Mashable

IT: Welcome to Derry is only a couple of episodes in, but we're already awash with Stephen King Easter eggs — and the show's opening credits are no exception.

Set to Patience and Prudence's discordantly cheery 1956 song "A Smile and a Ribbon", the opening theme is made up of a series of retro cartoon images that veer between wholesome and terrifying.

Of these scenes, there are certain moments and places that may look familiar. We've broken them down below.

SEE ALSO: Every single Stephen King movie adaptation, ranked The statue of Paul Bunyan

In episode 1, Derry is still trying to approve a statue of Paul Bunyan, despite the protests of residents. This statue appears in both the book and the movies, coming to life and chasing Richie Tozier (Finn Wolfhard/Bill Hader) in a memorable scare sequence.

The storm drain

One image in the opening credits shows a little girl bending down to look into the dark mouth of a storm drain. There's no clown waiting inside, but the moment is eerily reminiscent of the infamous scene with Georgie (Jackson Robert Scott) and Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård) that opens both the book and the first IT movie.

Juniper Hill Asylum

In the opening credits we see a shot of doctors getting ready to operate on a screaming child in the upstairs room of an asylum. As the camera zooms away, this is revealed to be Juniper Hill Asylum; it's a place that pops up in a couple of Stephen King stories, but in IT it's where adult Henry Bowers (Teach Grant) is locked up before escaping with the help of Pennywise.

Featured Video For You Cooper Hoffman and 'The Long Walk' cast compete for ultimate Stephen King film knowledge The house on Neibolt Street

We see a family getting their picture taken in front of a very haunted-looking house, the little boy peering over his shoulder at a shadow in the window. If this ramshackle building looks familiar, it's because it's a key IT location: The house on Neibolt Street, which serves as the entrance to Pennywise's sewer lair in both the book and the movies.

Don’t miss out on our latest stories: Add Mashable as a trusted news source in Google.

The shooting of the Bradley gang

We know that IT: Welcome to Derry will be largely based on the interlude chapters from the novel penned by Mike Hanlon (Chosen Jacobs/Isaiah Mustafa), which delves into the town's dark history and the bloody events that mark the start and end of the creature's killing cycles. In the book, the 1930s cycle starts with the massacre of the Bradley gang — a shooting in one of the town's main streets in which some gangsters are gunned down. This scene is depicted in the opening credits, as is another scene from the cycle before that one...

The explosion at the Kitchener Ironworks

This is the event that ends the cycle in the early 1900s — an explosion at the Ironworks that takes place during an Easter egg hunt (hence the giant rabbit we see in the opening credits), and which results in the death of 88 children in the novel. Presumably these events will be recreated at some point in the show.

IT: Welcome to Derry debuts on Sunday, Oct. 26 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO, and will be available to stream on HBO Max. New episodes air weekly.

TL;DR: Live stream FC Augsburg vs. Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Can any team keep pace with Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga standings? That job usually falls at the feet of Borussia Dortmund, but they're a little off the pace after eight games. Borussia Dortmund find themselves in fourth position going into a crucial Friday night fixture with FC Augsburg.

If you want to watch FC Augsburg vs. Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is FC Augsburg vs. Borussia Dortmund?

FC Augsburg vs. Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga kicks off at 7:30 p.m. GMT on Oct. 31. This fixture takes place at the Augsburg Arena.

How to watch FC Augsburg vs. Borussia Dortmund for free

FC Augsburg vs. Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world.

Live stream FC Augsburg vs. Borussia Dortmund for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Visit BBC iPlayer

5. Live stream FC Augsburg vs. Borussia Dortmund for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch FC Augsburg vs. Borussia Dortmund without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to live stream select fixtures from the Bundesliga before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on BBC iPlayer, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream FC Augsburg vs. Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga for free with ExpressVPN.

Wondering what's happening with the moon tonight? Wonder no more, we have all the information about tonight's place in the lunar cycle, just keep reading.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Friday, Oct. 31, the moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. There will be 69% of the moon lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

Without any visual aids, there's lots for you to see tonight, including the Mare Vaporum, the Mare Imbrium, and the Mare Serenitatis. With some binoculars too, you'll see the Endymion Crater, Posidonius Crater, and the Mare Nectaris. Not enough for you? Telescope owners will also get to see the Rima Ariadaeus and the Apollo 14 and 15 landing spots.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Nov. 5.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, the moon moves through its phases as it completes a 29.5-day orbit around Earth. The phases we see are caused by the changing angles between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. From Earth, the moon can appear full, partly lit, or seem to disappear entirely, but it’s always the same side facing us. What changes is how much sunlight reflects off its surface, depending on where it is in orbit. This pattern is known as the lunar cycle.

The eight main moon phases are:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Emma Stone's Bugonia character may be a high-powered CEO with more wealth than most people could ever dream of, but she does have one super relatable quality: She lip-syncs the hell out of Chappell Roan's "Good Luck, Babe!" in her car.

In a junket interview with Mashable, Stone said that using the song "just felt so right."

SEE ALSO: 'Bugonia's bizarro ending, explained

"She — or her team — was amazing and approved this song within 24 hours of us asking, which was really great, because we needed to shoot the scene, like, two days later," Stone continued. "That was just good luck, babe."

