OpenAI drops another batch of mathematical breakthroughs
OpenAI has revealed solutions to a number of long-standing mathematics problems produced by an unreleased frontier model in a batch of 722 manuscripts, covering 372 result families that group related papers. It extends a run of breakthroughs that have both impressed and unsettled parts of the mathematical community while raising questions about research ethics and academic conduct. According to AGMAI, the newly formed independent advisory group of elite mathematicians put together to work on communicating the results responsibly, the release includes solutions to "hundreds" of open questions.
The results have been expected for weeks, althou …
Xbox has secured exclusive GTA 6 streaming rights
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma told employees that Microsoft is getting ready to do something around Grand Theft Auto VI that "no other platform holder is doing" during an employee all-hands this morning. According to sources familiar with Microsoft's plans, Xbox has managed to land a deal for the exclusive game streaming rights for Grand Theft Auto VI.
The deal will mean only Xbox Cloud Gaming can stream Grand Theft Auto VI to players at launch, but it's not clear how long the agreement will be in place. Rockstar Games still hasn't announced a PC version of Grand Theft Auto VI, so this deal will allow Xbox to market its Xbox Cloud Gaming service to …
The best robot vacuum and mop deals during October Prime Day
Spending too much time constantly sweeping and mopping? If you have the money to delegate those chores to a robot cleaner, you could save a lot of personal time. Thankfully, it’s cheaper than usual to buy a robot vacuum / mop hybrid during Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days, and some of our favorite models are discounted. The deals aren’t just for Amazon Prime members either, with other retailers like Best Buy and manufacturers getting in on the action, as well.
That being said, if your floors are already squeaky clean, make sure to check out our roundup of over 100 deals from Amazon’s October sale.
Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow
Roborock’s first roller-mop robot vacuum, the Curv 2 Flow, features flagship specs at a midrange price, including excellent mopping, a retractable mop cover, 20,000Pa suction, AI-powered obstacle avoidance, and a compact design.
Where to Buy:
Roborock Saros 20
Roborock’s Saros 20 stands out for its ability to climb tall thresholds, avoid obstacles with impressive accuracy, and clean under low furniture thanks to its slim design. It also combines powerful 36,000Pa suction with great spinning mop pads, which is why we recommend it for homes with multiple floor types and tricky transitions between rooms.
Where to Buy:
Narwal Flow 2
Our pick for the best robot vacuum-mop if you have all hardwood floors is the Narwal Flow 2. A superb mop with a wide flat roller pad and an excellent vacuum, the Flow 2 also has top-notch navigation and obstacle detection. Its sleek base station is also less of an eyesore than most.
Where to Buy:
Dreame X60 Ultra
The Dreame X60 Ultra leverages a pair of AI-assisted cameras to help it navigate obstacles and ensure a thorough, consistent cleaning. It’s only 3.13 inches tall, so it can sneak under low surfaces that some other robot vacuums can’t.
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Eufy Omni C28
The Eufy Omni C28 combines excellent mopping performance with a small self-cleaning dock that’s well suited for apartments and other smaller spaces. It navigates around furniture and into tight areas with ease, while its roller mop does a great job cleaning hard floors.
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Dreame L40 Ultra
Dreame’s budget-friendly L40s Ultra has storage for up to 100 days of dust, and can clean its own mop pads. The auxiliary climbing wheels help it navigate thresholds and rug edges with ease.
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Roborock Q10 S5 Plus
A budget robot vacuum and mop without a multifunction dock. It has AI-powered obstacle avoidance, sonic mopping, auto mop lifting, and an auto-empty dock.
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Best overall: Deebot X8 Pro Omni
The Deebot X8 Pro Omni is an excellent roller mopping bot that extends to clean along backboards and furniture. It’s also a powerful vacuum with great obstacle avoidance, a small dock, and a convenient self-cleaning brush system.
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Switchbot K11 Plus
The Matter-compatible SwitchBot K11 Plus is ideal for small apartments, bedrooms, and home offices. It can easily navigate around chair and desk legs and into tight spaces that most other bots miss. It also features a commendable 6,000Pa of suction power — which is great for this price point — and works well on both hardwood and carpet.
