An anonymous reader quotes a report from the New York Times: Over the course of a nearly four-decade career, Cory Doctorow has written 15 novels, four graphic novels, dozens of short stories, six nonfiction books, approximately 60,000 blog posts and thousands of essays. And yet for all the millions of words he’s published, these days the award-winning science fiction author and veteran internet activist is best known for just a single one: Enshittification. The term, which Doctorow, 54, popularized in essays in 2022 and 2023, refers to the way that online platforms become worse to use over time, as the corporations that own them try to make more money. Though the coinage is cheeky, in Doctorow’s telling the phenomenon it describes is a specific, nearly scientific process that progresses according to discrete stages, like a disease.

Since then, the meaning has expanded to encompass a general vibe — a feeling far greater than frustration at Facebook, which long ago ceased being a good way to connect with friends, or Google, whose search is now baggy with SEO spam. Of late, the idea has been employed to describe everything from video games to television to American democracy itself. “It’s frustrating. It’s demoralizing. It’s even terrifying,” Doctorow said in a 2024 speech. On Tuesday, Farrar Straus & Giroux will release “Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It,” Doctorow’s book-length elaboration on his essays, complete with case studies (Uber, Twitter, Photoshop) and his prescriptions for change, which revolve around breaking up big tech companies and regulating them more robustly. Further reading: The Enshittification Hall of Shame

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Amazon Big Deal Days is October 7-8, and Lifehacker is sharing the best bargains, based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools.

• Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

If you walk into an Apple Store today, you could buy a pair of AirPods Pro 3. They’re the best earbuds Apple has ever made. But unless you really need the best earbuds Apple has ever made, you could likely put your money to better use. Apple’s previous generation of pro earbuds, the AirPods Pro 2, are currently $80 cheaper than the newest model for Amazon’s October Prime Day. And while that $80 will net you a number of exclusive new features, those features just aren’t necessary for most of us. If you’re looking for a great pair of earbuds, especially if you’re in the Apple ecosystem, the second-gen AirPods Pro are arguably the better deal.

AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)

$169.99
at Amazon

$249.00
Save $79.01

$169.99
at Amazon

$249.00
Save $79.01

Apple might slap its “Pro” moniker on most product categories these days, but AirPods Pro come with a lot of features to live up to the name. They may not be intended for “professionals,” but you do get features that are not available on other AirPods models.

For one, the AirPods Pro come with excellent noise cancellation—although, honestly, the in-ear seal from the silicone tips blocks out enough background noise that I hardly ever turn on Noise Control. In fact, because the seal is so good, you also get Transparency Mode, an option that pumps in the sounds around you, so you can be aware of your surroundings or even have a conversation with your earbuds in.

Speaking of conversations, another excellent feature is Conversation Awareness: When you start talking while listening to something, your AirPods will automatically adjust the volume to enhance the voices of the people you’re talking to. When everyone stops speaking, your AirPods will return to their normal state. It’s great. Another automatic feature is “Adaptive Audio” (previously known as Adaptive Transparency), which can reduce any sound above 85 dB while maintaining other sounds at their typical volume. That way, you can follow a conversation or even watch a TV show with your AirPods in, but if an ambulance races by you, its sirens will seem to be a very tolerable 85 dB.

Like all AirPods, the Pros seamlessly switch between all your connected Apple devices. You could be watching a video on your Mac, then take a call on your iPhone and start chatting through your AirPods. If you have an Apple TV, you can also switch to your AirPods, which I frequently do, as I prefer the experience over my soundbar.

While all these features are awesome, what it really comes down to for me is sound quality: The Pros just sound great, especially for such low-profile earbuds. And because they block out so much sound on their own, I feel like I can appreciate the quality of the music I’m listening to in various situations. I used to pause my music with my old AirPods whenever a loud truck or bus would drive past me on a walk. That’s not a problem with the Pros. Plus, now that it’s been FDA approved, you can even be able to use these AirPods as hearing aids. Not a bad perk for $170.

What you miss by skipping the AirPods Pro 3

Apple’s latest earbuds do have some new features to justify the higher price tag. They offer up to double the ANC of the AirPods Pro 2, come with a built-in heart rate sensor, provide an extra two hours of use between charges, feature slightly higher water resistance, and include a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip in the charging case.

There are undoubtedly some perks, but I’d argue that the $80 in savings for Prime Day negates most of them. As someone who owns an Apple Watch, I don’t really need a heart rate sensor in my earbuds—though it is a cool feature. And while the extra battery life in between charges is great, the AirPods Pro 2’s charging case is actually rated for more charges than the AirPods Pro 3’s: 30 hours of listening time compared to 24.