But Roan's 2024 smash hit isn't the only major needle drop in Bugonia. Jesse Plemons' conspiracy theorist Teddy also jams out to Green Day's "Basket Case" during a pivotal scene, a choice that came about through on-set discussions.

"We were just thinking about all the music that Teddy would be listening to," Stone said.

"I remember you mentioning Green Day, then," Plemons recalled.

However, Stone also had another idea for Teddy's big song: "Pepper" by Butthole Surfers.

"I'm really obsessed with Butthole Surfers," Stone said. "I really think that Teddy would listen to Butthole Surfers."

Stone and Plemons also dug into one of Bugonia's richest scenes: a dinner stand-off between Michelle and Teddy, where Teddy's cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) proves to be a comedic wild card.

"The only thing we didn't factor in [while preparing to shoot the scene] was Aidan's incredible improv," Stone said. "Aidan kept going, 'Can I go to the bathroom?' and Yorgos [Lanthimos] was like, 'This is incredible,' and kept it in the movie.'"

Watch the full interview above for more from Stone and Plemons about the music and madness of Bugonia.

Bugonia is now in theaters.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Yale Smart Lock 2   Get Deal

The cold of winter is finally about to set in. You'll probably be spending a lot more time indoors when the holidays arrive, and that means you'll want to feel safe in your space. A smart lock is a great way to achieve that. With Black Friday on the way, would it be possible to see a new record-low price on one of the best and most simple to install smart locks out there?

Why we love the Yale Smart Lock 2

There are plenty of reasons to love the Yale Smart Lock 2, but most of them stem from its convenience and ease of use. From unboxing to installation, it only takes minutes to get up and running. It offers keyless access to your home, but it also allows you to use the same key you already use to unlock your door. It adds options to use a voice assistant, keypad, and auto-unlocking via app, so you can do what you're most comfortable with. If you forget your key, as long as you've got your phone, you're good to go.

That means you don't have to hire a locksmith to get you into your home or spend on having new keys made. And if you forget to check if you locked the door before you leave your house, a quick glance at the app will tell you its status. You can send a push for it to lock on its own, or have the peace of mind that it's locked securely. Plus, you can even set it to auto-unlock as you approach with your phone.

One thing that makes it perfect for renters, however, is how temporary it can be if you want it. There's nothing permanent to install and no one can see that you're using it from the outside. So if your rental agreement prevents any modification to your lock or outside of your unit or apartment, it's invisible to the eye but works just as well as if you'd installed a new lock.

Black Friday deal we hope to see on the Yale Smart Lock 2

While any price drop for this smart lock would be great, seeing it head under its sale price of $120, its current lowest price ever, would be a win for Black Friday. It's seen several price drops over the past year, but usually doesn't drop past the mid $160s or $170s, with its lowest price happening on Nov. 21, 2023 and not returning for some time.

It has a list price of $259.99, with a current discount of 8%, so seeing a significant price drop for Black Friday, when we'll likely also see serious savings on smart home equipment, would be a fantastic score for the biggest sale event of the year. We'll be keeping our eyes and ears (but not our doors) open.

TL;DR: Save on a Sterling Stock Picker lifetime subscription with code SAVE20 at checkout, dropping the usual deal price from $68.99 to $55.19 through Nov. 2 (MSRP $486).

Opens in a new window Credit: Sterling Stock Picker Sterling Stock Picker: Lifetime Subscription $55.19
$486 Save $430.81   Get Deal

Starting your stock market journey shouldn’t feel like gambling, but it’s the fear of loss that keeps many of us on the sidelines. All you really need is a simple tool that helps you easily navigate through the complex jargon and minimize the risk involved in some investments.

Sterling Stock Picker is designed to help you do exactly that. It gives you straightforward, data-driven insights about when to buy, sell, hold, or avoid a stock. Investing in Sterling Stock Picker is pretty easy right now. Instead of costing $486 for a lifetime subscription, it’s only $55.19 with code SAVE20, but that won’t last much longer.

SEE ALSO: OpenAI bets big on AMD with massive investment

Sterling Stock Picker’s North Star technology simplifies complex market data so you don’t need to be an expert to understand what to do next. You also get support from Finley, an AI-powered financial coach built with OpenAI’s technology. Finley helps you make sense of stock trends, delivers personalized recommendations, and keeps you updated with real-time market analysis.

If you’re not sure how to build your portfolio, Sterling makes that easy, too. The Done-For-You Portfolio Builder factors in your goals and risk tolerance, then creates a balanced portfolio tailored to you. From there, you’ll receive ongoing suggestions and insights to help keep everything aligned with your investment strategy.

Whether you’re new to investing or want a more efficient way to manage your portfolio, Sterling Stock Picker offers a practical, intelligent solution.

Use code SAVE20 to get a Sterling Stock Picker lifetime subscription on sale for $55.19. Deal ends Nov. 2 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu Hulu with ads $11.99 per month Shop Now

Streaming services tend to go hard when it comes to Black Friday deals. It's the best time to sign up for most streamers, hands down, as you can typically score some serious savings on monthly membership fees.

