Entertainment
October Prime Day is just one day away — here are all the best deals to shop
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UPDATE: Oct. 7, 2024, 2:15 p.m. EDT This story has been updated with the latest early deals from Prime Big Deal Days, which starts on Oct. 8.
Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days event is back. Scheduled a little under three months after the retail giant’s flagship summer Prime Day sale, this 48-hour “October Prime Day” will present shoppers with an opportunity to get an extra-early start on their holiday shopping before the chaos of Black Friday.
Amazon started rolling out early Prime Big Deal Days doorbusters in mid-September, and we’ll be keeping track of them right here in the lead-up to its official start.
When is October Prime Day?
Prime Big Deal Days will run from Tuesday, Oct. 8 (starting at 3 a.m. ET) through Wednesday, Oct. 9 this year. Many of the sale’s best deals won’t go live until that exact start time, but again, certain doorbusters are up for grabs already — they’re basically appetizers for the main event.
What deals will we see during the sale?
Amazon previewed a selection of its top Prime Big Deal Days deals in a press release Thursday (Oct. 3), noting that new offers will drop “as often as every five minutes during select periods throughout the event.” These offers include “some of its lowest prices of the year so far” on products from brands like Dyson and Lego (to the tune of up to 40 and 30 percent off, respectively), plus hefty discounts across the following categories:
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Up to 55% off select Amazon devices, including a new all-time low for the third-generation Echo Frames
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Up to 50% off popular print books, including Layla (Colleen Hoover), A Little Life (Hanya Yanagihara), Paris: The Memoir (Paris Hilton), and Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing (Matthew Perry)
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Up to 40% off Peloton fitness equipment
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Up to 40% off select Play-Doh, Melissa & Doug, Disney, Fisher-Price, and Mattel toys
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Up to 40% off Samsonite, American Tourister, and Travelers Choice luggage and SwissGear and Herschel backpacks
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Up to 35% off select Sony electronics, including PlayStation consoles and OLED and mini-LED TVs
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Up to 25% off select Casper pillows and mattress toppers
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20% off select GE Profile and Caraway kitchen appliances and cookware
Once Prime Big Deal Days begins, we’ll also be keeping an especially close eye on tech from big-leaguers like Apple, iRobot, and Samsung. Based on our experience covering past Prime events, we expect many of their products to fall to new or year-round lows on Amazon during the event.
As a reminder, you don’t need to buy something just because it’s on sale. For more tips on how to shop smart, check out Mashable’s guides to finding the best deals and what not to buy.
What are the best October Prime Day deals that are already live?
So far, Amazon is reserving most of the best deals for itself: Select devices across its Echo, Fire, Kindle, Blink, and eero brands are on sale for up to 58% off ahead of Prime Big Deal Days. (For the record, its Blink home security bundles and dirt-cheap Fire tablets feel the most worth-it at this point.)
These deals were open to all shoppers at the time of writing, but we’ve spotted some others that are Team Prime exclusives. Members can snag four free months of Amazon Music Unlimited, three free months of Kindle Unlimited, and a $10 discount on one GrubHub order of $15 or more; don’t forget to use the coupon code PRIME10 at checkout.
Beyond that, we’ve seen a slew of TVs, laptops, tablets, robot vacuums, headphones, and fitness trackers go on sale on Amazon ahead of Prime Big Deal Days. We’re keeping a running list of the best early deals below — just keep in mind that things can (and probably will) get cheaper once the event formally begins.
Best Apple deal
Why we like it
The 9th-generation iPad is down to $199.99, back to its lowest price ever in late September. Even with this recent price increase, it’s still the most affordable iPad out there.
This tablet comes with the A13 Bionic chip, a powerful processor that lets you stream, browse the internet, and even game. Normally $329, the sweet price of $224 saves you $129.01.
