I found 6 Labor Day kitchen deals that really cook


Kitchen appliance sales can get silly fast. Half the time, you’re looking at a supposedly huge discount on something that seems to be permanently on sale anyway. I went through Amazon and Best Buy’s Labor Day deals and pulled out six that actually caught my attention, from cheap coffee gear to a full-size air fryer oven.

Ninja Prestige Smart XL Air Fryer & Countertop Oven

The Ninja Prestige Smart XL is the big-ticket pick here, but Best Buy is making the price much easier to swallow. It’s $249.99, down from a comparison value of $429.99, and it’s explicitly labeled a Labor Day Deal. We’ve previously highlighted its roomy two-rack design and versatility, and I’d look at this one if you want something capable of replacing several smaller countertop appliances.

bella PRO 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker

This is the kind of deal I like because there’s very little to overthink. Best Buy has the bella PRO for $29.99 instead of $59.99, and it’s marked as a Labor Day Deal. It’s a straightforward 12-cup programmable coffee maker, so if your morning routine doesn’t need an app, a touchscreen, or a minor engineering degree, this does the job.

Outin Nano Portable Electric Espresso Machine

The Outin Nano is easily the strangest pick here, but that’s also why I like it. Best Buy has the Space Gray model for $109.99, down from $149.99, with a Labor Day Deal badge. It’s battery-powered and portable, so this makes a lot more sense for travel, camping, or the office than for someone building a serious home espresso setup.

Instant Pot Pro Plus 6-Quart

The Instant Pot Pro Plus is still one of those appliances that can justify taking up permanent counter space. Amazon has it for $169.95 instead of $229.99, which takes about $60 off. Our Instant Pot Pro Plus review found plenty to like about its versatility and usability improvements, and the ability to replace several one-purpose appliances remains its biggest appeal.

Ninja Blast Max Portable Blender

The Ninja Blast Max is down to $69.95 from $99.99 at Amazon, where it’s currently marked as a limited-time deal. I wouldn’t buy this expecting countertop-blender performance, but that’s not really the point. It’s rechargeable, compact, and built for smoothies or protein shakes when you don’t want to drag out a full-size blender or hunt for an outlet.

Cuisinart TOA-70NAS Air Fryer Toaster Oven

The Cuisinart TOA-70NAS is the one I’d choose if the Ninja Prestige feels like too much appliance. Amazon has it for $158.40 instead of $219.95, so you’re saving about 28%. We’ve covered this Cuisinart air fryer toaster oven before, and it still handles the everyday air-fryer and toaster-oven basics at roughly $90 less than the Ninja.

Rare Working Apple-1 Could Fetch $800,000 at Auction


An original Apple–1 Computer could sell for between $500,000 and $800,000 when it is auctioned off this October.

hatfield apple 1
There are fewer than 75 Apple–1 Computers known to exist, and a smaller number that are operational. The “Hatfield” Apple–1 is number 48 on the Apple–1 registry, and it is in working condition.

The machine was purchased by Fred Hatfield, a computer enthusiast and employee of Computer Data Systems. It is signed by Steve Wozniak and comes with a letter written to Hatfield and signed by Steve Jobs. Jobs authorized a trade-in for the newly released Apple II after Hatfield complained about the Apple–1 software, but Hatfield declined the offer because he would have needed to pay $400 for the upgrade.

Hatfield sold the Apple–1 in 2013 for $40,000. At the time, it was non-functional, but the buyer fixed it, got it signed by Wozniak, and sold it at auction for $671,400. It’s now going up for sale again.

Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak produced 200 Apple–1 computers in 1976. The device was originally offered as a bare circuit board to be sold as a kit and completed by hobbyists, but Jobs sold 50 fully assembled Apple–1 machines to California-based retailer The Byte Shop. The Byte Shop resold the assembled machines for $666.66.

The Hatfield Apple–1 will be available for public and private viewing at locations in Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, and New York, with dates and information listed on the auctioneer’s website. Bids will be accepted from October 4 to October 14.

Functional Apple–1 computers have sold for over $900,000 at auction in the past, though pricing varies based on condition and provenance.