But here's the thing: the prices of nearly every streaming service rise dramatically every year (it's honestly getting out of hand). And this year is no different. We've seen Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Apple TV+, Peacock, Fubo, and YouTube TV all increase their costs in 2025, which makes us skeptical of what sort of streaming deals we'll see this holiday season.

Still, we're holding out hope that our favorite streaming deal of 2023 and 2024 will make a return in 2025: 99-cent Hulu subscriptions.

Will price hikes impact Black Friday streaming deals in 2025?

There's really no direct answer to this question, as in years past we've seen some streamers adjust their Black Friday discounts to coincide with price increases and others revive the same deals in spite of them. For example: In 2022, Peacock offered users an entire year of ad-supported streaming for just $1 per month. In 2023, they upped the price to $1.99 per month for one year. Then last year, after a price hike, they chopped that in half and only offered six months of ad-supported streaming for $1.99 per month.

On the other hand, Hulu upped the cost of its basic plan last year from $7.99 to $9.99 per month, yet it still dropped the best streaming deal for the second year in a row — ad-supported subscriptions for just $0.99 per month for an entire year. This gives us hope that despite the 2025 price hike — from $9.99 to $11.99 per month — the 99-cent deal will once again be resurrected.

The Black Friday deal we're hoping to see on Hulu

If Hulu does the unthinkable and revives the best streaming deal of 2023 and 2024, you could get an entire year of streaming for less than 12 bucks. After the latest price hike, that would mean you'd get an entire year of streaming for less than the price of a single month. Unreal.

Since the streamer kept the same deal alive after a $2 price hike last year, we're hopeful the same thing will happen in 2025. But TBH, even if they inflate the Black Friday deal to $1.99 per month for a year, we'd still be satisfied. That's still less than $24 for a whole year of streaming.

Besides the recent price hike, another thing that might complicate Hulu's Black Friday plans is the expected merge with Disney+. By 2026, Disney plans on folding the Hulu app into Disney+ to create a "fully integrated unified app experience." Users will still be able to sign up for Hulu as a standalone service, but there's no word yet on how the pricing will be effected overall when the full integration unfolds.

Why we love Hulu

Hulu is the streaming home of Mashable's favorite show of 2024, Shōgun, as well as one of our favorites of 2025, Dying for Sex. It's also where you'll find FX originals (like The Bear), episodes of ABC shows the day after they air, Neon movies fresh out of the theaters, and plenty of Hulu Original Series we love — like Only Murders in the Building and Chad Powers. It holds its own as one of the most well-rounded streaming services you can get. At $11.99 per month, it's one of the most expensive ad-supported streamers, which is why we'd love to see the 99-cent Black Friday deal revived.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Kindle (16GB) $109.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now

We're less than a month out from the best deal-shopping time of the year — Cyber Week. Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we tend to see the biggest price drops ever on big ticket items, from laptops and TVs to headphones and e-readers. As far as e-readers go, Kindles are our favorites. And we're hoping to see some record-low prices in time for the holidays.

I actually bought my very first Kindle last year during Amazon's Black Friday sale and have never looked back. The basic Kindle retails for just $109.99, but we saw the price plummet to only $89.99 last Black Friday. Then, during Amazon's Prime Day event in October, it dropped even further to just $84.99. Could we see a new best price ever come Black Friday 2025?

Why we love the basic Kindle My Kindle is basically like a security blanket at this point — I bring it everywhere. Credit: Christina Buff

The Kindle Paperwhite is Mashable's resident e-reader expert's top pick. And while it's certainly a wonderful device, I would go to war for my basic Kindle. It's my pride and joy and I carry it with me everywhere. It's tiny enough to fit in my purse and whip out whenever there's a quiet moment in my day. Plus, it's the cheapest option, which is very important to me in a time when everything is outrageously overpriced. On a normal day, it's just $109.99, while the Paperwhite is $159.99 and the Colorsoft is $249.99. We're not even going to mention the prices of the new Kindle Scribe and Scribe Colorsoft.

The basic Kindle comes with 16GB of storage, which is plenty of room for thousands of books. It's the smallest Kindle in the bunch, which I personally find delightful for one-handed reading and portability (like I mentioned, it slips in my purse easily). It has the same screen resolution as the Paperwhite and the same sort of magic that makes you read at lightning speed. It's only downsides are that it's not waterproof and there's no warm light option. I personally haven't had an issue with the light — my eyes never feel strained from reading on the paper-like screen. As for the waterproof issue, you just have to be extra careful.

The Black Friday deal we hope to see on the basic Kindle

Earlier in October, during Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event, we saw the basic Kindle drop to $84.99 — a new record-low for the matcha color option and just the second time ever for the black option. I think Black Friday could beat that, at least by a few bucks. Sure, it may be wishful thinking, but I think we might see the budget-friendly e-reader drop to just $79.99 for the first time ever this holiday season. If that's the case, we will certainly let our readers know ASAP.

In any case, if you're in the market for an e-reader and want to follow my lead and grab the best budget Kindle, we recommend waiting until it's at least down to $84.99. Here's hoping for even less.

Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Solix C1000   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2   Get Deal

It's time to load up on Halloween candy, and while you're at it, why not start a holiday wish list? Black Friday is just a handful of weeks away and each year it seems retailers start dropping prices earlier and earlier. That means some of our favorite products could start seeing discounts soon. And what am I excited for? Portable power stations, of course. In particular, I'm hoping to see new record-low prices on the Anker Solix C1000 and the Solix C1000 Gen 2.

Why we love the Anker Solix C1000 and C1000 Gen 2

Both models of the Anker Solix C1000 provide a bit over 1,000Wh of capacity and both use long-lasting LiFePO4 battery cells which can last for a decade. Port options on both models of the Solix C1000 are great and give you plenty of AC options, USB-C, and USB-A.

Both models are exceptional options for taking along for a weekend camping trip or for keeping around the house in case of a power outage. You'll be able to keep phones and laptops charged up, but you can also use it for a strand of string lights at the campground or for powering up the coffee maker.

At home during power outages, both models will be able to keep the WiFi router powered up so you can spend the outage streaming your favorite Netflix series, rather than worrying about conserving phone battery.

The original Solix C1000 has the advantage of a built-in lightbar and one additional AC port. The newer Solix C1000 Gen 2 is lightweight, smaller in size, and quicker to recharge.

In addition to using a portable power station while camping or during power outages, I find the Solix C1000 to be useful when I visit my family's house during the holidays. The 1950s home doesn't have plentiful power outlets like modern homes do these days. That means it's hard to come by an outlet in some situations. Instead of plugging my phone in to recharge across the room, I pack the Solix C1000 Gen 2 and use it as my nightstand, powering up my phone. It's also great for pairing with a laptop when working from bed, not that I'd ever do such an ergonomically incorrect thing.

Since the Solix C1000 Gen 2 can recharge back to 100 percent in about 50 minutes, it takes no time at all to recharge.

The Anker Solix C1000 (left) and C1000 Gen 2 (right) would make for the best Christmas present for a camping friend. Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable Pricing history of the Anker Solix C1000 and C1000 Gen 2

During October's Prime Day event at Amazon, we saw a record-low price on the older (but still awesome) Solix C1000. That sale brought the price down to just $379, for a major savings of $420 compared to the list price of $799.

The newer Solix C1000 Gen 2 was left out of record-low pricing during October Prime Day but not long after the sale ended, we saw a record-low. The current all-time low price for the Solix C1000 Gen 2 sits at $379.99 from Oct. 20.

Black Friday deal we hope to see on the Anker Solix C1000 and Solix C1000 Gen 2

Since both models are great and both have an all-time low price of about $379.99, I'd be thrilled to see them drop down to this price again. Of course, lower would be ideal, but this amount of power and convenience for $380 is well worth the price, if you ask me. If you see either of these models drop below $379.99, I would highly recommend clicking "buy" at a record-quick speed.

Keep in mind this would make an amazing gift for that friend who's always camping or a pal who works in the backyard often and runs massive extension cords across the lawn to power up tools.

UPDATE: Oct. 30, 2025, 5:32 p.m. Meta confirmed to Mashable that Threads ghost posts appeared in web searches after the 24-hour expiration period and that the issue had been fixed as of Oct. 30. "We found a bug that let expired ghost posts appear in web searches," said Meta spokesperson Jocelyn Jones. "We've fixed the issue, and ghost posts are back to resting in peace where they belong: only the original poster can see them in their archive. We apologize for the scare."

Be careful what you "ghost post" on Threads because it might actually live on forever.

It appears that at least some ghost posts — the new Threads feature Meta launched this week that automatically deletes posts after 24 hours — are being scraped by Google, making them searchable. While writing about the internet’s reaction to the feature, I tested this by plugging text from several screengrabbed ghost posts into Google Search. In multiple cases, I was able to find cached versions of those posts still appearing in search results.

Here’s a screenshot showing the text from Mark Zuckerberg’s own ghost post announcing the feature.

Credit: Screenshot: Google

Here's another screenshot of a Google result for what appears to be a ghost post from the Threads account @hi.nixson.

Credit: Screenshot: Google

Here's a Bluesky post, included in my initial article about the internet's response, that shows screenshots of those original ghost posts.

Everyone is Ghost Posting! Ghosting?

[image or embed]

— jack 🎃🍂 (@j4ck.xyz) October 27, 2025 at 1:50 PM

Here's a post on X, also included in my original story, featuring a screenshot of a ghost post from journalist Ben Werdmuller about Meta's alleged history in Myanmar.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Here is a screenshot of that post, which appears to be archived in Google results.

Credit: Screenshot: Google

When you try to click on any of these Threads posts, however, you’re met with a mostly blank page and an error message that reads, "Sorry, something went wrong. Try again." That tracks, since the posts themselves automatically disappear from Threads after 24 hours.

To be clear, not every ghost post appears to have been scraped. I tested text from several screenshots shared on launch day, and while some showed up in Google Search results, others didn’t.

Of course, no one should expect a ghost post — or any post, for that matter — to truly vanish. Screenshots exist, after all. If you say something offensive, controversial, or just plain spicy online, it's safe to assume it'll live forever somewhere.

Still, it’s surprising to see that Threads' "disappearing" posts might linger on Google, even after they’ve technically been deleted.