More Apple deals
iPads
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Apple iPad, 10.9-inch (A14 Bionic, WiFi, 64GB) — $299
$349(save $50) -
Apple iPad mini, 8.3-inch (A15 Bionic, WiFi, 64GB) — $379.99
$499(save $119.01) -
Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M2, WiFi, 128GB) — $547
$599(save $52) -
Apple iPad Air, 13-inch (M2, WiFi, 128GB) — $749
$799(save $50) -
Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M4, WiFi, 256GB) — $922
$999(save $77) -
Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 256GB) — $1,196
$1,299(save $103)
MacBooks
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Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $749
$999(save $250) -
Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M3, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $899
$1,099(save $200) -
Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M3, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $1,099
$1,299(save $200) -
Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M3, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,699
$1,999(save $300)
AirPods
AirTags and accessories
Best Amazon device deal
Why we like it
The Amazon Echo Show 5 works as a smart home hub that’s more than just a speaker. It displays music, recipes, and even video calls with its built-in camera. While we normally prefer the Echo Show 8 over the 5, ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, we’re thoroughly pleased with the $40 discount on the Echo Show 5.
Score the Amazon Echo Show 5 for just $49.99, taking 44% off.
More Amazon device deals
Echo smart speakers and displays
Kindles
Fire tablets
Eero WiFi devices
Best laptop deal
For more deals on MacBooks, scroll back up to the “Apple deals” section.
Why we like it
Read Mashable’s full review of the 14-inch Apple MacBook Pro (M3).
“With a super bright mini-LED display, a good amount of useful, creative-friendly ports, gorgeous-sounding speakers, and an M3 chip that supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing, the current-gen MacBook Pro is our No. 1 laptop for photo and video editing (regardless of operating system). It’s also the longest-lasting MacBook we’ve tested to date, clocking in at over 16 hours in our battery life test. It’s another Mashable Choice Award winner that earned a 4.5/5 rating.
We highly recommend bumping up to the 1TB variant with 16GB of memory, which is currently marked down to $1,699 (down $300 from $1,999), but the base configuration with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage is also on sale for $1,299 (down $300 from $1,599). Either way, you’ll be locking in an all-time low.” — Haley Henschel, Senior Shopping Reporter
Best headphones deal
Why we like it
Read Mashable’s full review of the Amazon Echo Buds (2nd gen).
“While Apple, Sony, and Bose tend to get most of the hype around earbuds, there are plenty of other brands that sneak in there and surprise us. Amazon happens to be one of them with their 2021 Amazon Echo Buds. They provide excellent noise cancellation and are compatible with any system.
Normally $139.99, they’re already a steal for a pair of earbuds with active noise cancellation. But ahead of Prime Day, they’re down to $44.99, saving you $95 for 68% off.” — Samantha Mangino, Shopping Reporter
More headphones deals
Headphones
Earbuds
Best Bluetooth speaker deal
Why we like it
“Maybe your Bluetooth speaker kicked the dust this summer after one too many pool parties. If you find yourself in the market for a new one, Prime Day is an especially great time to hit add to cart.
If you need a speaker for a party, the JBL PartyBox is just that. Despite its large size, the shoulder strap makes it easy to carry. Plus, six hours of battery life keeps it running all night long. Built-in lights and a microphone really keep things turning up all night long.
Ahead of Prime Day, you can find the JBL PartyBox down to $299.95, saving $50 for 14% off.” — Samantha Mangino, Shopping Reporter
More Bluetooth speaker deals
Soundbar deals
Best TV deal
Why we like it
“Who says you need to spend a grand to get a nice (and decently sized) 4K TV? With the early 35% discount that Amazon slapped on the 55-inch version of its most affordable Fire TV, Prime members could actually get one for two different rooms for way less than $1,000.