Other great Prime Day deals on AirPods

If you don’t like the tight seal of the Pros, you might prefer the more traditional fit of the AirPods 4. They’re on sale for $119 for Prime Day, or $89 if you opt for the version without noise cancellation. There’s also a deal on the USB-C AirPods Max, which are now $ 429, down from $ 549. I love my AirPods Max, but they’re tough to recommend at their outrageously expensive MSRP. Now, they’re a bit of an easier pill to swallow.

Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.

• Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET through Oct. 12 and includes deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+.

• Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12, and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.

• Target’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, and it has deals going up to 50% off. You can become a Circle member for free.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Amazon Big Deal Days is October 7-8, and Lifehacker is sharing the best bargains, based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools.

• Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

If you send a lot of packages, you know it’s a tedious process. Whether you own a small business, use resale platforms, or have family far away, waiting in post office lines is a drag. That’s why I’m finally buying my own label printer now that this one is on sale for Prime Day. As a reseller, it’s long past time.

This Phomemo label printer is on sale for 36% off

A few weeks ago, for the first time in a decade, the online resale platform Poshmark lowered its shipping prices. And as a committed reseller, I was both excited and trepidatious. On the one hand, buyers would be more likely to shop if they were spending less overall, which would mean my listings would be more likely to sell. On the other hand, it also meant that instead of getting access to free Priority postage envelopes at USPS, I’d have to source all my own packing materials and spending more money.

Still, I bought a bunch of poly mailers and continued packing them at home before walking them all to the USPS to be labeled, scanned, and shipped. But I wondered, if I was doing more of my own packing and shipping now, why not take it a step further? I started thinking about getting a label maker to print my own labels, making my daily trip to the Post Office a thing of the past. When I looked up printers on Amazon, though, I remembered why I hadn’t done this in the first place: The things are expensive. Like, $80, $100 expensive.

Phomemo Bluetooth Thermal Label Printer

$69.99
at Amazon

$109.99
Save $40.00

$69.99
at Amazon

$109.99
Save $40.00

I added the best-selling label maker to my cart and waited for the price to drop, but that day never came… until today. The Phomemo Bluetooth thermal label maker is now $70, down from $110. I haven’t used it personally yet, but it has a nearly 5-star rating from over 2,000 reviews. It’s also a brand I’ve actually heard of, which obviously doesn’t necessarily mean it’s quality, but when I’m scrolling through pages of nonsensical brand names on Amazon, seeing one I recognize is comforting. (Compare it to, say, another I found for $40 made by a brand I never heard of, and which has far fewer reviews.)

The label maker prints from a phone or computer and allows for different sizes (though it clearly specializes in standard postage labels). It prints using thermal pressure, not ink or toner, which will save me money in the long run. I’ve already spoken to my mailman, Justin (with whom I have developed a pleasant rapport since I’m not just a seller, but a frequent buyer), and once my label maker is up and running, he’ll pick up my outgoing packages for me, eliminating my need for those daily Post Office walks.

Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.

• Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET through Oct. 12 and includes deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+.

• Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12, and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.

• Target’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, and it has deals going up to 50% off. You can become a Circle member for free.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Amazon Big Deal Days is October 7-8, and Lifehacker is sharing the best bargains, based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools.

• Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

If you’re into sports video games and feel obligated to purchase Madden every year, you might as well get it for a good price. Madden NFL 26, the league’s official video game, is on sale for Prime Day for $36.54 on PS5, Xbox, or Switch 2, which is nearly half off its list price of $69.99.

Madden NFL 26 – Nintendo Switch 2

$36.54
at Amazon

$69.99
Save $33.45

$36.54
at Amazon

$69.99
Save $33.45

I really like Madden, but every year, I vow not to spend money on another version of the same game. Because, yes, each Madden is basically the same as the previous year’s Madden. But I’m not playing a video football with last season’s rosters. What am I, a caveman? Plus, I want the iconic cover of Saquon Barkley doing his thing.

The physical version of Madden NFL 26 is available on the Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and XBox Series X/S for this bargain price, but if you’re playing on PC, it’s full price.

Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.

• Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET through Oct. 12 and includes deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+.

• Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12, and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.

• Target’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, and it has deals going up to 50% off. You can become a Circle member for free.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Amazon Big Deal Days is coming October 7-8, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it’s over.

• Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

It’s October, which means it’s time for another Prime Day sale. Unlike July, which had four straight days of deals, Amazon is opting for a traditional two-day sale this month: Oct. 7 and Oct. 8. During these “Big Deal Days,” there are a ton of deals on devices across the tech spectrum. But just because something is discounted doesn’t make it a good deal, so I’ve reviewed Amazon’s offerings to find the best deals on technology.