Tesla's Robotaxi service officially went live in late June of this year in Austin, Texas. Since then, Elon Musk's much-touted autonomous driving taxi system has already seen quite a few crashes — and that's with a human safety monitor onboard.

According to a new report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Tesla Robotaxis have crashed four times since September. The most recent incident involved a robotaxi crashing into a "fixed object" while inside a parking lot, according to the EV news site Electrek, which noticed the updated crash information.

Recent Texas state law requires companies like Tesla to have a human safety monitor inside its Robotaxis due to its specific level of autonomous driving. These safety monitors are provided a killswitch to take over the vehicle in case something goes wrong with Tesla's self-driving system.

The NHTSA is a U.S. government agency responsible for enforcing motor vehicle regulations. Autonomous vehicle companies are required to report crashes to the agency within five days of being informed of these accidents. 

SEE ALSO: Feds investigating Tesla’s ‘Mad Max’ mode

The NHTSA requires automakers to share information regarding incidents with autonomous driving (ADS) vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). The latter is what's typically found in regular Tesla vehicles with its Full Self-Driving system. However, robotaxis like Waymo's autonomous vehicles or Tesla's recently launched Robotaxis fall under the ADS category, marking this the first time Tesla has filed such reports under that designation.

With the two companies now operating ADS vehicles, Electrek compared the NHTSA incident reports between Tesla and Waymo. The outlet found that Tesla Robotaxis were involved in significantly more crashes per miles driven, despite Waymo vehicles not requiring a human safety monitor like Tesla Robotaxis. 

According to Tesla, Robotaxis have traveled 250,000 miles since the service launched in Austin in late June. Waymo's vehicles have traveled 125 million miles since the company launched its autonomous vehicles.

Breaking down the data, the report finds that Tesla Robotaxis crash approximately once every 62,500 miles. Waymo vehicles, which have been involved in 1,267 crashes since the service went live, crash approximately every 98,600 miles. And, again, Waymo does not have human safety monitors inside its vehicles, unlike Tesla's Robotaxis.

As Electrek points out, Tesla redacts a lot of information from its NHTSA reports, whereas Waymo provides more details about the crashes its cars are involved in. So, what exactly happened is unclear in many cases involving Tesla Robotaxis.

But, with the data we do have, it seems like Waymo has thus far bested Musk's Tesla when it comes to the more accurate autonomous vehicle system.

Samsung finally launched its Galaxy XR headset this month, so now everyone wants to know: What's the battery life like?

While Mashable has yet to perform nuanced battery testing of our own, we at least have official spec sheets to go off of right now. The big question is how the Galaxy XR's battery life compares to the Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3, the two most mainstream competitors to Samsung's headset in the U.S.

Without wasting any more time, let's get into it.

SEE ALSO: Samsung reveals key features of upcoming Galaxy S26 smartphones Galaxy XR battery life compared to Apple Vision Pro

First, let's establish a baseline. Samsung's headset is rated for up to two hours of general use, and up to 2.5 hours of video playback. That's going to be our main point of comparison going forward.

As for Apple, the company actually, technically sells two versions of the Vision Pro now: One with an M2 chip, and one with a newer M5 chip. This matters because the two versions have slightly different rated battery capacities. The M2 version has the exact same "two hours of normal use and 2.5 hours of video playback" rating as the Galaxy XR. The M5 version, meanwhile, is rated for 2.5 hours of use and three hours of video playback.

So, in other words, Apple wins here if you buy the newest model.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy XR: How and where to get it Galaxy XR battery life compared to Meta Quest 3

Meta's device is a little different from the other two listed here because it has a built-in battery, instead of relegating the battery to a separate puck that you keep in your pocket. Other than that, though, the differences are minimal, as the Quest 3 is rated for 2.2 hours of use on a single charge. That puts it right in the same territory as Galaxy XR, but on a device that costs more than $1,000 less than the Galaxy XR.

Of course, there are other factors at play. Samsung's device is more advanced than the Quest 3 in terms of processing power, display quality, and number of sensors. That it holds up to the same level of battery life as Quest 3 despite doing so much more is perhaps a point in its favor. Still, don't expect to get more than three hours of use out of any of these devices.

Meta has filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit that claims the tech giant violated copyright laws by downloading thousands of adult films to use in AI training.

The lawsuit was brought forth by adult film company Strike 3 Holdings and Counterlife Media in July, stating that they had discovered nearly 3,000 instances of Meta downloading copyrighted videos using hidden IP addresses. The lawsuit alleged the downloads were then used to train Meta's Movie Gen, Llama, and other video-based AI models. Strike 3 asked for $359 million in damages and a permanent ban on Meta's use of its materials.

Meta has now responded, arguing that the allegations by Strike 3 Holdings are "nonsensical and unsupported" — an attempt to extort Meta by making erroneous copyright claims — and that the company has no proof the videos were used to train AI.

SEE ALSO: 'Perfect predator': When chatbots sexually abuse kids

Insisting it was unaware of any illegal downloads, the company says that the torrenting began in 2018, before the company started researching multimodal models and generative video. The flagged videos, which were only intermittently accessed, therefore must have been downloaded for private consumption, Meta asserts, not to train its systems at large.