As Amazon’s most basic in-house Fire TV, the 4-Series would be best suited for people who aren’t super picky about saturation or brightness levels as long as it’s a step up from their old LED TV — and this definitely will be. With the intuitive Fire TV platform built-in, the 4-Series can access all of your favorite streaming apps, which you can arrange in whatever layout makes sense to you.” — Leah Stodart, Senior Shopping Reporter
More TV deals
50- to 55-inch TVs
65-inch TVs
75-inch TVs and up
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Roku 75-inch Select Series 4K TV — $499.99
$799.99(save $200) -
Amazon 75-inch Omni 4K Fire TV — $758.99
$1,049.99(save $291 with Prime) -
TCL 75-inch QM7 QLED 4K TV — $999.99
$1,499.99(save $500) -
Hisense 75-inch U8 Mini LED ULED 4K TV — $1,345.74
$1,999.99(save $654.25) -
LG 77-inch B3 OLED 4K TV — $1,796.99
$2,296.99(save $500) -
TCL 85-inch Q65 Mini LED ULED 4K TV — $899.99
$1,599.99(save $700) -
Sony 85-inch X77L 4K TV — $1,198
$1,498(save $300) -
Hisense 85-inch U8 Mini LED ULED 4K TV — $1,797.99
$2,799.99(save $1,002) -
Hisense 100-inch QD7 QLED 4K TV — $1,999.99
$2,999.99(save $1,000)
Best streaming deal
Why we like it
Is the Amazon Fire Stick 4K the best streamer we’ve ever tested? No, Roku takes the cake there. However, it still works perfectly fine, and not to mention, it’s hard to turn away from its delightful $30 price tag ahead of Prime Day. Having tested the Amazon Fire Stick TV, set-up is easy, as simple as plugging it into an HDMI port in the back of your TV.
While the home screen is a little clunky and slow, full of ads and promotions for Prime Video content, it is a dream for those who primarily stream on the site. The Amazon Fire Stick 4K is down to $24.99, saving you $25 and 50% off.
More streaming deals
Best gaming deal
Why we like it
“The Nintendo Switch Lite (Gray) is $179.99 at Amazon right now. It might go down in price during Prime Day, but its record-low is $196.80, and that was back in February 2022, so this deal (even at just $20 off) is still worth considering. If you want to save even more, you can buy a renewed model for $165.
The Nintendo Switch Lite is a portable version of the original Nintendo Switch. You can play classic games like Super Mario Bros and Zelda on the go and purchase and download other Switch games straight to the console.
If you prefer gaming on a TV, the Nintendo Switch is $264.97, down from $299.99. That’s not a massive discount, but it’s a decent price for a new Nintendo Switch.” — Tabitha Britt, Mashable Shopping Contributor
More gaming deals
Best drone deal
Why we like it
“If you’re really into drones, the name Holy Stone should be on your radar. This brand is known for making high-end drones that are feature-packed and, at times, super affordable.
The Holy Stone GPS drone HS175D RC Quadcopter is currently $169.99 at Amazon, which is $60 off the listing price. It’s a solid mid-range drone option that shoots 4K videos, has a 46-minute flight time, and a special flight mode where you can direct its movement — whether you want it to follow you or fly along a specific path.” — Tabitha Britt, Mashable Shopping Contributor
More drone deals
Best robot vacuum deals
More vacuum deals
More home deals
Best fitness tracker deal
Why we like it
“Ideal for smaller wrists, the Garmin Venu 3S is about .2 inches smaller in diameter and .3 oz lighter than the standard Venu 3. It still offers the same advanced features, like a built-in speaker and microphone to take calls, the ability to store music, and an abundance of health and fitness tools and insights. The only real difference besides the size is that the 3S has a slightly shorter battery life (about 10 days in smartwatch mode versus the 3’s 14 days), but it still blows the Apple Watch battery out of the water. It’s usually $449.99, but you can save $55 ahead of the October Prime event and get it for only $395. That’s a new all-time low.” — Christina Buff, Mashable Shopping Contributor
Mashable Deals
More fitness tracker deals
Best kitchen deal
Why we like it
“Trying to break your Starbucks habit? Invest in a fancy brewer for your home, like the Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker. It happens to be on sale for just under $100 ahead of October Prime Day, which is 41% in savings and matches its Black Friday price from last year. It features four brewing styles (classic, rich, over ice, and specialty brew), six brewing sizes (cup, XL cup, travel mug, multi-serve travel mug, half carafe, and full carafe), and a fold-away milk frother. That means you can create anything from hot or ice lattes and macchiatos to cappuccinos and iced coffee from the comfort of your kitchen.” — Christina Buff, Mashable Shopping Contributor
More kitchen deals
Air fryer deals
Blender deals
Coffee maker deals
Multicooker deals
Stand mixer deals
Best book deal
Why we like it
“If you’re not into self-help books, James Clear’s Atomic Habits might not be on your radar. But this is one of the best nonfiction titles to come out within the past few years, and it’s currently 49% off in hardcover.
