Tech
Amazons October Prime Day is coming on October 7 — here are 30+ early deals to shop now

Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) 🔥
(Save $200)

3 free months of Kindle Unlimited
(Save $35.97)

iRobot Roomba Plus 405 Robot Vacuum & Mop 🔥
(Save $269)

Beats Studio Buds
(Save $70)

Amazon Prime Day is no longer one glorious day of deals just for Prime members. The flagship Prime Day now spans four days in July, and Amazon has added another annual event in October, too. This year, Prime Big Deal Days returns on October 7 and 8. Amazon says its October Prime Day event will deliver millions of deals across categories, giving customers a head start on holiday shopping.
Before the sale begins, it’s worth mapping out what gifts you need to buy or which household goods need restocking. But if you're eager to get an even earlier jump on the holiday shopping, we have some good news. Early deals are already starting to creep in. While there aren't a ton of deals to shop yet, there are some real gems.
Note: Deals marked with a 🔥 denote an all-time low price.
Best early Prime Day Apple deal
Why we picked this
"In terms of laptops, our favorite is the Apple MacBook Air with M4 chip. With the M4 chip, the performance differences between the Air and Pro are negligible, meaning you can go for the more affordable option and still delight in a speedy, high-performing laptop.
$799 is the best price we've ever seen on the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch model. It's $200 off from its usual $999, saving you 20%." — Samantha Mangino, Shopping Reporter
More MacBook deals
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Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $999 $1,199 (save $200) 🔥
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Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,299 $1,599 (save $300) 🔥
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Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M4 Pro, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $2,249 $2,499 (save $250)
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Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M4 Max, 36GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,869 $3,199 (save $330)
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Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M4 Max, 36GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $3,111.09 $3,499 (save $387.91)
AirPods deals
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Apple AirPods 4 — $119 $129 (save $10)
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Apple AirPods 4 with ANC — $168.99 $179 (save $10.01)
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Apple AirPods Pro 2 — $199 $249 (save $50)
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Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) — $519 $549 (save $30)
Apple Watch deals
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Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS, 42mm) — $329 $399 (save $70)
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Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm) — $389 $399 (save $10) 🔥
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Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS + cellular, 42mm) — $429 $499 (save $70)
iPad deals
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Apple iPad, 11-inch (A16, WiFi, 128GB) — $299 $349 (save $50)
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Apple iPad, 11-inch (A16, WiFi + cellular, 128GB) — $449 $499 (save $50)
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Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M3, WiFi, 128GB) — $449 $599 (save $150) 🔥
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Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro, WiFi, 128GB) — $489 $499 (save $10)
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Apple iPad, 10.9-inch (A14 Bionic, WiFi + cellular, 256GB) — $499 $649 (save $150) 🔥
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Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M3, WiFi + cellular, 128GB) — $599 $749 (save $150) 🔥
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Apple iPad Air, 13-inch (M3, WiFi, 128GB) — $649 $799 (save $150) 🔥
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Apple iPad Air, 13-inch (M3, WiFi + cellular, 128GB) — $799 $949 (save $150) 🔥