The best Prime Day deals on laptops

M4 MacBook Air (13-inch)

$799.00
at Amazon

$999.00
Save $200.00

$799.00
at Amazon

$999.00
Save $200.00

If you’re in the market for a new laptop, there are some great Prime Day deals this October, particularly for MacBooks:

• M4 MacBook Air (13-inch): $799 at Amazon (was $999): If you need a new laptop, few options out there are going to offer a better value than the M4 MacBook Air. At $800 for Prime Day, you get the capable M4 chip with 16GB of RAM. Unless your work involves professional graphics or requires significant processing power, this setup will likely get the job done for years to come.

• M4 MacBook Air (15-inch): $989 at Amazon (was $1,199): This is essentially the same machine as the 13-inch M4 MacBook Air, just larger. If you need the extra screen real estate and don’t mind paying the extra $190, this is a great price for this MacBook.

• M4 MacBook Pro (14-inch): $1,399 at Amazon (was $1,599): I don’t think this MacBook is for everybody, but I do think it’s for anyone who wants “pro” features at a decent price. This is the same M4 chip as in the Air, but with the Pro, you get a higher-quality mini-LED display, HDMI port, SD card slot, an extra USB-C port, and 512GB of storage. Is that worth the extra $600 over the 13-inch Air? Probably not for most people. But if you’re really interested in the “best” MacBook design Apple has to offer, this would be the way to go.

• Microsoft Surface Laptop: $799 at Amazon (was $999): If you’re looking for a MacBook-like experience, but with a Windows machine, Microsoft’s Surface laptop might be the move. The Surface offers a touchscreen display in a compact package, with 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a Snapdragon X Plus ARM chip.

• Alienware 16 Aurora: $1,179.99 at Amazon (was $1,399.99): Dell’s gaming laptop line, Alienware, has some deals for Prime Day. For $1,180, you can get a 16-inch laptop with an Intel Core 7-240H chip, 16GB of RAM, RTX 5060, and a 1TB SSD. There are also other deals on more powerful Alienware laptops.

• Galaxy Book5 Pro: $1,199.99 at Amazon (was $1,699.99): Samsung’s 16-inch Galaxy Book5 is heavily discounted this Prime Day. This model features a 2880×1800 120Hz touchscreen display, powered by an Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.

The best Prime Day deals on tablets and e-readers

iPad A16 (128GB)

$279.00
at Amazon

$349.00
Save $70.00

$279.00
at Amazon

$349.00
Save $70.00

For tablets this Prime Day, I’m focusing on a couple of recommendations in two categories: iPads and e-readers.

• iPad (A16): $279 at Amazon (was $349): The best iPad for most people is at a great price for Prime Day. You can pick up this 11-inch iPad for as low as $279; however, you may want to consider a model with more storage. The 256GB model is currently 16% off at $379, and if you think you’ll need that extra storage, it’ll be worth that $100 extra in the long run.

• iPad mini: $379 at Amazon (was $499): This is my favorite iPad Apple makes, mostly because it’s so fun. The mini is small but mighty, capable of doing everything you expect an iPad to do in a tiny form factor. You can get one for as low as $379 for Prime Day, but again, you might feel limited by the 128GB storage size. Consider grabbing the discounted 256GB model for $479, down from $599.

• Kindle Colorsoft: $199.99 at Amazon (was $249.99): While not a traditional tablet, Kindles remain among the best e-readers you can buy. The Colorsoft comes with the added benefit of a color display, which is especially useful for reading graphic novels.

• Boox Palma 2: $269.99 at Amazon (was $299.99): If you’re willing to spend a bit more on an e-reader, you can’t really go wrong with the Boox Palma 2. It’s a favorite of Lifehacker editor Joel Cunningham, in part because it combines the convenience of Android with the e-ink display typically found on an e-reader. You can download whatever reading app you want onto this device, but its limitations mean you won’t want to bother with distracting apps as you would with a smartphone.

The best Prime Day deals on phones

Pixel 9 (128GB)

$549.00
at Amazon

$799.00
Save $250.00

$549.00
at Amazon

$799.00
Save $250.00

Amazon isn’t focusing on smartphones this year, so this isn’t the retailer to turn to if you’re looking for a discount on a new phone. Still, if you’re in the market for a new Pixel phone, there are two deals here to check out:

• Google Pixel 9: $549 at Amazon (was $799): This is Google’s 2024 flagship smartphone, and while the Pixel 10 is also available, you’ll save $100 by going with the previous-gen. Last year, our editor Michelle Ehrhardt thought the Pixel 9 was so good, you didn’t need the Pro.

• Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: $749 at Amazon (was $1,099): That said, if the Pro is more your speed, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is also on sale for Prime Day. You can save 32% on this phone, which comes with a larger higher-quality display, extra RAM, and a higher-resolution camera.