BGP hijack infecting networks caused by a comedy of errors that’s not funny at all



Like Hetzner Online, both Softaculous and Zet.net, the transit peer downstream from Hetzner Online, failed to properly monitor their systems and, as a result, didn’t catch the hijacking until it had been ongoing on and off for 22 hours. There are also questions about another host provider, Nexon Host, whose infrastructure somehow facilitated the malicious announcement.

Ben Cartwright-Cox, a BGP expert and creator of the BGP Tools suite, called the lapses “silly, preventable mistakes.” Softaculous, Hetzner, and Zet.net didn’t immediately respond to emailed questions.

A brief history of BGP

BGP attacks target the underpinnings that make the Internet a unified, worldwide network. The Internet is splintered into many ASes (autonomous systems), also known as ASNs (autonomous system networks). Each AS is an independent network assigned a portion of the 3.7 billion publicly available addresses under the IPv4 protocol. BGP is the glue that binds all these ASes together and allows each one to connect to any other.

To allow an address assigned to an AS in, say, Germany to reach IPs in North America, an AS must “announce” the other ASes that should transit the traffic. These routing announcements are declarations made as entries on a global routing table used by all ASes and the hosting providers serving them. In the Internet’s early days, BGP ran on trust. Providers simply assumed announcements were valid and made in good faith.

Over the years, attackers repeatedly abused this trust by making announcements for IPs they had no valid right to control. Attackers—with ties to both nation-states and financially motivated groups—capitalized on the lax system to, in some cases, route petabytes’ worth of sensitive data through networks they controlled.

Eventually, Internet architects developed a series of measures to prevent such hijacking. The most prominent of these is RPKI (Resource Public Key Infrastructure) ROV (Route Origin Validation). RPKI ROV uses cryptographic records called Route Origin Authorizations (ROAs) to assert the proper origin and prefix mask length of routes in BGP. ASes that deploy RPKI ROV will reject routes that don’t match the information contained in ROAs, preventing hijacks from spreading throughout the Internet.

BT’s Old Copper Landline Network Could Be Worth Over $2 Billion


BT could make more than $2.7 billion by recycling copper from its aging UK landline network as BT subsidiary Openreach replaces legacy wiring with full-fiber broadband. Engadget reports: BT’s recovered copper was previously valued at around $2 billion. But prices have surged, thanks to rising global demand tied to AI data centers, renewable energy and electrification. With global demand expected to grow sharply over the next decade, the value of BT’s copper could potentially exceed even that $2.7 billion estimate.

The BT subsidiary Openreach is in the process of replacing its legacy copper network with full-fiber broadband, with plans to connect 30 million residences by the end of the decade. It’s already recovered nearly 10,000 metric tons of copper in its latest financial year and over 22,000 metric tons since 2023. “Copper has become one of the most strategic materials in the modern economy,” according to Openreach’s head of sustainability, Abby Chicken.

Unsurprisingly, BT isn’t waiting to profit from the recovered metal. It has an agreement with EMR, a cable recycling company, and recently received $133 million up front for recovered copper.

Google TV Streamer just got a 50% price hike, but here’s how you can get it at the older price


Google TV Streamer box and remote.

Joe Maring / Android Authority

TL;DR

  • Google has increased the price of its TV Streamer 4K by 50%.
  • It pegs the increase to rising component costs.
  • Along with the Streamer, Google is also hiking prices for certain models of the Nest Cam and doorbells.

The Google TV Streamer 4K, launched in 2024, is one of the most capable devices for converting any screen or an older dumb LCD or plasma TV into a smart TV. The Streamer’s 4GB RAM provides ample headroom for the ad-ridden Google TV homepage to load and scroll very easily, while offering bragging rights for the quickest Google TV updates. However, that bigger-than-others RAM is now adding to Google’s manufacturing bills (thanks to AI-driven RAM and storage shortages), and it’s being passed on to consumers.

Google’s streaming hardware, which was selling at a 25% discount back in July, is now seeing a sharp 50% price hike. With this change, the TV Streamer, launched in 2024, is now available for $149.99 — up from $99.99. The prices have already been updated at the Google Store and Best Buy, but Amazon and Walmart continue to sell remaining units at the older price.

Confirming the change to 9to5Google, Google shares the following statement:

Due to rising component costs, we are adjusting the U.S. pricing of select Google Nest cameras, doorbells and Google TV streamer 4K, effective August 31. We remain committed to providing our customers with industry-leading smart home security and continuous feature updates.