This book is all about teaching yourself to build good habits, break bad ones, and generally become more focused, productive, and successful in your daily life. And at just $13.79 for the hardcover, it’s a steal.” — Tabitha Britt, Mashable Shopping Contributor
More book deals
Best home security deal
Why we like it
“If you could put a price tag on peace of mind, it’d be pretty close to this Blink Whole Home Bundle deal. It includes the Blink Outdoor 4, Mini 2, Video Doorbell, and Sync Module 2, all for just $89.97. That’s 55% off the retail value and the lowest price we’ve seen on this particular bundle. The Blink Mini 2 can take care of the inside of your home, day or night, while the Outdoor 4 can keep an eye on things outside. Paired with the Blink app, the video doorbell can show you who shows up at your door (even at night). And the Sync Module 2 will let you keep track of all the action in one place (and store your clips locally). It’s one of the most affordable ways to keep an eye on every part of your home.” — Christina Buff, Mashable Shopping Contributor
More home security deals
Video doorbell deals
Single security camera deals
Home security bundle deals
Best printer deal
Why we like it
The HP ENVY 6055e wireless color inkjet printer can print quickly, going through five pages a minute in color, and eight and a half pages in black and white. It also comes with three months’ worth of ink through HP+. You just have to activate your subscription to get it — it’s pretty easy to do through the app. This compact printer is ideal for at-home printing or dorm room use.
More printer deals
Best Samsung Galaxy deal
Why we like it
Samsung’s Galaxy A35 is a ‘strong buy for the price,’ as our friends at PCMag (also owned by Ziff Davis) said in their review. The budget-friendly Galaxy phone was released as a more affordable alternative to the Galaxy S24. As a budget phone, it doesn’t offer the same speed and performance as the S24, but it also doesn’t cost over $1,000. It packs a gorgeous 6.6-inch display, Samsung’s Exynos 1380 processor, a 50 MP wide-angle camera with optical image stabilization, and a long-lasting 5,000mAh battery that supports fast charging. It’s not the most impressive phone on the market, but on sale for just $313.99, it’s a pretty hard deal to beat. That’s 22% in savings.” — Christina Buff, Mashable Shopping Contributor
More Samsung Galaxy deals
Galaxy Book deals
Galaxy Buds deals
Galaxy phone deals
Galaxy Tab deals
Galaxy Watch deals
Entertainment
Hurdle hints and answers for March 1, 2026
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
Mixed metals.
Hurdle Word 1 answer
ALLOY
Hurdle Word 2 hint
A popular board game.
Mashable Top Stories
Hurdle Word 2 Answer
CHESS
Hurdle Word 3 hint
The edge of the beach.
Hurdle Word 3 answer
COAST
Hurdle Word 4 hint
Milk-based.
Hurdle Word 4 answer
DAIRY
Final Hurdle hint
A Spanish character.
Hurdle Word 5 answer
TILDE
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Entertainment
Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on March 1
It’s a new month, and while the Moon may appear totally full, we’re still a couple of days away from this yet. But in the meantime, there’s still lots to spot on its surface.
