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Hisense U7 TV arranged on orange and turquoise backdrop with arrows pointing toward middle
A quick look at the best Amazon TV deals ahead of the Big Spring Sale

Best 55-inch TV deal
Hisense 55-inch Canvas QLED 4K TV
$693.99 at Amazon (save $306)
Hisense 55-Inch Class QLED 4K S7N CanvasTV Series Dolby Vision HDR Google Smart TV (55S7N, 2024 Model) - Art Mode, Anti-Glare Panel, Hi-Matte Display, Frame & UltraSlim Wall Mount Included, 144Hz

Best 65-inch TV deal
TCL 65-inch QM8K Mini LED QLED 4K TV
$999.99 at Amazon (save $500)
65" TCL QM8K Series QD-Mini LED 4K 144Hz Smart Google TV

Best 75-inch TV deal
Hisense 75-inch U7 Mini LED QLED 4K TV
$899.99 at Amazon (save $398)
Hisense 75" Class U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K UHD Google Smart TV (75U75QG, 2025 Model) - QLED, Native 165Hz, VRR 288, Up to 3000 Nits, HDR10+, Dolby Vision IQ · Atmos, IMAX Enhanced, 2.1.2 Ch Surround

Most of the year's major flagship TVs announced in January are typically out by the end of March, cuing retailers to push deals on last year's TVs even harder. March was further established as one of the best months to buy a TV when Amazon started holding a massive annual spring sale. This year, it's longer than ever: The 2026 Big Spring Sale runs from March 25 through 31.

It's not just Amazon's in-house Fire TVs that see big discounts during the Big Spring Sale — they're hardly the best TVs you can get for the money right now. The most worthwhile Amazon TV deals are typically from solid budget brands like TCL and Hisense, with a few premium options like Samsung's The Frame thrown in. To find deals on premium 2025 OLEDs, Best Buy's spring sale has way more options.

Below is a running list of the best Amazon TV deals live ahead of the Big Spring Sale. Any TV listed below matches or beats its lowest-ever sale price (according to price tracker camelcamelcamel) to ensure you're genuinely looking at a steal. We're keeping our eyes peeled for deals on more of the best 65-inch TVs, manifesting a new record discount on our beloved TCL QM6K.

Best early Big Spring Sale TV deal

Hisense 75" Class U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K UHD Google Smart TV (75U75QG, 2025 Model) - QLED, Native 165Hz, VRR 288, Up to 3000 Nits, HDR10+, Dolby Vision IQ · Atmos, IMAX Enhanced, 2.1.2 Ch Surround
$899.99 at Amazon
$1,297.99 Save $398
 

Why we like it

One TV that's actually beating its previous record-low sale price is the 2025 75-inch Hisense U7. Currently 31 percent off, it's $103 cheaper than it was just a month ago during Presidents' Day sales.

This new price drop tracks, considering the 2026 version of the same TV was just unveiled on March 6. The 2026 75-inch U7 will cost $1,999.99 — more than $1,000 steeper than the 2025 model's $899.99 sale price. Those are the kind of steals we were talking about.

This mini LED model packs a serious punch for the price. Its brightness in SDR and HDR gets consistently great notes across the internet, with glare handling strong enough for most sunlit rooms. You don't always see a 165 Hz refresh rate in budget to mid-range TVs, so the Hisense U7 is a top contender for an XL gaming TV under $1,000.

Deals on 43-inch TVs and under

Deals on 50- to 55-inch TVs

Deals on 65-inch TVs

Deals on 75-inch TVs and up



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An abstract image of the ChatGPT logo spiraling around the word

Two weeks ago, OpenAI announced it would be delaying the release of its "Adult Mode," an NSFW chatbot setting that lets users engage in erotic chats and generate "smut."

An anonymous source from the company recently told journalist Alex Heath the delay was based on updated priorities, a move that appeared to align with OpenAI's decision to scale back in light of ongoing legal battles, build upon GPT 5.4, and score deals with the federal government. But interviews with anonymous insiders, published this week by the Wall Street Journal, tell a different story.

The company's well being advisory council said in a January meeting that they were in unanimous agreement that the company should not move forward with the proposed adult mode, insiders told WSJ. Concerns from psychologists and cognitive scientists had gone ignored, they said, after warning that X-rated chats could foster unhealthy emotional dependence — an existing problem with standard ChatGPT users.

Insiders said that one expert cautioned that ChatGPT would just become a "sexy suicide coach."