The best Prime Day deals on smartwatches

Apple Watch Series 10

$309.00
at Amazon

$429.00
Save $120.00

$309.00
at Amazon

$429.00
Save $120.00

There are several smartwatches on Amazon’s Prime Day deals list, but many of the advertised sales are for watches that I wouldn’t necessarily recommend. Instead, stick to deals from reputable brands, like some of the following:

• Apple Watch Series 10: $309 at Amazon (was $429): Apple’s latest smartwatch, the Apple Watch Series 11, is great. Last year’s model, the Series 10, is also great, and it’s currently available for anywhere from $80 to $90 less. If you’re okay missing out on hypertension alerts and 5G connectivity, the Series 10 is the way to go.

• Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen): $169.99 at Amazon (was $249): If you’re looking for a simple Apple Watch that can do the core things an Apple Watch is supposed to do, 2022’s Apple Watch SE is a great pick—when you consider the Prime Day sale. Apple released a newer model of the SE this year, but the SE 2 is currently $79 less.

• Pixel Watch 3 (41mm): $170.99 at Amazon (was $249.99): If you have an Android device, especially a Pixel phone, the Pixel Watch 3 is a great buy. The 41mm is the most affordable option here, but both wifi-only models are $70 off for Prime Day. Similarly, the LTE models are each $100 off. The 41mm LTE watch, for instance, is $249.

• Galaxy Watch Ultra: $534.99 at Amazon (was $649.99): While Amazon has a number of sales on Samsung watches this year, the Galaxy Watch Ultra has the biggest discount. The titanium gray color offers the steepest discount, but the watch’s other colors are down to $549.99.

• Galaxy Watch 7 (40mm): $199.99 at Amazon (was $249.99): If you’re looking for a simple yet capable Galaxy Watch, the last-gen option has the second-biggest savings among Samsung watches. You can save a bit on Samsung’s latest Galaxy Watch 8, for example, but compare its current discount of $314.98 to the Galaxy Watch 7’s $199.99. For Galaxy users who want to track workouts and stay up to date with notifications, the Watch 7 is a great deal.

• Garmin Venu X1: $699.99 at Amazon (was $799.99): As Lifehacker editor Beth Skwarecki explains, this is the first time Garmin’s Venu X1 watch is on sale. And it’s a great first sale, as Amazon has the watch discounted by $100. If you’re looking for an Apple Watch Ultra alternative that offers Garmin’s excellent exercise tracking tech, this might be a great option.

The best Prime Day deals on earbuds and headphones

AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)

$169.99
at Amazon

$249.00
Save $79.01

$169.99
at Amazon

$249.00
Save $79.01

This is one category where Amazon shines. You’ll find a number of great deals on typically expensive earbuds and headphones, including:

• AirPods Pro 2: $169.99 at Amazon (was $249): AirPods Pro 3 might be Apple’s latest and greatest “pro” earbuds, but they cost $250. The AirPods Pro 2, which are still excellent earbuds in 2025, cost $80 less this Prime Day. You’ll still get an outstanding audio experience, seamless connections across your Apple devices, and great ANC and transparency modes.

• AirPods 4: $89 at Amazon (was $129): For anyone that doesn’t want to commit to the price tag that comes with the “pro” moniker, AirPods 4 are also a great deal this Prime Day. You can pick up a pair for as low as $89, 31% off, but you can also get the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation for $119, 34% off.

• Google Pixel Buds Pro 2: $169 at Amazon (was $229): If you have an Android phone, especially a Pixel, you should consider the Pixel Buds Pro 2. These buds are currently $169, which is 26% off their MSRP, and offer great ANC in a lightweight package.

• Bose QuietComfort Bluetooth Earbuds: $129 at Amazon (was $179): Bose is known for its noise cancellation tech, so picking up a pair of their QuietComfort buds for their ANC is a good call. They’re also much cheaper than either Apple or Google’s pro earbuds, though they’re competitive with the AirPods 4 with Noise Cancellation. If you prefer a silicone-tip earbud, however, consider the Bose.

• AirPods Max (USB-C): $429 at Amazon (was $549): I love my AirPods Max, but they’re pretty difficult to recommend at their MSRP. When they’re 22% off for Prime Day, however, it’s a different story. $429 is still a hefty price tag for a pair of over-ear headphones, but if you’re fully committed to the Apple ecosystem, these headphones are fantastic. They sound great, work across all your Apple devices, and have exceptional ANC—perfect for frequent fliers.

• Sony WH-1000XM4 Headphones: $188 at Amazon (was $348): If I weren’t such a die-hard Apple fan boy, these would be the first headphones I’d pick up. Sony makes an excellent pair of over-ear headphones, and it’s a bonus that the price is so reasonable. If you don’t care about the Apple-exclusive features, you can’t do much better than the WH-1000XM4 for $188.

• Bose QuietComfort Bluetooth Headphones: $199 at Amazon (was $359): If you’re looking for Bose-level ANC, but prefer an over-ear experience, these headphones might be for you. Amazon currently has them 45% off for Prime Day.

