice a month, I'll look someone up via their handle. I posted a grand total of two photos in 2024, and 15 in 2023, continuing a decline since 2020. According to Screen Time on my iPhone, my Instagram usage has dropped to an average 18 seconds a day.

Why? My feed has long felt too clogged with ads and algorithmic recommendations for me to truly enjoy it (and I'm far from alone on that front, especially given the controversial feed changes of 2024). The brand new redesign, which hides the post button and prioritizes DMs and Reels, makes Insta feel less friendly (at least to this user) than ever. It's a far cry from the app I loved in the 2010s (when at least one Mashable staffer declared an Instagram addiction, and I wasn't far off myself).

Why time on Instagram may be a better metric

Meta doesn't provide any kind of time-spent-on-app data for Instagram. Estimates from multiple online data services suggest it's around 32 minutes daily per Insta user, worldwide.

That might sound like a lot, but the number hasn't shifted since 2022. Previous to that, time on Instagram was increasing year on year. Now it may have flatlined.

SEE ALSO: President Trump finally inked a $14 billion TikTok deal to keep the app alive

TikTok is ahead of Insta here. The ByteDance app may have a billion-with-a-b fewer users overall, but those users spend an estimated average of 56 minutes every day on the app.

And that particular engagement figure is only going to become more relevant as the smartphone app market becomes saturated — as every single one of us downloads both apps on our phones, basically. The MAUs will encompass more and more of us, because who doesn't look at the occasional Reel or TikTok when their friends send one?

Minutes of usage per day may not be the only metric that matters, but it is a growing part of a complicated social media picture.

For now, perhaps the clearest snapshot of the social media landscape emerges if you multiply number of billion MAUs by daily average usage minutes. Do that math for TikTok, and you get 89. Do it for Instagram, you get 96.

The 'gram still wins, but TikTok is too close for comfort — close enough to take the swag out of Zuckerberg's boast.

The new Xbox gaming handheld is finally available for pre-order here in the United States.

The long-awaited, Asus-produced ROG Xbox Ally consoles (there are two of them) are launching on Oct. 16, and the pre-order date is fast approaching. In fact, it's approaching so fast that it's already here. That's right, Asus just announced that the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X consoles are available for pre-order starting Thursday at 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET). The regular ROG Xbox Ally runs for $599, while the more powerful ROG Xbox Ally X runs for $999.

Opens in a new window Credit: Asus/Microsoft ROG Xbox Ally X $999 at Best Buy
Pre-order Here Opens in a new window Credit: Asus/Microsoft ROG Xbox Ally $599 at Best Buy
Pre-order Here SEE ALSO: Nintendo is bringing back the reviled 'Virtual Boy' as a Switch accessory

Here are all of the places where you can pre-order the ROG Xbox Ally:

• Asus

• Amazon

• Best Buy

• Ant Online

• Microsoft

• Walmart

If any of those links aren't working, keep checking back as retailers make pre-orders available.

If you're not buying directly from Asus, the more powerful of the two ROG Xbox Ally handheld gaming consoles is exclusive to Best Buy. There's also a sweepstakes for people who pre-order directly from Asus in the United States. If you buy from Asus, you'll get enrolled into a contest where you could potentially win a bundle that includes any of the following:

• ROG Strix Arion SSD

• ROG Raikiri Controller

• ROG Cetra wireless earbuds

• ROG Bulwark charging/TV dock

• ROG Xbox Ally 2-in-1 premium case

The Xbox Ally promises a Steam Deck-like experience but with built-in integration for your Xbox account, complete with Game Pass support. If you're an Xbox devotee who travels a lot, this may be the machine for you. Good luck with the pre-orders.

Google's Pixel Buds Pro 2 are really good, and they're better every year thanks to Google supporting them with new updates and features every so often. Now, the latest batch of Pixel Buds Pro 2 features is rolling out, and it's looking good.

OnePlus phones remain popular, even if they might not have the same weight they did before. If you happen to have a OnePlus phone, you'll want to know about this vulnerability—and while a fix is on the way, you should continue to be careful while it lands.

SAVE $151: As of Sept. 25, the 2024 Apple iMac (M4 chip, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) is down to as low as $1,347.50 at Amazon. That's a 10% or $151.50 discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iMac (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $1,347.50 at Amazon
$1,499 Save $151.50 Get Deal

If you've been looking for the right time to upgrade your desktop computer, Apple's M4 iMac just went on sale. So long as you're not picky about the color, now's a good time to add it to your cart.