In addition, advisors warned that the chatbot's age assurance policies — including its new age prediction technology — were not robust enough to handle the X-rated experience. According to the WSJ, the system was at one point working at a 12 percent error rate when classifying minor users. Insiders said that would result in millions of minors flying under the radar and potentially accessing developmentally inappropriate chat experiences.

OpenAI competitor Meta weathered a similar scandal last year after internal documents revealed lax chatbot safety policies for teen users. Meta has since overhauled its AI policies for teens, but still allows chatbots and AI avatars to engage in "romantic roleplay."

Despite concerns, OpenAI says it will move forward with Adult Mode in the future.

But OpenAI's safety teams are reportedly still figuring out the finer details of how the experience will work, including how to effectively lift explicit content restrictions while still blocking content like nonconsensual behavior or child sexual abuse, the publication reports. A spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal that adult mode would allow users to generate "smut level" text conversations, but not outright pornography.

They also said that the age verification error rate was "industry standard" and that it could never be foolproof.


Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.



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Elon Musk wearing a DOGE cap

Last week, viral videos of two former staffers of the Elon Musk-led government agency DOGE went viral. The videos offered a rare, behind-the-scenes look at how DOGE was run and how cuts to federal funding were determined.

On Friday, a federal judge ordered the videos be removed after a complaint from the Trump administration.

However, much to the chagrin of the U.S. government, internet archivists and forums like Reddit's r/datahoarders have already re-uploaded backups of the videos.

The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), the American Historical Association (AHA), and the Modern Language Association (MLA) originally hosted the hours-long depositions of two former DOGE employees, Justin Fox and Nate Cavanaugh. Fox and Cavanaugh had been deposed as a result of a lawsuit from the three organizations regarding DOGE's cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

The depositions of the two DOGE employees quickly went viral. Fox's interview especially spread after clips were made of his inability to explain exactly what DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) was, regardless of the fact that DEI was his reasoning in cutting funding to specific projects or groups. The DOGE staffer shared how programs were flagged for cuts if they were tagged with terms such as "Black" or "LGBTQ+" but terms like "caucasian" or "heterosexual" were not flagged. Other clips showcased how the DOGE employees used ChatGPT to determine what programs to cut.

According to the Trump administration, the online mockery of the former DOGE staffers put the them in real, offline danger. The government told the judge that Fox specifically had been the subject of harassment and even death threats.

As a result of this request, Judge Colleen McMahon ordered that the ACLS, AHA, and MLA "take any and all possible steps to claw back" the DOGE deposition videos from the internet.

ACLS, AHA, and MLA made an argument that this was a First Amendment issue and that the videos were in the public interest as they involved "testimony from senior government officials on matters of great public concern."

The judge denied their request and deferred the matter to a hearing on Tuesday. The hours-long depositions of Fox and Cavanaugh were removed shortly after on Friday.

However, despite the judge's order, little could be done to remove the many viral clips from the deposition that had been uploaded all over social media.

Furthermore, internet archivists and self-described data hoarders had already ripped the entirety of both videos before they were removed from YouTube. Since their removal, the two full depositions have already been re-uploaded to sites like the Internet Archive. The subreddit r/datahoarders has also provided torrents of the two videos, so anyone who wants them can download the depositions locally to their own computers as well.

Regardless of what the judge decides at the hearing, it seems pretty clear that the internet has reached a verdict. These deposition videos of two DOGE staffers will always be available online in one form or another.



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Federico Valverde of Real Madrid celebrates

TL;DR: Live stream Manchester City vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League for free on Prime Video. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


The Champions League is slowly creeping towards its latter stages, and Real Madrid have one foot in the next round. They confidently beat Pep Guardiola's Manchester City 3-0 in the first leg of their matchup, and now they take that advantage to the Etihad Stadium. Manchester City will need to produce something special to overturn that lead.

Forget Mbappe and Vinícius Júnior. It was Federico Valverde who starred in that first-leg contest. Can he lead his side to another victory this week?

If you want to watch Manchester City vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Manchester City vs. Real Madrid?

Manchester City vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League kicks off at 8 p.m. GMT on March 17. This fixture takes place at the Etihad Stadium.

How to watch Manchester City vs. Real Madrid for free

Manchester City vs. Real Madrid is available to live stream for free on Prime Video (30-day free trial).

This free stream is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone from around the world can unlock with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock Prime Video to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Manchester City vs. Real Madrid for free by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

  4. Visit Prime Video

  5. Watch Manchester City vs. Real Madrid for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN
$12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Manchester City vs. Real Madrid without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select Champions League fixtures before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Prime Video?

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

  • Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

  • Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

  • Fast connection speeds free from throttling

  • Up to 10 simultaneous connections

  • 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Watch Manchester City vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.