The best Prime Day deals for gaming

Meta Quest 3S (256GB)

$329.00
at Amazon

$399.99
Save $70.99

$329.00
at Amazon

$399.99
Save $70.99

Amazon doesn’t have a ton of great gaming deals for October Prime Day, but look hard enough, and you’ll find some interesting sales:

• Meta Quest 3S: $329 at Amazon (was $399.99): If you’ve been waiting to jump in on VR gaming, Prime Day might be your excuse. The 256GB Meta Quest 3S is currently 18% off, and comes with Batman: Arkham Shadow to boot. If you want to save even more, you could pick up the 128GB version for $249, which instead comes with Gorilla Tag.

• WD Black 2TB SSD for PS5: $180.49 at Amazon (was $251.99): Games these days take up a lot of storage, and our console’s built-in SSDs often don’t cut it. Rather than managing your PS5’s storage, you could pick up an expansion SSD. This one from WD Black adds 2TB of storage for just over $180, a 28% discount. If you need more or less storage, there are options for 1TB, 4TB, and even 8TB.

There are also some decent deals on console games right now, including:

• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo Switch): $62.90 at Amazon (was $69.99).

• Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo Switch): $51.80 at Amazon (was $59.99).

• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (PS5): $49.99 at Amazon (was $69.99).

• Elden Ring (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X): $26.58 (Xbox) or $29.99 at Amazon (was $35.99 (Xbox), $39.95 (PS4) and $49.99 (PS5)).

• God of War Ragnarok (PS5): $29.83 at Amazon (was $69.99).

• Returnal (PS5): $29.99 at Amazon (was $69.99).

• Horizon Forbidden West (PS5): $29.83 at Amazon (was $69.99).

• Split Fiction (Xbox): $24.98 at Amazon (was $49.99).

• Life Is Strange: Double Exposure (Xbox): $23.74 at Amazon (was $29.99).

Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.

• Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET through Oct. 12 and includes deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+.

• Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12, and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.

• Target’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, and it has deals going up to 50% off. You can become a Circle member for free.

Android Authority notes the start of a new trend we’re seeing in some new smartphones: devices shipping without USB cables. It follows the earlier industry shift away from bundled charging bricks, which Apple started back in 2020 with the launch of the iPhone 12. While manufacturers cite environmental benefits, “the main driver behind these decisions for companies like Apple and Sony is, of course, profit,” writes Android Authority’s Taylor Kerns. From the report: Now, it looks like we may be in for a similar shift with bundled USB cables. As shared on the Linus Tech Tips subreddit, user Brick_Fish’s recently purchased Sony Xperia 10 VII came without a charger or a charging cable. In a photo included with the post, you can see iconography on the back of the phone’s box that spells out these omissions. Sony’s not really a major player in the smartphone space these days, but this seems like the type of trend we should expect to see gain traction over the next couple of years. […]

Apple actually beat Sony to the punch here, in a way. The company’s latest earbuds, the AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 3, both ditched bundled USB cables, as well. Still, Sony’s the first manufacturer I’ve heard of to omit charging cables with its smartphones.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Amazon Big Deal Days is October 7-8, and Lifehacker is sharing the best bargains, based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools.

• Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

LEGO sets don’t go on sale often, so when they do, I try to act quickly. And for Prime Day, there are LEGO sets for every taste, from kids who want to build a Star Wars starship to adults who want a LEGO centerpiece for their Thanksgiving table for some reason. All of them are great deals.

This LEGO Ford Mustang Shelby is 30% off

LEGO Technic Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Building Set 42138 – Pull Back Drag Race Toy Car Model Kit, Featuring AR App for Fast Action Play, Great Gift for Boys, Girls, and Teens Ages 9+

$34.99
at Amazon

$49.99
Save $15.00

$34.99
at Amazon

$49.99
Save $15.00

If your child is getting a little old for regular LEGOs, maybe they’d like a Technic set, like this Ford Mustang Shelby. Once it’s built, you can play with it in two ways: Use the two pull-back toy car motors, or scan it with the LEGO AR+ app and race it in augmented reality. It’s on sale for only $34.99 right now, 30% off the list price of $49.99.

This LEGO Star Wars Ahsoka set is 30% off

The Ahsoka Ghost and Phantom II Spaceship set is a seriously fun project for LEGO fans. It’s a 1,394-piece play set inspired by Ahsoka, and it includes a ton of the interactive features that make LEGO sets great, as well as four mini-figs: General Hera Syndulla, Lt. Beyta, Jacen Syndulla, and First Officer Hawkins, plus a Chopper (C1-10P) LEGO droid figure. It’s $111.99, 30% off the list price of $159.99.

