A company called Fortell made an A.I.-powered device that tries to tune out background noise in real time. Ask Fortell's test subject, Steve Martin. In 2023, the comedian, actor, writer, and banjo virtuoso Steve Martin was walking through SoHo, followed closely by two men holding a laptop. The laptop was connected by an Ethernet cable to a 3-D-printed plastic box, and the box was connected by wires to Martin's head. A passerby recognized him and asked whether the benefits of celebrity included having assistants literally tethered to him.

Mashable Selects Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Creator Playbook Look Up Back to School Say More Trending Now Good Connection: Uplifting stories for a digital age Switch Off Mashable Voices Safety Net Versus All Series Soumya is a deals writer who covers consumer tech, shopping deals, and the products people use every day. With experience writing about everything from AI tools and software to smartphones and home gadgets, she enjoys breaking down product research into clear, useful recommendations. When she's not tracking deals, she's usually comparing products, digging through reviews, and figuring out what actually makes a purchase worth it. All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.

While Dyson isn't officially at IFA 2026, Europe's biggest tech show, it's conveniently hosting its Dyson Unveiled event just down the road in Berlin. After revealing its new toothbrush in Paris, it also had no fewer than 11 more products, covering new air purifiers, robovacs, floor cleaners and haircare. The company's 2026 theme, according to chief engineer Jake Dyson, is more intelligence, whether that's computer vision, AI or machine learning. A good example is the CameraJet's sensors detecting your gumline and aiming waterjets in the right place, or Dyson's new Airsmooth hot brush that measures temperature 100 times a second to reduce hair damage. The new product range is literally dominated by the company's new HushJet Big Quiet Cool Pure air purifier.

Trending Now Good Connection: Uplifting stories for a digital age Creator Playbook Say More Look Up Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Switch Off Mashable Voices Mashable Selects Safety Net Versus Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List All Series Your hand sanitizer has never had this much personality. Soumya is a deals writer who covers consumer tech, shopping deals, and the products people use every day. With experience writing about everything from AI tools and software to smartphones and home gadgets, she enjoys breaking down product research into clear, useful recommendations. When she's not tracking deals, she's usually comparing products, digging through reviews, and figuring out what actually makes a purchase worth it. All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers.

The Relay Q, due next year, is the latest attempt to reposition voice as the most seamless method for human-computer interaction. How much do you hate typing? The advent of large language models has rapidly advanced voice-to-text technology. Whether it's Wispr Flow joining your meetings to summarize discussions or Google debuting smarter on-device dictation in its latest Pixel smartphone, these tools do far more than transcribe: They intelligently strip filler words, clean up unscripted thoughts on the fly, and seamlessly mediate multilingual conversations. Now, a new startup is entering the fray.

Apple's Mac Mini and Mac Studio have been tough to buy for months, but updated versions have arrived. Both include new chips optimized for AI, with the M6 Mac Mini getting a $200 price bump. Apple has announced fresh versions of the Mac Mini and Mac Studio desktop computers, alongside some new chips: the M6 and M5 Ultra. Neither Mac desktop has undergone any physical changes on the exterior, but the long-awaited update brings these Macs back into stock after being difficult to buy for most of this year . Importantly, this serves as our first introduction to the M6 chip, which we will likely see much more of in future MacBooks .

These WIRED-tested dual-purpose air purifiers also function as heaters, fans, art pieces, and more, offering the best of both worlds. If you're tight on space or just want a more aesthetically pleasing machine, the best air purifier for home depends on your needs. If you live in a small apartment like me, you may need to have a multifunctional air purifier for a practical reason: space. These compact, dual-purpose machines are useful if you are tight on square footage or don't want to shell out the money for two separate appliances. Or maybe you're aesthetically driven and want something that looks cool in your space rather than a clunky, large air purifier that can be an eyesore.

After a year of logs, buckets, bins, and bark chips, I've found that growing mushrooms is tough. If you're a novice who wants to guarantee success, there are only two methods I'd recommend. Mushroom hunting is cool and fun, but you know what's not cool and fun? Having slugs or other mushroom hunters discover your secret spot. Or, worst of all, accidentally collecting the wrong kind of mushroom that could make you quite sick--or worse.

This unique fan delivers one of the nicest breezes I've ever experienced, but is it worth hundreds of dollars more than its competition? Interesting style and refined build quality. Air movement is effective yet gentle. Has a generous 10-foot-long cord. The assembly process is involved.

Gaming is better with great gear. A powerful gaming headset and a good keyboard are two must-haves for me, whether I'm playing or firing up my latest unfinished run of (I'll move on eventually to, I promise). A longtime favorite brand of WIRED's for this kind of gaming gadgetry comes from SteelSeries. SteelSeries' latest gaming headphones and mice have been a hit in testing, and now you can score your very own with the help of a SteelSeries discount code. Whether you're shopping for a new gaming headset or keyboard, or looking for a discount on your first order, a SteelSeries coupon code can get you deals on just about anything SteelSeries offers.