As of Sept. 25, the 2024 Apple iMac with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage is down to $1,347.50 at Amazon if you choose the blue model. That's 10% or $151.50 in savings. The green option is also down to $1,349, while the silver option is sitting at $1,353. Unfortunately, the yellow, orange, pink, and purple models are all still full price.

Launched last October, the M4 iMac didn't make too many major changes to the previous generation Apple desktop. The main differences are the M4 chip (versus its M3 predecessor), of course, as well as new colorways and the inclusion of Apple Intelligence features. Apple said in a press release that the M4 chip is 1.7 times faster for daily productivity and 2.1 times faster for photo editing and gaming compared to the M1 iMac. While it didn't compare it to the previous M3 model, it's safe to say the M4 will trump its predecessor in speed.

Other features include support for up to 24GB of unified memory, 10-core GPU, a 24-inch 4.5K Retina display, 12MP Center Stage camera, four USB-C ports, and the ability to connect up to two 6K external displays.

There's a chance this particular iMac could drop even lower during Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event. But if you're not willing to gamble, we suggest jumping on this $150+ savings while it's around.

SAVE $120: As of Sep. 25, get the Shark FlexStyle for $279.99, down from its usual price of $399.99. That's a discount of 30% and the lowest price we've seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Shark FlexStyle $279.99 at Amazon
$399.99 Save $120 Get Deal

Love a fresh blowout, but spend too much time at the salon? You can achieve those same results at home. You just need the right tool. And thanks to this Amazon deal, you can get a simple to use, affordable hair styler from Shark that can get you the hair of your dreams day in and day out, all without having to leave.

As of Sep. 25, get the Shark FlexStyle for $279.99, down from its usual price of $399.99. That's $120 off and a discount of 30%. It's also the lowest price we've seen.

SEE ALSO: Shark made one of its multi-styler attachments into a standalone, more affordable hair tool

This multi-styling tool comes with a series of attachments so it can work with any hair type. It's compact and lightweight, and can help curl, volumize, smooth, and dry your hair. It can stay at a low heat while drying and regulates temperatures 1,000x per second to keep a consistent temperature over time.

Mashable's Bethany Allard took the FlexStyle for a spin and called it "100 percent worth it" after a thorough review: "Admittedly, I am someone who would much rather put more effort into their makeup than hair, but I found myself wanting to style my hair more often with the FlexStyle," she wrote.

If you want a good and reliable way to whip your hair into shape on the daily with hot tools, this is the way to do it. No matter what style you're looking to achieve, chances are it can help you get there, and then get you out of the door as well, all while saving you some serious cash.

SAVE $300.02: The Grecell T-1000 portable power station is on sale at Amazon for $399.97, down from the list price of $699.99. That's a 43% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Grecell Grecell T-1000 portable power station $399.97 at Amazon
$699.99 Save $300.02 Get Deal

Now that we no longer have "average" weather, we've come to expect things to be weird. That means hotter than normal summers and more intense storms. As we head into October, it's time to get ready for fall storms that are likely to knock out power. Before that happens, equip your home with a way to keep phones charged and the lamps on. Thanks to this deal at Amazon, doing so doesn't have to come with a massive price tag.

As of Sept. 25, Grecell T-1000 portable power station is on sale for $399.97 at Amazon, marked down from the normal price of $699.99. That works out to a savings of $300.02 thanks to the 43% discount.

Instead of staying tethered to your phone charger during the next fall storm, relax that you'll have a way of keeping powered up should the lights go out. The Grecell T-1000 portable power station offers 999Wh of capacity which Grecell says can recharge a phone up to 90 times or a laptop 24 times. Unlike many portable power stations, the Grecell has a built-in wireless charging pad that's great for your phone.

SEE ALSO: The Jackery HomePower 3000 portable power station with two 200W solar panels is $1,400 off at Amazon and it comes with a free Jackery Explorer 550

It's worth mentioning the Grecell uses an older battery technology in the T-1000 with lithium ion cells. The abbreviated version of why this matters is that it won't last as long as a portable power station that utilizes lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries. But given today's sale price on the T-1000, that might not matter in the long run.

Before fall and winter storms take over the weather forecast, get the Grecell T-1000 portable power station for less than $400 at Amazon. It'll be useful for staying charged up during power outages in the coming months and it can come along to the campground come spring and summer.