This LEGO Mandalorian Grogu set is 30% off

Remember when everyone was all about Baby Yoda from The Mandalorian? The Mandalorian Grogu set lets you re-live those golden days by building a display-worthy Grogu who can ride around in a little hover pram. The 1,048-piece building kit comes with a buildable Grogu figure and a display plaque, too. It’s $99.99, 30% off the original list price.

This LEGO Super Mario Donkey Kong set is 30% off

Every kid likes Donkey Kong, and this 555-piece set will let you build DK’s iconic tree house, complete with TV, radio, and conga drums you can bang on. It comes with two collectible LEGO Super Mario figures: Donkey Kong and Cranky Kong. Donkey Kong’s Tree House is $41.99, 30% off the list price of $59.99.

These classic LEGO bricks are 30% off

Movie and video game tie-in LEGO sets are cool, but creating your own designs is even cooler. This big box of LEGO bricks contains 850 multi-colored plastic bricks and instructions for how to make a horse, carrot van, cherry, boom box, and more, but really, your kid can make anything out of ’em. That’s the whole point. They’re selling for $41.99, 30% off the list price of $59.99.

This LEGO Halloween barn is 30% off

This seasonal LEGO set comes with a skeleton mini-fig, hidden teeth behind the door, a decorated eye, a green bottle, a black jar, and a gnarled old tree, as if LEGO is defying you to explain the macabre details that led up to this crime scene. The Halloween Barn is $10.49, 30% off the list price of $14.99.

This LEGO flower centerpiece is 30% off

LEGO Icons Dried Flower Centerpiece, Botanical Collection Crafts Set for Adults, Artificial Flowers with Rose and Gerbera, Table or Wall Decoration, Home Décor, 10314

$34.99
at Amazon

$49.99
Save $15.00

$34.99
at Amazon

$49.99
Save $15.00

What adult doesn’t want to build a festive fall flower arrangement out of plastic bricks? LEGO says that once you complete this model, it can be “used as a table centerpiece, hung on a wall, or combined with one or more sets to create a large flower decor display.” And why not, right? It’s $34.99, down 30% from its list price of $49.99.

This LEGO DC Superman mech set is 30% off

I don’t know why Superman, with his godlike powers, needs a mech, but it’s cool that he has one. This DC Comics tie-in set lets you build both Supes and his archenemy Lex Luthor, so you can re-enact their never-ending conflict. (I think they should just get a room already.) Marked down 30%, this set costs only $10.49.

And this LEGO City set is only $6 right now

You want a dirt-cheap LEGO set? A low-cost stocking stuffer, perhaps? Check out this LEGO City set. It’s only $5.59! That’s like the price of a cup of coffee, and 44% lower than the list price. The Pizza vs. Fire Truck Race pack features mini-figures of a pizza delivery driver and a firefighter, each in a souped-up car, allowing them to race against each other. (Things are out of hand on the streets of LEGO City.)

Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.

• Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET through Oct. 12 and includes deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+.

• Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12, and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.

• Target’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, and it has deals going up to 50% off. You can become a Circle member for free.

A now-fixed security flaw in India’s income tax e-filing portal exposed millions of taxpayers’ personal and financial data due to a basic IDOR vulnerability that let users view others’ records by swapping PAN numbers. “The exposed data included full names, home addresses, email addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, and bank account details of people who pay taxes on their income in India,” reports TechCrunch. “The data also exposed citizens’ Aadhaar number, a unique government-issued identifier used as proof of identity and for accessing government services.” From the report: The researchers found that when they signed into the portal using their Permanent Account Number (PAN), an official document issued by the Indian income tax department, they could view anyone else’s sensitive financial data by swapping out their PAN for another PAN in the network request as the web page loads. This could be done using publicly available tools like Postman or Burp Suite (or using the web browser’s in-built developer tools) and with knowledge of someone else’s PAN, the researchers told TechCrunch.

The bug was exploitable by anyone who was logged-in to the tax portal because the Indian income tax department’s back-end servers were not properly checking who was allowed to access a person’s sensitive data. This class of vulnerability is known as an insecure direct object reference, or IDOR, a common and simple flaw that governments have warned is easy to exploit and can result in large-scale data breaches.

“This is an extremely low-hanging thing, but one that has a very severe consequence,” the researchers told TechCrunch. In addition to the data of individuals, the researchers said that the bug also exposed data associated with companies who were registered with the e-Filing portal. […] It remains unclear how long the vulnerability has existed or whether any malicious actors have accessed the exposed data.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

BrianFagioli shares a report from NERDS.xyz: Micro Center and iFixit have announced a partnership that combines the DIY repair giant’s guides, parts, and toolkits with Micro Center’s nationwide chain of computer and electronics stores. Customers browsing iFixit online can now find local Micro Center locations through a built-in locator and even stop in for a free consultation with a certified technician. Inside stores, shoppers will see iFixit toolkits and parts on shelves, while Micro Center’s in-house technicians begin using iFixit’s gear for professional repairs.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

If you want to begin coding—either for a career shift, a hobby, or just to better understand your favorite apps—you can get Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 together with the Learn to Code Certification course pack currently on sale for just $45.97 on StackSocial. The deal runs through October 12. The standout here is that you’re not just getting a license for Visual Studio, which is already a powerhouse development environment, but also lifetime access to more than 60 hours of beginner-to-advanced coding instruction.