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Apple's New HomePod Now Available Within Its Stores

Siri's development over the years has been less than stellar, especially compared to competing voice assistants from Google and Amazon, but if the rumors are true, work on the new Siri update is so much of a hassle that Apple is delaying the release of its next-generation Apple Home products.

Last year, notorious Apple scooper Mark Gurman told Bloomberg that the Cupertino-based tech giant had been working on a slew of new home products, including long-overdue updates to their HomePod and HomePod Mini, indoor security cameras, and even a tabletop robot with a motorized arm, all to be controlled by the sound of your voice.

This aggressive foray into the smart home market was originally slated to launch last year, but was delayed until spring of 2026. Another, more recent report from Gurman has highlighted the growing disconnect between Apple's hardware and software divisions as the main cause of another delay.

At the center of this recent report is a smart home display/hub that Apple hoped to compete with Amazon's Echo Show. Reportedly, the device was to lean heavily on artificial intelligence and facial recognition technology to deliver tailored information to every new person who approached it: homework assignments for the kids, for example, and upcoming meetings for the parents. But with Siri's development behind expectations, these new smart home devices are being further delayed, most likely until September, when the next generation iPhone lineup is set to launch alongside a much-improved Siri assistant. 

Apple fans eager to give their homes a smart upgrade will have to wait a few more months, but with so many products releasing simultaneously this fall, even more pressure will be placed on Apple's command of artificial intelligence across its product ecosystem, making September a momentous month for the company.



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Fallout TV Show

Bad news for the more than 180 million Americans signed up for Amazon Prime: the service is revamping its membership structure and locking 4K video streaming behind a higher-cost tier, charging customers an additional $4.99 per month to unlock the highest-resolution experience.

Prior to the change, regular Prime members paying either $14.99 per month or $139 per year could stream in 1080p HD or 4K/UHD, while customers eager to stream ad-free could pay an additional $3 per month. Now, however, the basic Prime Video package restricts users to 1080p streams, while the ad-free experience is being upgraded and rebranded as "Ultra."

To further entice customers to upgrade their subscription, Amazon is throwing in additional perks for Ultra members, including an increased download capacity for offline viewing (from 25 to 100), support for Dolby Atmos audio and Dolby Vision picture, and an increase in the number of concurrent streams from a single account, from three to five.

It isn't all bad news for basic Prime members, though: they will also gain access to Dolby Vision support, as well as an increase in the number of concurrent streams they can access from a single account, from three to four.

It's also worth noting that true 4K streaming is still a tall order for most customers, either because they lack the bandwidth or because their streaming device, especially on smartphones and tablets, doesn't support true 4K UHD resolution. 

For those Amazon customers who rely on Prime Video for their home theater, though, the Ultra upgrade should be mandatory.



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An Oscars statuette with a film strip wrapped around it, in the middle of a purple background

The biggest night in Hollywood is here, and we're following it all live.

The 2026 Oscars have officially arrived, bringing the film industry's awards season marathon to its glittering finale. After months of campaigns, red carpets, heated debates, and a seemingly endless stream of precursor awards, the winners of the 97th Academy Awards will finally be revealed tonight.

As always, the Oscars promise a little bit of everything: emotional speeches, surprise wins, viral moments, and at least one bit that will immediately become a meme. The ceremony is Hollywood's most visible celebration of filmmaking, but it's also become something of a real-time internet event, where reactions unfold just as quickly on social media as they do inside the Dolby Theatre.

Throughout the night, we'll be tracking the biggest developments as they happen. That means updates on the major category winners, standout acceptance speeches, and the kinds of unpredictable moments that tend to dominate timelines before the show is even over. And at this year's Oscars, there's plenty to watch.

One of the biggest storylines heading into the ceremony is Sinners, which leads this year’s nominations — a sign of just how strongly the film resonated with Academy voters across multiple branches. Ryan Coogler's film will face off against Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another in the race for Best Picture, setting up one of the night's most closely watched showdowns.

Meanwhile, the Best Actor race is widely considered one of the ceremony's biggest question marks, with no clear frontrunner. The category features a stacked lineup of nominees, including Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Michael B. Jordan (Sinners), Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), and Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent).

We'll also be watching the internet’s reaction in real time. Because if there’s one thing Oscars night consistently delivers, it’s discourse: debates about snubs and surprises, instant reactions to acceptance speeches, and the occasional onstage moment that completely takes over the cultural conversation.

Think of this page as your running guide to the night. The show may only last a few hours. The reactions tend to last much longer.

Stay with us as the night unfolds.



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