In the motion, Meta argues Strike 3 failed to provide any evidence of its claims that individuals used hidden IP addresses to download material or that employees involved in Meta's AI project could be implicated. "The far more plausible inference to be drawn from such meager, uncoordinated activity is that disparate individuals downloaded adult videos for personal use,” wrote Meta. The company has requested that the court dismiss the lawsuit on such grounds.

Meta has weathered several copyright-based lawsuits related to its AI systems in the past, including a joint lawsuit by noted authors whose works had been pirated to train the Llama model. It also recently overhauled its chatbot policies for teens, following an investigation that found chatbots had been allowed to engage in romantic and sensual conversations with young users and generate sexually suggestive images.

"We don’t want this type of content, and we take deliberate steps to avoid training on this kind of material,” a Meta spokesperson told Ars Technica.

The allure of a one day, door busting sale is no more. Shopping events which used to be a 24-hour marathon have now extended into multi-day events. On Oct. 30, Target officially announced its Black Friday sale, and it's coming way before Nov. 28.

The big-box retailer is launching its early Black Friday sale Nov. 6 through 8, three weeks before actual Black Friday. The early deals are a response to consumer wants, according to Target, based off McKinsey data that showed two-thirds of consumers are eager to start holiday shopping before Black Friday.

And to be fair, it makes sense considering how late Black Friday falls this year, nearly the latest it can fall in the year. But these early deals don't mean that Target is skipping out on standard Black Friday, they're still hosting a Black Friday sale on Nov. 28.

But if you're one of the 66% looking to get started on holiday shopping, here are the deals to look forward to.

Early Black Friday deals coming to Target Opens in a new window Credit: Target Target Black Friday Sale Target's early Black Friday sale runs Nov. 6 through 8. Get Deal

Leading up to the sale, Target has provided a preview of all the deals coming to their early Black Friday sale on Nov. 6 and 8. Based on the list, we're not seeing a ton of tech deals, instead the sale is focused holiday decor and toys. Here's what to expect:

• 40% off pajamas

• 40% off women & kids' sweaters

• 40% off select holiday decor and lights

• 40% off Lego

• 40% off Champion

• 40% holiday sheets

• Up to 50% off small appliances & floor care, including Ninja

• Up to 50% off select toys, including Barbie, FAO Schwarz and Hot Wheels

• 30% off women's and men’s Levi’s clothing

BUY IT FOR $59.99: Mattel's official Steve Nicks Bella Donna Barbie is the Best Buy drop for Thursday, Oct. 30. The doll has been sold out at Mattel's website and various retailers since its release on Oct. 21, so this could be your one chance to find it in stock. As of 12 p.m. ET, there was 36% inventory left for this drop.

Opens in a new window Credit: Mattel Stevie Nicks Barbie $59.99 at Best Buy
Buy it via the Best Buy mobile app Shop Now

Just like a white winged dove, the Stevie Nicks Bella Donna Barbie doll made a fleeting appearance at a few major retailers on its release date, Oct. 21, 2025. It sold out almost immediately after, only to be spotted again as price-gougers resold their supply. Now, Best Buy is offering a second chance to buy the Stevie Nicks Barbie at its real price of $59.99, for one day only on Oct. 30. She became available for purchase at 11 a.m. ET.

All you need to participate in Best Buy Drops is the Best Buy mobile app — that's the only place that drop items show up. Then, you can add the daily spotlighted item to your cart and check out like usual. All Best Buy drops have limited inventory, displayed through a status bar indicating the percentage that's already been claimed. Considering the Bella Donna Barbie was such a hot commodity upon original release, it'll probably be a similar story at Best Buy.

SEE ALSO: The best women-centric and feminist horror movies

"The timeless face of a rock and roll woman" in the most tangible sense, the official Mattel collab successfully recreates the essence of 1981 Stevie. We're talking full biblically-accurate Bella Donna garb: The flow-y white dress with big sheer sleeves, iconic platform boots, and feathered top hat are all present, complete in a mystical album cover-themed box that you'll have no problem leaving sealed. The intricate details have all been approved by the muse herself — Nicks even posted a sneak peek of the doll's boots on Instagram ahead of release.

Fans who were able to snag the doll on Oct. 21 can't help but unbox their prized possession on TikTok. RIP, Misty Day from American Horror Story: Coven. You would have watched these like they're ASMR.

But this isn't the first time we've seen a Stevie Nicks Barbie, though it is the first based on her solo career. The first, a Rumours-inspired doll styled just as meticulously as this one, came out back in 2023. You were lucky if you got your hands on one of those at a normal price, too — now, it can pretty much only be found on reselling platforms like eBay for upwards of $300. Scorned hopeful buyers from two years ago, your chance for redemption awaits at Best Buy.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons compelled a lot of people to buy Nintendo Switch consoles in 2020, and it's finally making its way to Switch 2 soon.

Nintendo surprisingly announced a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of New Horizons on Thursday, to go along with a massive free content drop for both versions of the game. This is the first time Nintendo has added anything new to the game in literally four years. Both the Switch 2 Edition of New Horizons and the new content launch on Jan. 15. Those who already own New Horizons can upgrade to the Switch 2 version for $4.99, or that version can be purchased separately for $64.99 if you don't own the game at all.