Visual Studio Pro 2022 itself is widely used in professional environments, built for serious dev work—think C#, Python, .NET, and more. You get tools like IntelliCode for AI-assisted coding suggestions, built-in Git support, debugging, and advanced testing features, all of which are useful whether you’re building a small app or working on enterprise-level projects. Normally, licenses for just the IDE can get expensive, so getting it bundled with a full curriculum covering JavaScript, React, Python, CSS, and more is the kind of package that feels designed for someone starting out with ambition or a side hustle in mind.

That said, this is a Microsoft-centric deal. If you’re aiming to become a Mac-based developer or work heavily with Xcode and iOS projects, this probably won’t be your best fit. The same goes if you’re already deep into development and just looking for a few advanced certifications, as some of the coursework may feel too foundational. But if you’ve been stuck in tutorial limbo, this bundle provides structure, software, and real-world tools at a reasonable price. For under $50, it’s hard to beat the value, especially for learners who want both a development platform and a guided roadmap in one place.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Amazon Big Deal Days is October 7-8, and Lifehacker is sharing the best bargains, based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools.

• Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

If you knew me in person, you might not necessarily guess that I have a favorite vacuum. Nothing about me suggests that I spend a lot of time being fussy over a cleaning brand. But cleaning less often than I should is precisely why I have a favorite vacuum: I may not tidy up often enough, but when I do, I need one that works. And in my tiny Manhattan apartment, I find the space for not one, but two Bissell vacuums. (One is for what I call “the horrors,” and the other is for normal cleaning.) Regardless of how you live, you may also be considering a new vacuum, and these Bissell models are on sale for Prime Day.

My beloved Bissell CrossWave is nearly half off

I love my CrossWave OmniForce, which I’ve evangelized about frequently. It’s both a vacuum and a mop, allowing you to use it on both hard and soft floors. The cleaning solution gets dispensed, the brush spreads it around, and the vacuum sucks it back up into a separate chamber. It’s ideal for both the squeaky-clean person (maybe you) and the desperately lazy (definitely me).

BISSELL® CrossWave® OmniForce™ Multi-Surface Hard Floor Cleaner Wet Dry Vacuum with Dedicated Dry Vacuum Mode, 3882

$199.99
at Amazon

$379.99
Save $180.00

$199.99
at Amazon

$379.99
Save $180.00

Typically $380, it’s currently on sale for just $199. It comes with a charging dock (which serenades you with a pleasant little jingle whenever you set the vacuum on it), plus two bottles of cleaning solution. You should get this vacuum, but a word of advice: Always dump out the dirty solution as soon as you’re done cleaning. Left in the canister, it will quickly smell awful, which is obviously my own fault.

There are other CrossWaves available as well, including the CrossWave Turbo, a slightly less powerful model that performs essentially the same function as the OmniForce and is now marked down 43% to $130. There’s also the CrossWave HydroSteam, which steams carpets and floors in addition, and it’s $270 instead of $320.

Other great Bissell deals

I’m sad to report that the second vacuum I use—the one for the horrors—is not on sale for Prime Day, but it doesn’t really need to be: The Bissell Featherweight, a tiny-but-mighty stick vacuum that transforms into a handheld dust-buster and has a handful of useful attachments, is just $33 as is.

For a more powerful stick vacuum, consider the Bissell PowerClean FurFinder, which is marked down to $130 instead of $230. Bissell’s Little Green compact carpet and upholstery cleaner is also marked down to $75 instead of $95 right now.

Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.

• Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET through Oct. 12 and includes deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+.

• Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12, and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.

• Target’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, and it has deals going up to 50% off. You can become a Circle member for free.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from 404 Media: Sora 2, Open AI’s new AI video generator, puts a visual watermark on every video it generates. But the little cartoon-eyed cloud logo meant to help people distinguish between reality and AI-generated bullshit is easy to remove and there are half a dozen websites that will help anyone do it in a few minutes. A simple search for “sora watermark” on any social media site will return links to places where a user can upload a Sora 2 video and remove the watermark. 404 Media tested three of these websites, and they all seamlessly removed the watermark from the video in a matter of seconds.