The newly launched Google Home Speaker remains immune to the change, but it’s difficult to guarantee it will stay this way. Furthermore, it’s unclear how long Amazon will continue to sell units for the older $100 price. So if you want one, you shouldn’t wait much longer to grab yours immediately.

Google TV Streamer

Google TV Streamer
AA Editor's Choice

Google TV Streamer

Fast processor • Smart home features • Great remote • Flagship product

Google’s boldest streaming device ever.

Carrying on the legacy of the Chromecast, the Google TV Streamer brings a sleek new design, more power, a redesigned remote, and smart home hub features to Google TV.

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A group funded by Andreessen, Horowitz, and Brockman plans data center ads to sway midterms


A well-known, pro-AI super political action committee is behind a new group that plans to blast voters in key battleground states with ads advocating for data centers, several outlets are reporting.

That new group, called Build American AI, wants to convince citizens of the virtues of having data centers in their backyards. It says it is affiliated with Leading the Future (LTF), a super PAC heavily funded by VCs Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, along with OpenAI President Greg Brockman.

Build American AI told Bloomberg it will focus its ads on Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin, where concerns about data centers have become a central theme in statewide elections. It said its ad budget is millions of dollars.

LTF launched with over $50 million in funding and has mostly used that money to donate to specific politicians, Politico reports. It supports candidates who advocate for AI, but it also works to oppose candidates who lobby against the technology, sources have told Politico.

LTF has become such a well-known, and not particularly beloved, force in AI-related election politics that OpenAI publicly distanced itself from it in a blog post in June.

“There have been questions around Leading the Future (LTF), which has received support from our President and co-founder, Greg Brockman, and his wife Anna,” OpenAI wrote. “OpenAI does not direct the activities of LTF, or have visibility into their operations.”

OpenAI also condemned some of LTF’s tactics, writing: “Groups that are advocating on AI should be clear about their policy views, be honest about whom they represent, and not use tactics like astroturfing that obscure the real choices facing policymakers and the public.” (Astroturfing means making a paid, organized campaign look like grassroots support.)

While LTF has gained attention in Silicon Valley, it is not the only super PAC pushing an AI agenda that is backed by big Valley names. Anthropic, for instance, is a known supporter of Public First Action, a group that backs AI regulation.

Meanwhile, Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz have been “spending on politics like no other” as The New York Times put it. By the outlet’s calculations, their venture firm, Andreessen Horowitz, is the biggest donor so far to the midterm elections, spending more than high-profile donors like Elon Musk and George Soros. The firm has spread over $115 million around so far in disclosed federal contributions. In addition to LTF and AI causes, it is also heavily supporting pro-crypto efforts, especially through the crypto super PAC Fairshake.

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Safiullin vs. Alcaraz 2026 livestream: How to watch US Open for free


TL;DR: Live stream Safiullin vs. Alcaraz in the 2026 U.S. Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


The 2026 U.S. Open is up and running, and all eyes will be on the return of Carlos Alcaraz. We’re sorry Sinner, but nobody gets the people going like Alcaraz.

The second seed faces off against Safiullin in the first round. Fans will expect a confident win from the Spaniard, but he’s been out of action for some time, and a shock result could be on the cards.

If you want to watch Safiullin vs. Alcaraz in the 2026 U.S. Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to watch Safiullin vs. Alcaraz for free

Safiullin vs. Alcaraz in the 2026 U.S. Open is available to live stream for free on 9Now.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can stream the 2026 U.S. Open for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream the 2026 U.S. Open for free by following these simple steps:

  1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend 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 Australia

  4. Connect to 9Now

  5. Watch the 2026 U.S. Open for free from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer pretty generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Roland-Garros without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream the 2026 2026 U.S. Open before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming platforms from around the world, you’ll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on 9Now, for a number of reasons:

  • Servers in 105 countries, including Australia

  • 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

  • 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).

Live stream Safiullin vs. Alcaraz in the 2026 U.S. Open for free with ExpressVPN.

Google Maps Now Shows ‘Lake America’ Instead of Lake Ontario


Lake Ontario is no more on Google Maps in the US. Google changed the name of the easternmost of the Great Lakes to “Lake America” late Saturday, days after President Donald Trump ordered its rebranding in official government databases.