But what's actually new here? Let's dissect it.

SEE ALSO: The Nintendo Switch 2 has a bonafide hit in 'Pokémon Legends: Z-A' Animal Crossing for Switch 2: Everything new Awesome. Credit: Nintendo

The paid Switch 2 update to New Horizons is the smaller prong of this two-pronged update coming in January. As with every paid Switch 2 update, it provides upgraded visuals in the form of 4K resolution when playing in docked mode. Strangely, this game did not get the customary bump up to 60 frames per second that most Switch 2 upgrades have gotten; it's still locked at 30FPS, which is honestly fine for a game like this, but still a little puzzling.

Aside from that, you can now use the Joy-Con mouse controls to decorate houses. This could be a huge added convenience in terms of precision, if you really care about interior decoration. There's also a new megaphone item that incorporates the Switch 2's built-in microphone, which lets you interact with villagers by shouting their names.

There are also a couple of upgrades to online play. One is that 12 players can now simultaneously visit an island, up from eight in the original game. Webcam support has also been added, so anyone with a camera plugged into their Switch 2 will have their face hovering over their in-game character, perfect for reaction shots.

Everything coming in the free update for Switch 1 and 2 How do I make my real apartment look like this? Credit: Nintendo

The real meat of this announcement is in the content update that will be available to players on both Switch and Switch 2, launching the same day in January.

For starters, there's a new resort hotel on the island run by Kapp'n's family. You can decorate rooms based on themes (complete with provided furniture) to please hotel guests. Doing so will reward you with tickets that you can use to buy exclusive clothing and furniture at the hotel.

Separate from that, home storage can now be expanded so you can store as many as 9,000 items, if needed. The limit was 5,000 before this update. Flora such as trees, shrubs, and flowers can also be stored this way now. There's also a new service from Resetti, who will instantly clear out an area of the island on your orders. This will be nice for anyone who wants to totally reset their front yard or something.

There are also some new items you can get, of course. The most exciting to me are a selection of classic Nintendo consoles which, like in previous Animal Crossing games, can actually enable you to play a handful of old Nintendo games. You do need a Nintendo Switch Online membership to access these games, though. On top of those, there are now LEGO-themed items you can buy, and some The Legend of Zelda and Splatoon-themed items you can get by using compatible Amiibo figures.

Easily the biggest new addition here, though, is Slumber Island. You access it by going to sleep, of course. Slumber Island is basically a completely blank new island that you can customize entirely to your liking. You can choose the time of day and weather, landscape it to your heart's content, and invite any villagers you want to come hang. Perhaps most excitingly, you can invite your friends to Slumber Island via online play, and they can actually help you out with any construction or landscaping projects. If you've ever wanted a more collaborative online Animal Crossing experience, here you go. Players can store up to three separate Slumber Islands per save, too, so you can have one for yourself and one for your friends, if you'd like.

This is a massive update for New Horizons, especially considering Nintendo said it was done updating the game in November of 2021. Sometimes good things do happen to those who wait.

SAVE $143.51: As of Oct. 30, get the JBL Tour Pro 2 earbuds for $106.44 at Amazon, down from their usual price of $249.95. That's a discount of 57% and the lowest price we've seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon JBL Tour Pro 2 earbuds $106.44 at Amazon
$249.95 Save $143.51   Get Deal

If you need a new pair of earbuds, you've got tons of options. You could go for something from one of the usual suspects, like Apple, Samsung, or even Bose. But when contenders like JBL punch above their weight class, you've got to consider them as well, especially when you can get one of the brand's best offerings for a significant discount.

As of Oct. 30, get the JBL Tour Pro 2 earbuds for $106.44 at Amazon, down from their usual price of $249.95. That's $143.51 off and a discount of 57%. It's also the lowest price we've seen.

SEE ALSO: The 8 best earbuds to buy in 2025, selected by Mashable audio experts

These earbuds offer tons of features at their lowest price yet, including a smart charging case with onboard controls via touchscreen display. From there, you can control settings, manage calls, sound playback, and other options before you ever take your earbuds out of the case.

When you do connect them via the accompanying JBL app, you get great noise cancelling with smart ambient noise that you can control to your liking. It uses four different mics to help adjust sound automatically so you can block out distractions when needed or hear certain things in environments that call for it.

Beyond superb audio with crisp treble and satisfying bass, thanks to the 10mm dynamic drivers, these buds are also excellent for calls. They have 6 mics for voice control that help your voice stand out, with VoiceAware support to let you tune how much of your voice you want to hear while on calls.

You don't have to spend a couple of hundred to get great audio. But you will have to act fast for these, as they're only on sale for a limited time as a Lightning Deal. Get them while you can!

Apple's next somewhat major iOS update is almost here.

The operating system for iPhones is getting a notable update in iOS 26.1 in the near future, as evidenced by the fact that beta testers got access to the release candidate version of it this week. We don't know the exact day it will drop yet, but anyone who wants it would benefit from keeping an eye on their iPhone's software update page.

In the meantime, we now have a pretty clear idea of what iOS 26.1 includes. Here are the four biggest new features coming to iOS 26.1.