Hany Farid, a UC Berkeley professor and an expert on digitally manipulated images, said he’s not shocked at how fast people were able to remove watermarks from Sora 2 videos. “It was predictable,” he said. “Sora isn’t the first AI model to add visible watermarks and this isn’t the first time that within hours of these models being released, someone released code or a service to remove these watermarks.” […] According to Farid, Open AI is decent at employing strategies like watermarks, content credentials, and semantic guardrails to manage malicious use. But it doesn’t matter. “It is just a matter of time before someone else releases a model without these safeguards,” he said.

Both [Rachel Tobac, CEO of SocialProof Security] and Farid said that the ease at which people can remove watermarks from AI-generated content wasn’t a reason to stop using watermarks. “Using a watermark is the bare minimum for an organization attempting to minimize the harm that their AI video and audio tools create,” Tobac said, but she thinks the companies need to go further. “We will need to see a broad partnership between AI and Social Media companies to build in detection for scams/harmful content and AI labeling not only on the AI generation side, but also on the upload side for social media platforms. Social Media companies will also need to build large teams to manage the likely influx of AI generated social media video and audio content to detect and limit the reach for scammy and harmful content.” “I’d like to know what OpenAI is doing to respond to how people are finding ways around their safeguards,” Farid said. “Will they adapt and strengthen their guardrails? Will they ban users from their platforms? If they are not aggressive here, then this is going to end badly for us all.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Longtime Slashdot reader schwit1 shares a report from Reuters: OpenAI said on Tuesday it has banned several ChatGPT accounts with suspected links to the Chinese government entities after the users asked for proposals to monitor social media conversations. In its latest public threat report (PDF), OpenAI said some individuals had asked its chatbot to outline social media ‘listening’ tools and other monitoring concepts, violating the startup’s national security policy.

The San Francisco-based firm’s report raises safety concerns over potential misuse of generative AI amid growing competition between the U.S. and China to shape the technology’s development and rules. OpenAI said it also banned several Chinese-language accounts that used ChatGPT to assist phishing and malware campaigns and asked the model to research additional automation that could be achieved through China’s DeepSeek. It also banned accounts tied to suspected Russian-speaking criminal groups that used the chatbot to help develop certain malware, OpenAI said.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Believe it or not, October Prime Day is actually a good time to save on Dyson devices. Plenty of cordless vacuums are on sale this year, as well as a few viral hair stylers. But, none of those top my trusty AM09. Dyson’s Hot+Cool AM09 heater and fan is on sale for $300 right now — that’s 40 percent off and one of the best prices I’ve seen.

My love for the AM09 is well documented. At this point, I’ve had it for more than five years and I bought it when it was $280 on super-sale at QVC. Previously, I had a Dyson tower fan that worked well until it kicked the bucket after a few years of use. I took the plunge with the AM09 because I generally had a great experience with the tower fan, and at the time, I had been living in apartments that were consistently chilly during wintertime and downright stifling during the summer months.

Now, my house is not all that much different than my apartments of yesteryear — and my original AM09 is still kicking. It does a great job circulating air in the summer (it’s not an air conditioner, to be clear) and it cuts the chill in my particularly icy office during the winter. I love its handy fan, which attaches magnetically to the top of the fan so you don’t lose it and lets you control the fan speed and heater temperature with just a few presses of a button.

But the real kicker with the AM09 is how lightweight it is: at just under six pounds, it’s incredibly easy to pick up and tote upstairs, downstairs or in the other room, wherever you need it the most. It has literally gone from my home office upstairs down to the main floor of my house and down again into our basement all in the same day for different purposes. Am I a little miffed that, in my impatience, I bought a discounted Dyson heater/fan/air purifier over the summer because I desperately wanted another AM09 and it wasn’t on sale at the time? Yes — but at least you, dear reader, can learn from my shopping woes and get the AM09 instead.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/my-beloved-dyson-am09-heater-and-fan-is-40-percent-off-for-prime-day-223428328.html?src=rss

Today, Tesla announced a new variant of the Model Y crossover for North America. Tesla fans have long-awaited a cheaper entry-level model; this was supposed to be the $25,000 Model 2. But the development of that electric vehicle was shelved earlier last year as CEO Elon Musk began to lose interest with car-making in favor of humanoid robots.

However, car sales still make up the overwhelming majority of Tesla’s revenue, and the removal of the IRS clean vehicle tax credit at the end of September may have juiced US EV sales in Q3 2025, but sales are expected to dip significantly in the current quarter.

The new Standard Range Model Y starts at $39,990, with 321 miles (516 km) of range from its rear-wheel drive powertrain, compared to the now-Premium rear-wheel drive Model Y, which has an EPA range of 357 miles (574 km). In the past, Tesla has software-locked batteries to a smaller configuration; however, here we believe the Standard Range Model Y uses a 69 kWh pack.

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