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Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M4, WiFi, 256GB) — $896.03 $999 (save $102.97)
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Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M4, WiFi + cellular, 256GB) — $1,099 $1,199 (save $100)
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Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 256GB) — $1,193 $1,299 (save $106)
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Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M4, WiFi + cellular, 256GB) — $1,399 $1,499 (save $100)
Best early Prime Day headphone and earbud deal
Why we picked this
"In the lead up to Amazon's October Prime Day, we're looking across categories for the best early savings. One of our favorite categories — headphones and earbuds — is looking a little sparse when it comes to deals, but that's not to say that there are no good early deals. We've found a few great ones.
Ahead of Prime Day, find the Beats Studio Buds for 47% off. That saves you $70 off its typical $149.95 MSRP. The Beats Studio Buds deliver well-balanced sound and active noise cancellation in a small package. Plus, like AirPods, they have easy connectivity to iOS systems, but unlike AirPods, they're also well-suited for Android users." — Samantha Mangino, Shopping Reporter
More headphone and earbud deals
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EarFun Air Pro 4 earbuds — $55.99 $79.99 (save $24)
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Shokz OpenSwim Pro — $139.95 $179.95 (save $40)
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Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones — $228 $349.99 (save $121.99)
Early Prime Day Bluetooth speaker deals
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JBL Go 3 — $29.95 $39.95 (save $10)
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JBL Go 4 — $39.95 $49.95 (save $10)
Best early Prime Day Kindle deal
Why we picked this
"The best Kindle deal isn't actually on one of Amazon's e-readers. Instead, Amazon is offering three months of Kindle Unlimited totally free. Think of it like a streaming service, except for e-books. Joining Kindle Unlimited gives you access to the Kindle Unlimited library, from which you can borrow. But unlike the library, there's no due date on these borrowed books; the only restriction is that you can borrow up to 20 books at a time.
Leading up to and during Prime Big Deal Days, you can join Kindle Unlimited for three months — totally free. The promotion is available to everyone, even if you've already used up your free trial. This is a $35.97 value that you can score without spending a penny. Plus, you don't actually need a Kindle to enjoy Kindle Unlimited. You can read from the Kindle library on your smartphone, tablet, or web browser." — Samantha Mangino, Shopping Reporter
Best early Prime Day Robot Vacuum deal
Why we picked this
"When it comes to robot vacuums, I always turn to Mashable's in-house robot vacuum expert, Leah Stodart. When I asked her about these deals, she pointed out that iRobot marked down the Roomba Plus 405 to $399.99, making it one of the most affordable combo robot vacuums and mops. That saves you $265.01 off its list price of $665 for 40% off.
The Roomba Plus 405 includes both vacuum and mopping abilities, featuring strong suction to really scrub at dirt and grime. It features four cleaning levels that you can adjust from the iRobot app. Plus, its dock not only empties the vacuum, but even cleans the mopping pads for a truly hands-free experience.
While we're not sure what other combo vacuum and mop deals are coming during Prime Big Deal Days, we can safely say that the Roomba Plus 405 is one of the best deals you can get ahead of the event." — Samantha Mangino, Shopping Reporter
More robot vacuum deals
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iRobot Roomba 104 Robot Vacuum — $149.99 $249.99 (save $100) 🔥
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iRobot Roomba 104 Robot Vacuum and Mop — $249.99 $449.99 (save $200) 🔥
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iRobot Roomba Plus 504 Robot Vacuum — $379.99 $590 (save $210.01) 🔥
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Roborock S8 Max Ultra Robot Vacuum — $749.99 $1,299.99 (save $550) 🔥
Tech
Hurdle hints and answers for September 28, 2025