SEE ALSO: The new M5 Apple products are fast, sexy, and so iterative it hurts An adjustment to Liquid Glass This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Some people are not huge fans of Liquid Glass, the new design language for iOS 26. It makes app icons and other UI elements more transparent, which in turn has made them harder for some folks to distinguish at a glance. Apple has addressed this problem in iOS 26.1, offering a new "tinted" version of the interface. Simply go to Settings, find "Display & Brightness," and look for the new option there once the update is installed on your phone.

This isn't quite the same as being able to turn off Liquid Glass entirely, but it's better than nothing.

Stop accidentally opening your camera

By default on an iPhone running iOS 26, you can open your camera straight from the lock screen by swiping to the left from the right side of the display. This is convenient for when you need to quickly snap a photo without going through the process of unlocking your phone, but it also leads to a lot of instances of accidentally opening the camera when you don't want to do that.

After you've installed iOS 26.1, go to Settings, find "Camera," and toggle off the "Lock Screen Swipe to Open Camera" feature in the menu there. That will make it so you can't just swipe to open the camera anymore, meaning you're free to swipe to the left on your lock screen to your heart's content.

Support for more languages

Adding increased language support for Apple Intelligence features isn't necessarily flashy, but it's important, nonetheless. On the AI side of things, users now have access to these new languages:

• Danish

• Norwegian

• Dutch

• Chinese (traditional)

• Portuguese

• Swedish

• Turkish

• Vietnamese

That's not all, though! There are also some new languages being added to Live Translate for AirPods:

• Chinese (Mandarin simplified and traditional)

• Korean

• Japanese

• Italian

This is sure to be useful to plenty of folks.

Slide to stop alarms

Lastly, Apple is already walking back a change made in iOS 26. With that update, Apple made it so you dismiss alarms from the lock screen by simply tapping a comically huge button on the bottom of the screen. I personally dig this, but as some folks have noted, this makes it easy to accidentally get rid of an alarm.

With iOS 26.1, you now have to swipe to dismiss an alarm from the lock screen, adding a degree of intentionality to the process of making your phone stop yelling at you in the morning. Having to do that will engage your brain a bit, too, so maybe it's a good thing overall.

SAVE $99.01: As of Oct. 30, the Apple AirPods Pro 2 are down to $149.99 at Costco. That's $20 cheaper than Amazon's price tag and 40% off its $249 MSRP.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Pro 2 $149.99 at Costco
$249 Save $99.01   Get Deal

Amazon is our go-to for low prices, as we're able to track prices to assure that a deal is actually a good one. But for once, Amazon doesn't have the lowest price on something. Costco, known for big savings in bulk, is offering a low price on Apple's AirPods Pro 2.

As of Oct. 30, Apple AirPods Pro 2 are down to $149.99. That saves you $99.01 off the AirPods Pro 2 list price of $249. That gives you 40% off the earbuds and nearly brings them down to their lowest price ever. According to Camelcamelcamel, the lowest price ever on the Apple AirPods Pro 2 is $149, meaning this Costco deal is just 99 cents more. But there is a catch.

First, this deal on the Apple AirPods Pro 2 is available only to Costco members, meaning you'll need to sign up and pay for a membership if you want to access this deal. The second stipulation, is this deal isn't available to ship. The upside is that it's available for same day delivery through Instacart as long as the Apple AirPods Pro 2 are in stock nearby.

But what's so great about Apple's AirPods Pro 2? The earbuds debuted in 2022, but three years later they're still a great choice. They bring active noise cancellation and personalized spatial audio. With the charging case, the AirPods Pro 2 have up to 30 hours of playback. Plus, the AirPods Pro 2 now come with a hearing aid feature as well as a hearing test and active hearing protection.

Shop the Apple AirPods Pro 2 at Costco for $149.99 now.

Your Meta-owned feeds — Instagram and Facebook, notably — may soon feature even more content generated by artificial intelligence. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg himself said that was the plan.

Zuckerberg made the declaration during an earnings call this week. He talked about AI being the next big change in what appears on your social feeds.

Said Zuckerberg (emphasis added):

"Improvements in our recommendation systems will also become even more leveraged as the volume of AI-created content grows. Social media has gone through two eras so far. First was when all content was from friends, family, and accounts that you followed directly. The second was when we added all the creator content. Now, as AI makes it easier to create and remix content, we're going to add yet another huge corpus of content on top of those. Recommendation systems that understand all of this content more deeply and can show you the right content to help you achieve your goals are going to be increasingly valuable."

The long and short of it: That likely means more AI-generated content in your everyday life. Zuckerberg also touted how well Meta's AI social site, Vibes, was performing.

"This quarter we also launched Vibes, which is the next generation of our AI creation tools and content experiences. Retention is looking good so far and its usage keeps growing quickly week over week. I'm looking forward to ramping up the growth of Vibes over the coming months," Zuckerberg said in the earnings call. "More broadly, I think that Vibes is an example of a new content type enabled by AI, and I think that there are more opportunities to build many more novel types of content ahead as well."

It sure seems that Zuckerberg both believes in and enjoys AI-generated content. Mashable's review of the service, however, saw it as an "infinite slop machine." It can feel like endless eye candy, designed to grab your attention but not really do anything with it.

So, according to Zuckerberg, expect more of that in your future.