Trump issued the executive order on Thursday as part of an ongoing feud over tariffs with Canada, whose province of Ontario borders the lake. It followed a similar order he issued in January 2025 to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America as part of a fight with the US trading partner to the south.

Google, Apple, Microsoft, and other maps providers adopted the Gulf of America naming as soon as the US Department of the Interior updated its records, which came a couple of weeks after Trump’s order. So it was no surprise that when those records—which are used to determine names on roadway signs and in government literature—reflected Lake America, digital maps from Google also quickly took on the new name.

Apple Maps and Bing Maps have not yet reflected the change but are expected to. In fact, the map for the federal government’s Geographic Names Information System database, which informs these changes, still showed Lake Ontario as of Sunday morning, with a note that the maps are “in the process of being updated to reflect this name change.”

While Google and other private organizations that provide maps are not bound by law to use official names, they generally follow government databases like GNIS. The location names a user sees depends on their own geography.

“People using Maps in the US will see ‘Lake America,’ those in Canada will continue to see ‘Lake Ontario,’ and those outside of the US and Canada will see both names,” Google said in an unsigned statement. “These updates follow our long-standing policy for bodies of water with names that vary from country to country, and are starting to roll out now.”

Trump’s efforts to rewrite maps have generated considerable public debate in open-source mapping communities such as OpenStreetMap, whose technology is used by companies such as Uber and Lyft. Ultimately, OpenStreetMap recognizes both the US and foreign names and gives organizations using its maps the choice over which to show.

One map provider that has so far declined to make the change is MapQuest, which said in a social media post in response to Trump’s order, “We’re not changing it.”

Google Caves to Trump Again, Renames Lake Ontario



Google has caved to Trump’s whims again. Less than two years after controversially relabeling the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America,” Trump has now attempted to formally rename Lake Ontario “Lake America” by executive order following a trade standoff with Canada. Google quickly followed suit with the changes

Over the weekend, Google officially began displaying the lake on its Maps as “Lake America” for users in the U.S. and as “Lake Ontario (Lake America)” for users abroad. Canadians will still view the lake on Maps as “Lake Ontario.”

Google made a similar concession when Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico. The decision drew ire from many people around the world, including the Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who said that the United States did not have the authority to change the naming convention of an international sea. The decision led to so many users leaving negative reviews on the “Gulf of America” that Google Maps felt the need to disable the feature.

The tech giant said it always updates Google Maps “to reflect name changes in official government sources.” For the United States, that government source is the U.S. Geographic Names Information System, which recently formally changed the name to “Lake America.” Google Maps indeed displays naming conventions and even some borders differently based on users’ geographic locations. For example, last year, the company drew significant criticism for not displaying the disputed border separating Western Sahara from Morocco but only for Moroccan users.

But notably, Google is deciding to heed Trump’s orders even while other American government figures are choosing not to. New York Governor Kathy Hochul, aka the governor of the only U.S. state that actually borders Lake Ontario, said in a post on X that she would not be calling it Lake America.

Apple Maps, which changed the Gulf of Mexico’s name, has not yet renamed Lake Ontario on its platform.

Ever since he took office, Trump and the rest of his administration have been making clear jabs against Canada and specifically its autonomy by calling the country the 51st State. The one-sided renaming came as Trump upped the ante on his trade war against the neighboring country. Once strong allies not that long ago, the relationship between the two countries has quickly declined under the Trump administration, at times even pushing Canada closer to China. Last week, the trade issue took a turn for the worse when Washington announced 50% tariffs on Canadian goods worth billions of dollars after trade talks broke down. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney promised to match the tariffs “dollar for dollar” and announced similar up to 50% tariffs on about $20 billion of U.S. imports earlier this week.

Then on Thursday, Trump signed the executive order renaming Lake Ontario. At an Oval Office press conference unveiling the renaming, Trump blamed the trade talks for his decision, claiming that Canada is “the worst to deal with on trade.

He also seemed to (jokingly, but you never truly know with him) entertain the idea of renaming the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Far-right MAGA trolls on the internet have suggested that Trump should rename the Atlantic Ocean to “East American Ocean” and the Pacific Ocean as “West American Ocean.”

“We have a gulf, and we have a lake, now all we need is an ocean,” Trump told reporters on Thursday. “So, maybe, we’ll have to change the name of the Atlantic and/or the Pacific. Maybe we’ll change them both.”