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Apple and LG team up on new smart home gear, starting with a lock, doorbell, and thermostat
Apple is collaborating with LG on a new lineup of smart home devices, including a video doorbell, thermostat, indoor camera, and more, according to a report from Bloomberg. The products will reportedly feature LG branding but integrate with the company's rumored smart home hub that's expected to launch during an event on October 13th.
Sources tell Bloomberg that the upcoming line of devices also includes a deadbolt lock, outdoor security camera, and a floodlight camera.
Several of the devices will reportedly come with support for the smart home protocols Thread and Matter amid a "formal reboot" for Apple's HomeKit platform. T …
Sebastian Maniscalco’s SiriusXM channel is hurting up-and-coming talent, comics say
Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco is facing backlash from fellow comics who claim his takeover of SiriusXM's Raw Comedy channel is harming up-and-coming talent, as reported earlier by Deadline. Many established comics, including Patton Oswalt and Margaret Cho, have posted videos online calling on Maniscalco to carry on Raw Comedy's legacy by highlighting newer comedians on his channel, instead of mostly focusing on well-known ones.
SiriusXM launched Sebastian Maniscalco's Comedy Radio in April, which is "curated and headlined by Sebastian himself," according to the satellite radio provider. The move replaced SiriusXM's long-running Raw Comedy c …
Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y can be a backup battery for your house
Some Tesla Model 3 and Model Y owners can use their EV battery to keep the lights on longer during a power outage, now that Tesla's expanding the Powershare Home Backup feature. It was previously only available on the Cybertruck, and also requires owning Tesla's Powerwall 3. However, support for the Powerwall 2 and Powerwall Plus is "coming soon." Tesla's EVs aren't the first or only ones with bidirectional charging; companies like Kia and GM also offer vehicle-to-home power on their vehicles, while Nissan's Leaf offered power-to-grid charging years ago.
Tesla says the Model 3 and Model Y can extend home backup power to over two days for Pr …
Google’s power-hungry data centers crave nuclear energy
Google announced a new agreement to update six nuclear power plant sites across the US as the tech giant seeks to generate more electricity for its power-hungry data centers.
Google signed the 20-year deal with Constellation, the leading nuclear power plant operator in the US. The power purchase agreement is meant to guarantee the revenue needed to cover the cost of efficiency upgrades at existing nuclear plants and "represents more than $4.3 billion of new investment by Constellation," according to the press release.
Over the next five years, the companies expect new equipment at each site to collectively lead to 890 megawatts of addition …
Amazon’s last-gen Kindle Paperwhite is 30 percent off
Calling something “last-gen” usually means it comes with big compromises compared to the latest version. That’s not as true for the last-gen Kindle Paperwhite as it is with some other tech. The newer version can open books 30 percent faster (not the same as page-turning speed), and its aluminum design is a millimeter thinner — but it costs $50 more.
The 2024 edition has the same fantastic 300ppi screen, an auto-adjusting front light, and waterproof (IPX8) design. And the Signature Edition that’s discounted has no lockscreen ads, twice the storage (32GB) of the base model, plus wireless charging and an ambient light sensor, and it’s down to $169.99 (originally $249.99) at Amazon.
Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition
The premium Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition offers the same design and performance as the standard model but with more storage and support for wireless charging.
Where to Buy:
The standard Paperwhite is $149.99 (was $199.99) at Amazon, and while the lower price is nice, I’d suggest only opting for that model if you’re alright with what you’re giving up (which is a lot): it has half the storage, no wireless charging, and lockscreen ads.
Save on MacBooks, iPads and Apple Watches during October Prime Day
Amazon’s October Big Deal Days are underway (lasting through tomorrow night), and we spotted a ton of Apple products and accessories in the sale, ranging from laptops and headphones to desktops and more. Some of the deals are only for Prime members, but other retailers are often matching or beating Amazon’s prices, and we’ll continue to update our coverage as we spot those deals.
If your sights are set beyond what Apple makes, our main roundup has over 100 of the best deals from October Prime Day, and we’re keeping it updated throughout the sale.
iPhone Air
The iPhone Air is Apple’s thinnest iPhone yet at 5.6mm, featuring a 6.5-inch ProMotion display, a 48MP fusion camera, and an 18MP front camera with Center Stage support. But its single rear camera and “meh” battery life mean it’s not for everyone.