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Sunday, March 1, the Moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. According to NASA’s Daily Moon Guide, 94% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.
With just your naked eye, tonight you’ll be able to see the Mares Imbrium and Crisium, as well as the Tycho Crater. If you have binoculars hanging about, dust them off and pull them out to catch a glimpse of the Mares Nectaris and Frigoris, and the Endymion Crater. And proud telescope owners will see all this and more, including the Apollo 15 and 17 landing spots, and the Schiller Crater.
When is the next Full Moon?
The next Full Moon will be on March 3. The last Full Moon was on Feb. 1.
What are Moon phases?
According to NASA, the Moon takes about 29.5 days to orbit the Earth. Over the course of this period, it moves through eight recognisable phases, what we call the lunar cycle. While the same side of the Moon always faces us, the amount of its surface lit by the Sun changes as it continues along its path. The shifts in sunlight create the different appearances we see from Earth, ranging from a fully illuminated Moon to a thin sliver or near darkness. The eight 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).
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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.
Entertainment
Men are paying to have negative posts removed from Tea app
As reported by 404 Media, online service Tea App Green Flags will scrub negative posts from anonymous gossip app Tea and similar online forums where women post about negative experiences they’ve had with men they’ve dated.
According to 404 Media’s interview with Tea App Green Flags’ founder, simply identified as Jay, the company launched two years ago to tackle posts on the many Are We Dating the Same Guy Facebook groups. His focus has turned to Tea in the past year.
“We just want to take down posts about people who are being defamed,” Jay told 404 Media. “And when I say defamed, it means like, ‘this guy has a small penis,’ or ‘this guy smells.’ That doesn’t fit the mission statement of what the Tea app was for, which is to warn women against people who are harmful, who are abusive, who are cheaters.”
Tea App Green Flags’ site claims to have removed over 2,500 posts from the Tea App for over 759 clients. Most of the service’s clients are men, although Jay noted that occasionally the wives and girlfriends of men posted on the app will reach out.
Prospective Tea App Green Flags clients must provide their name, age, location, and photo to the service, as well links to specific posts targeting them. According to Tea App Green Flags’ FAQs, they can only remove posts with direct references to a client. On average, the site says, a Tea App “takedown campaign” will take 21 – 30 days. The lengths of other takedowns depend on the platform.
Price-wise, it costs $1.99 to report one Tea account and up to $79.99 to report 25 of them. The company also offers “24/7 Reputation Monitoring,” which costs $19.99 per month and alerts clients when they appear on Tea or Facebook.
Mashable Trend Report
Jay would not share the details of the takedown process with 404 Media. Tea does have a free form for takedown requests on its website, and says that it will “only reply to takedown requests submitted via the takedown portal.”
Jay emphasized to 404 Media that Tea App Green Flags does not extend its services to people who have been accused of sexual assault multiple times on Tea, or who have been accused by one person using their real name and photo in a Facebook group.
“Sometimes we find along the process that there are pedophiles or people who actually did what they did, and they’re very bad,” Jay told 404 Media. “So we say, ‘we’re not doing this.’ We can’t take a rap for that. We’re ethical. We just want to take down people who are being defamed.”
Tea markets itself as presenting “dating safety tools that protect women.” In July 2025, it was the target of a large-scale cyberattack that exposed thousands of user images including drivers’ licenses, leaving users vulnerable to doxxing and harassment. These images were provided as verification for accounts, although the app itself is otherwise anonymous.
Jay claimed to 404 Media that Tea’s anonymity “causes a cesspool of defamation,” and that he would prefer if women shared their faces, even if they are speaking out against dangerous men who have done them harm.
While Tea is meant to be a women-only app, Tea App Green Flags is proof of men’s infiltration of these online dating spaces. (Tea itself was founded by a man: Sean Cook.)
“I have a Tea app account. I’m a dude,” Jay told 404 Media. “All my reps have Tea app accounts. They’re men.”
Mashable has reached out to Tea for further comment.