SAVE $200: The Asus Vivobook S16 (AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) is on sale at Amazon for $999.99, down from the list price of $1,199.99. That's a 17% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Asus Asus Vivobook S16 (AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $999.99 at Amazon
$1,199.99 Save $200 Get Deal

A old(er) laptop can cause a bit of a Stockholm Syndrome effect. It slows down and you become acclimated to its speed, accepting it because the slow down didn't happen suddenly. But if you've been feeling your laptop is not performing well, it might be time for an upgrade. If that's the case, check out this deal.

As of Sept. 25, the Asus Vivobook S16 (AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) is on sale for $999.99 at Amazon, marked down from the normal price of $1,199.99. That's a 17% discount that takes $200 off the normal price.

If you're not on team MacBook, you already know Asus makes some great laptops and the Vivobook S16 has some nice features. Today's sale model comes with a respectable 1TB of storage and 16GB of memory which is nice for multi-tasking.

SEE ALSO: The ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 gaming laptop is down to its lowest-ever price at Amazon — save $500 right now

The 16-inch 3K OLED display is worth noting, reaching a peak brightness of 600 nits. There's also the 120Hz refresh rate and a 0.2 millisecond response time. The Vivobook S16 could also be a great option for anyone who travels often or for students who cart a laptop between home and campus daily. The S16 weighs just 3.3 pounds and measures 0.55-inches thick. There's also the 14-hour battery life to make everything less stressful.

While it's on sale at Amazon for under $1,000, upgrade a slow machine to the Asus Vivobook S16 (AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD). It's 2025 and no one deserved to be dealing with a slow laptop.

SAVE UP TO $265: As of Sept. 25, start shopping early October Prime Day deals on iRobot Roomba vacuums. Get the iRobot Roomba Plus 405 robot vacuum and mop for just $399.99 and save $265.01 for 40% off — making it one of the most affordable combo vacuums available.

Early October Prime Day iRobot deals Best iRobot deal iRobot Roomba Plus 405 Robot Vacuum & Mop $399.99 (Save $265.01) Get Deal Best budget deal iRobot Roomba 104 Robot Vacuum $149.99 (Save $100) Get Deal Best budget combo vacuum iRobot Roomba 104 Robot Vacuum and Mop $249.99 (Save $200) Get Deal Best robot vacuum deal iRobot Roomba Plus 504 Robot Vacuum $379.99 (Save $215) Get Deal

Amazon is hitting us with another Prime Day in October. Its annual Prime Big Deal Days returns October 7 and 8, and is going to be 48 hours full of deals. While we still have a few weeks until all of the deals roll in, some brands are getting a head start on the savings. As of Sept. 25, iRobot has launched four great deals on Roombas to kick off Amazon's fall sale.

iRobot launched the first successful robot vacuum, essentially making its signature Roomba synonymous with robot vacuums. While we may have other robot vacuum brands we prefer over iRobot, there's no denying that Roombas are still fantastic models — especially when they're on sale. Ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, iRobot has dropped four great deals on its Roombas so you can start shopping early. Save up to $265 on the brand's robot vacuums now, before Amazon's October Prime Day kicks off on October 7.

Best early Prime Day iRobot deal Opens in a new window Credit: iRobot iRobot Roomba Plus 405 Robot Vacuum & Mop $399.99 at Amazon
$665 Save $265.01 Get Deal Why we like it

When it comes to robot vacuums, I always turn to Mashable's in-house robot vacuum expert, Leah Stodart. When I asked her about these deals, she pointed out that iRobot marked down the iRobot Roomba Plus 405 to $399.99, making it one of the most affordable combo robot vacuum and mop. That saves you $265.01 off its list price of $665 for 40% off.

The Roomba Plus 405 includes both vacuum and mopping abilities, featuring strong suction to really scrub at dirt and grime. It features four cleaning levels that you can adjust from the iRobot app. Plus its dock not only empties the vacuum, but even cleans the mopping pads for a truly hands-free experience.

While we're not sure what other combo vacuum and mop deals are coming during Prime Big Deal Days, we can safely say that the Roomba Plus 405 is one of the best deals you can get ahead of the event.

More early Prime Day iRobot Roomba deals

• iRobot Roomba 104 Robot Vacuum — $149.99 $249.99 (save $100)

• iRobot Roomba 104 Robot Vacuum and Mop — $249.99 $449.99 (save $200)

• iRobot Roomba Plus 504 Robot Vacuum — $379.99 $594.99 (save $215)