Where to Buy:
iPhone 16E
The iPhone 16E is the spiritual successor to the iPhone SE, bringing flagship-level performance for less than the standard 16. We really wish it included MagSafe for $599, but those upgrading from older iPhones will probably be satisfied with what’s included.
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Apple AirPods Max (second-gen)
Apple’s second-generation AirPods Max have excellent sound and ANC performance, but are only a minor upgrade from the older pair. Read our review.
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Apple 13-inch MacBook Air (M5)
Powered by Apple’s new M5 chip, the latest MacBook Airs are more powerful than prior models and offer double the base storage (512GB). They also support faster wireless standards, specifically Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. Read our review.
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Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M5, 2026)
The 15-inch Apple MacBook Air features improved performance and better connectivity than the previous generation, and better speakers than the 13-inch model.
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iPad Mini (2024)
The seventh-gen iPad Mini comes with Apple’s A17 Pro chip and support for Apple Intelligence. It’s also compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro and offers faster Wi-Fi and USB-C speeds. Read our review.
Where to Buy:
Belkin MagSafe 15W 2-in-1 wireless charging dock
A slick 2-in-1 charger that can charge your magnet-friendly iPhone or Pixel at a relatively speedy pace. Its extra charging pad supports AirPods, the Apple Watch, and other Qi-ready accessories.
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Belkin Qi2.2 25W 2-in-1 foldable charging dock
Slap a recent iPhone onto this charging pad and it’ll charge at fast 25W speeds. It can also charge AirPods, and includes a cord and wall adapter.
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Apple Watch SE 3
The Apple Watch SE 3 is a major glow-up, adding an always-on display, wrist-temperature sensor, a more powerful processor, and fast charging. Read our review.
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AirPods Pro 3
The AirPods Pro 3 have a new design that improves their fit, superior noise cancellation, better bass, and fairly accurate heart rate sensors. Read our review.
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Apple iPad Air M4
The M4-powered iPad Air excels at AI-powered tasks, and has great battery life, but the 60Hz screen feels underwhelming. Read our review.
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iPad (2025)
Apple’s entry-level iPad is an excellent tablet for casual use, even if it is getting a little long in the tooth. Its high-res screen is great for watching video, and its A16 processor is still fast enough to handle light games and productivity apps. Read our review.
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M6 Mac Mini
Apple’s recently-updated Mac Mini packs surprising performance into a small package, and the discount helps offset a generational price bump. Read our review.
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Apple Watch Series 12
The newest generation of Apple Watch packs in a variety of upgrades, like faster charging and updated sensors, alongside new Siri and AI features. Read our review.
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AirPods 4
Apple’s AirPods 4 are last-gen wireless earbuds, but they’re still great. The hard, plastic buds feature improved audio over the third-gen model, along with deep iOS integration and spatial audio with head tracking. Read our review.
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Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max TechWoven Case with MagSafe
This Apple iPhone case features a woven fabric made from recycled polyester for a unique look and rugged protection.
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Apple Pencil Pro
The Apple Pencil Pro arrives with new features like Find My support so you can find the stylus when it gets lost, as well as new creative capabilities like squeeze gestures and the “Barrel Roll” gyroscope.
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Apple Magic Keyboard Folio for iPad (A16)
This keyboard for the iPad turns your tablet into a tiny laptop, and is detachable in case you’d rather just use the kickstand folio cover.
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Speck Presidio2 Grip Case with MagSafe for Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Pro Max
This Speck case features specially designed grips that help prevent accidental drops, and is made from 50 percent recycled plastic.
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Casetify Force Case for Apple iPhone 18 Pro and 17 Pro
The Force Case from Casetify comes in a handful of trendy colors, and supports MagSafe accessories and chargers.
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Two mystery PlayStation products have leaked — one might be a PlayStation Portal OLED
Is Sony about to announce a new PlayStation Portal game streaming handheld? The Wi-Fi Alliance recently certified two unannounced PlayStation products of some kind, and the certification documents indicate that they could be updates to the PlayStation Portal, which might mean we're getting the OLED screen rumored earlier this year.
The two devices, which are classified as "Gaming Console/Peripherals," have model numbers of CFI-Y2000 and CFI-Y2105, which sound like a clear step up from the CFI-Y1001 model number for the currently available Portal. The docs say that the new models run on Android 15, which further indicates that they might be …