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.
There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.
An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.
If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.
Hurdle Word 1 hint
Brief.
Hurdle Word 1 answer
SHORT
Hurdle Word 2 hint
Prompt.
Hurdle Word 2 Answer
SWIFT
Hurdle Word 3 hint
To scrub.
Hurdle Word 3 answer
SCOUR
Hurdle Word 4 hint
Deprived.
Hurdle Word 4 answer
NEEDY
Final Hurdle hint
Waste.
Hurdle Word 5 answer
TRASH
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Tech
Enjoy the power of ChatGPT, Gemini, and more AI models in one place with this tool on sale

TL;DR: Make your life even easier with this handy platform that puts multiple AI models in one place, 1min.AI, now $99.99 (reg. $540) for a lifetime subscription.
New to the world of AI? If you’re just discovering the way this new technology can make your life a little easier, get ready to save even more time with 1min.AI.
This platform lets you access multiple AI models in one convenient spot — from ChatGPT to Gemini and Mistral. And right now, you can score a lifetime subscription to 1min.AI’s Advanced Business Plan for just $99.99 (reg. $540).
If you’ve been intimidated to start working with artificial intelligence, 1min.AI makes it totally accessible and a lot more convenient as a central hub for the popular models. This handy tool lets you input your request in one place and enjoy the fruits of multiple AI models’ labor, with no tab-hopping required.
Need to create AI-generated images? Looking to whip up some content for social media? Since all the AI models have different strengths, 1min.AI takes the guesswork out of which service to use. Take advantage of all the perks that ChatGPT, Gemini, Midjourney, Mistral, and more models have to offer, without having to pay multiple subscription costs. Just make sure to check 1min.AI’s output and make sure no light editing is required.
This lifetime subscription to 1min.AI’s Advanced Business Plan provides an unlimited prompt library, unlimited storage, and unlimited brand voice options.
You’ll also receive 4,000,000 credits monthly, which is enough to write 1,112,500 words per month, research up to 5,933 SEO keywords per month, generate up to 1,186 images per month, and create up to 37 videos per month. If you need more credits, you can earn free ones by using the web app, referring a friend, or leaving a review.
Secure a lifetime subscription to 1min.AI’s Advanced Business Plan for just $99.99 (reg. $540).
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Tech
The best (and most discreet) sexting apps for confidential chats
The best sexting apps open up a whole new frontier for your sex life. You may think of sex as more of an IRL activity, and rightfully so, but sexting is an exciting new form of digital foreplay. It lets you build anticipation to a fever pitch. It's also a fun way to explore your kinks, role-play, and connect with your partner on a deeper level, especially when you’re not physically together.
Sexting (aka talking dirty, swapping nudes, leaving steamy audio notes, etc.) is a portmanteau of "sex" and "text," and it requires a little more thought than opening up a new text message on your phone. You've also got your and your partner's privacy to consider. Likewise, you can't just open a random dating app, slide into someone's DMs, and start a spicy conversation. You might be able to do that on sites like AdultFriendFinder or Grindr, but it could actually be a huge red flag elsewhere.
So, how do you find a sexting partner, and what are the best apps for sexting in 2025?
We tested dozens of platforms, consulted security experts, and spent a lot of time reading terms of service and privacy policies to answer that exact question.
How we picked the best sexting apps
Privacy and security should always be your highest priority. That's why we always put user safety at the top of our list when trying out new sexting apps. (Speaking of privacy, establishing consent before sexting is a must.)
"If an app is being used to share intimate content, privacy features cannot be optional — they’re essential," says Gary Orenstein, Chief Customer Officer at Bitwarden (an open-source password manager). What tops his list? "First and foremost, end-to-end encryption is critical," so only you and your partner see the messages, not even the app company itself.
Orenstein also recommends looking for apps with "built-in controls, such as disappearing messages and self-destructing media [which] help minimize long-term exposure of shared materials" and features like "screenshot detection or alerts [that] can discourage unauthorized saving," though these aren't always foolproof.
Whether you’re in a committed relationship, single and swiping on hookup apps, looking for a regular sexting buddy, or amping up a solo sesh with steamy instructions from an AI companion, we recommend downloading an app for safe sexting. After all, if you believe in safe sex, you should practice safe sexting, too.
Based on hands-on testing, expert opinions, and user reviews, we picked the best sexting apps for you to try in 2025.
Recent updates to this guide:
We regularly test new apps and dating platforms. For our most recent update to this guide on Sept. 27, 2025, we made the following changes:
-
Lovesense Remote: We added Lovesense Remote as the app that's "Best for Group Sexting." Lovesense Remote is also a fun way for couples (and polyamorous folks) to incorporate sexting and Bluetooth sex toys to their love life.
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FetLife: We named FetLife "Best for Niche Kinks & Fetishes." This social networking platform is popular in the kinkster community and can be a good way to connect with sexy new friends.
-
Confide: We've once again named this the best overall sexting app, replacing Signal as the top pick. We still recommend Signal as the best free secure messaging app. On balance, we think Confide's security and privacy tools give it the edge.
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