Eager to see what Google Maps would do if Trump ever goes through with that bizarre claim.

iPhone 18 Release Date: Why You Might Be Waiting Longer Than Expected


For more than a decade, Apple has, for the most part, released all the phones in its latest iPhone lineup at the same time. For the iPhone 18, though, it’s rumored to be different. 

Apple may split the launch of the latest iPhones, staggering a handful of devices for release in spring next year, while the more premium iPhone Pro and the much-anticipated rumored foldable iPhone Ultra will debut in September, according to Bloomberg. 

The new iPhones will reportedly ship with smaller dynamic islands, and the cameras may feature a variable aperture — a total geek win for photography enthusiasts. But trying to peg down the actual release dates for the new iPhone 18 family is harder than usual this year. 

Below, we’ll go over what the rumors say, historical iPhone release dates and more to get a better idea of when the next iPhone family will be released.

Read More: Win an Apple Watch — Round 3 of CNET’s Guessing Game Is Live Now

iPhone 18 event: When will it be?

Apple will unveil the latest iPhone lineup on Sept. 9 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET during a special event at Apple Park in Cupertino, California. The CNET team will be on the ground to bring you all the details on Apple’s latest and greatest devices. 

Preorders typically go live the Friday following the event (likely Sept. 11), with units available in stores the Friday after that (likely Sept. 18). 

You’ll be able to watch Apple take the wraps off the next iPhone on the company’s website, YouTube, Apple TV and the Apple developer app.

iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max and foldable

It’s likely that the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will ship in September, which is the typical release timeframe for iPhones since the 5th generation. Apple releasing its “best of the best” gadgets before the holiday season is a formula that we don’t imagine the tech juggernaut straying from. 

Apple’s first foldable phone, rumored to be called the iPhone Ultra, may go up for preorder alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models, but it could ship at a later date. This could be due to supply chain issues regarding the hinge and displays. But historically, aside from the iPhone Air, when Apple adds a new model to the iPhone line, it releases a month later than other models, like the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 14 Plus.

iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2

As for the likes of the standard iPhone 18 and the iPhone Air 2, rumors point to a significantly delayed release. The shift may be a strategic one to a biannual cadence for Apple, with fall and spring launch dates. This isn’t unlike how Samsung launches its flagship Galaxy lineup at the beginning of the year, with its foldable lineup debuting in the middle of the year. 

“Apple will likely reveal its first foldable iPhone on September 9 along with the iPhone 18 Pro series,” said David Naranjo, associate director of Counterpoint Research. “The base iPhone 18 model announcements are expected to be pushed into spring 2027. This staggered launch marks a notable change in Apple’s release cadence, with a strong emphasis on premiumization.”

Whether this potential delayed release is related to manufacturing restrictions, RAM shortages or just prioritizing its best hardware first remains to be seen, but if the rumors are true, those looking for an entry-level iPhone may need to wait until next year

This is also a smart move on Apple’s part, as those who might have been looking for a Pro-less iPhone may just end up pulling the trigger on the higher-end models instead of waiting. The timing would all coincide with Apple’s E series launch.

iPhone 18E

The iPhone E series has typically been released the following spring after the more powerful models, so there don’t seem to be any surprises here (as did the SE line before it). The budget-focused (for Apple) device will likely be a pared-down version of the regular iPhone called the iPhone 18E, providing essential features from the current generation without many of the bells and whistles. 

The iPhone 17E, which launched at a $599 price, hits a sweet spot for functionality and affordability. However, it remains to be seen whether it, too, will see the price jump that we expect with this current generation of iPhones. 

The handset was announced in March and was available in stores the following week. If history repeats itself, we may see the iPhone 18E land in early to mid-March of 2027, but it might not be alone — this also might be where we see the debut of the standard iPhone 18.

iPhone Generation Announcement date Available in stores
iPhone 12 & 12 Pro Oct. 13 Oct. 23
iPhone 12 Pro Max & 12 Mini Oct. 13 Nov. 13
iPhone 13, 13 Mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max Sept. 14 Sept. 24
iPhone 14, 14 Pro & 14 Pro Max Sept. 7 Sept. 16
iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max Sept. 12 Sept. 22
iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max Sept. 9 Sept. 20
iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, Air Sept. 9 Sept. 19