Mashable

Snapchat is the latest platform to turn against AI slop

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 17:42:58 +0000

Snapchat is officially joining the race to clean AI slop out of social media.

The company announced July 31 that wholly AI-generated videos will no longer be eligible for recommendation in Spotlight, Snapchat’s discovery feed for trending videos from creators across the platform in order to "reward authentic creativity."

The policy does not prevent users from posting AI-generated videos elsewhere on Snapchat. It also does not disqualify every video that involves AI. Creators can continue using Snapchat’s AI tools to edit or enhance their original footage, and those videos will remain eligible for Spotlight recommendations with transparency indicators.

The line Snapchat is drawing comes down to who, or what, created the underlying video. AI can help a person make something. It cannot make the entire thing and still expect Snapchat’s recommendation system to distribute it.

"As low-quality, repetitive, AI-generated content becomes increasingly common across the internet, we want Spotlight to remain a place where people can discover authentic creativity from real people," the company wrote in a blog post.

Keeping entirely generated videos out of Spotlight matters on the platform because recommendation is what allow a creator’s work to reach people who do not already follow them. Removing that distribution makes Spotlight far less valuable as a growth channel for automated content farms that can produce synthetic videos at scale.

It also protects a part of Snapchat that has been attracting more creators. Snap said the number of unique people contributing to Spotlight globally has increased by more than 120 percent over the past year.

Exactly how Snapchat will identify wholly AI-generated videos is less clear. The company has not explained what level of human involvement would make a video eligible or how it will distinguish an AI-enhanced recording from a generated video that received a few human edits.

Snap acknowledged that challenge in its announcement, saying that "no detection system is perfect."

Social platforms are reconsidering AI slop

Snapchat isn't the first platform to decide that the flood of repetitive AI content is becoming a problem for its users.

LinkedIn began expanding tools in July that allow members to report posts and comments that "seem like AI slop." The company is also introducing classifiers intended to reduce low-quality AI content in recommendations and replacing its "enhance your post" writing feature with a more limited proofreading tool.

LinkedIn Chief Product Officer Hari Srinivasan emphasized that the company does not consider all AI-assisted work to be slop. The concern is content that feels automated, generic, or disconnected from the person publishing it.

Substack has taken a transparency-focused approach. On July 21, the newsletter platform introduced an optional AI-detection feature built with Pangram. Readers can scan posts, notes, replies, and comments longer than 100 words to receive an estimate of how much of the text was written by a person or with AI assistance.

YouTube’s current policies similarly make repetitive or mass-produced "inauthentic content" ineligible for monetization. Its spam rules also prohibit creators from using automated or synthetic tools to flood the platform with large volumes of nearly identical videos.

TikTok has also put more of the decision in viewers’ hands. The platform began testing a setting in November that lets users increase or decrease the amount of AI-generated content that appears in their For You feeds.

Snapchat’s decision also arrives as Meta imagines a very different future for social media.

In its latest earnings remarks on July 29, Meta said its Muse image and video models would create a "nearly infinite universe of personalized content" across its platforms. That AI-generated material would become another source of recommendations alongside posts from friends and established creators.

Snapchat is making a different bet for Spotlight. As synthetic video becomes easier to produce and harder to distinguish from recorded footage, the platform is reserving its most valuable discovery space for content that begins with a person.

Drawing that line may be easier than enforcing it. Still, Snapchat has made its preference clear: AI can stay behind the scenes. Spotlight belongs to the humans.

Is Myspace coming back? Owners confirm relaunch plans

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 17:26:42 +0000

Start rearranging your Top 8: Myspace’s owners are hinting at a comeback.

Chris and Tim Vanderhook, whose company acquired Myspace in 2011, say they plan to relaunch the once-dominant social media platform. The brothers confirmed their intentions in Tommy Avallone’s recent documentary Myspace, although they have not announced when the relaunch will happen or what it will look like.

"We still own Myspace," Tim Vanderhook said in the documentary. "We are going to relaunch Myspace. We’re just waiting for the right time to do it."

Before you start choosing a profile song, there are still plenty of unanswered questions. The owners have not announced a launch date, development timeline, or which classic Myspace features might return. For now, the comeback is closer to a promise than a product. But a promise nonetheless.

Myspace has tried this before

If the relaunch talk sounds familiar, that is because Myspace has never completely stopped trying to come back.

The platform, launched in 2003 by co-founders Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe, quickly became one of the internet’s largest social networks. In July 2006, Myspace was the most-visited website in the United States, placing it ahead of Google and eBay.

Its appeal was more chaotic than the uniform profiles that came later. Users could customize their pages with HTML and CSS, change their backgrounds and fonts, embed glittering graphics, and choose a song that played automatically for every visitor.

Music was central to the platform. Artists used Myspace pages to upload songs and communicate directly with listeners before streaming services became the dominant way to discover new music. Adele, Lily Allen, Arctic Monkeys, and Calvin Harris were among the musicians whose early careers became closely associated with the site.

News Corp purchased Myspace and its parent company, Intermix Media, for approximately $580 million in 2005. Facebook eventually overtook it, and Myspace cycled through several leaders and redesigns as its audience declined.

By 2011, News Corp had sold the platform to Specific Media and Justin Timberlake for a reported $35 million. In 2013, the new owners unveiled a redesigned, music-focused Myspace, but the relaunch never restored its former audience.

"We really tried to modernize it, but it was a different company at that point," Tim Vanderhook said in the documentary. "It wasn’t the same Myspace."

The consequences were expensive. The brothers said advertisers canceled their contracts after the acquisition and estimated that they lost more than $150 million attempting to rebuild the platform. Even that did not kill their interest in another try. In the documentary, Tim says that if the next relaunch does not work, they will simply "do it again."

What would a new Myspace actually offer?

The platform people remember was designed for a different internet. Its profiles were built around individual customization and updates from mutulas that users had deliberately added to their network.

Myspace’s owners have not said whether they intend to recreate the older model or build something closer to existing platforms. The distinction could determine whether people are interested in using a new Myspace or simply interested in remembering the old one.

For at least some former users, however, the lack of details has not dampened the excitement. As one commenter wrote, "Oh my god we are actually so back."

People have not abandoned social media, but recent research suggests plenty are frustrated with what their feeds have become.

In a 2026 study of 1,000 social media users, the Institute for Public Policy Research asked participants to categorize the first four posts in their most-used feed. Only 18 percent came from someone they actually knew. Influencers, public figures, and recommended content accounted for 35 percent, while advertisements and brands made up another 29 percent. Researchers said platforms were increasingly prioritizing "sticky" features and short-form video over social connection.

Some users are responding by stepping away. A 2026 Deloitte survey found that 70 percent of Irish consumers believed they spent too much time on their phones, while nearly one-quarter had deleted a social media app. Needing a break was the most common reason, followed by excessive time consumption and too many advertisements or sponsored posts.

None of that means users are waiting specifically for Myspace. A revived platform would still have to compete with Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, Threads, Bluesky, and every other app already fighting for their attention.

The requests surrounding its proposed return, however, are relatively specific: more control over what appears on screen, more personal profiles, and updates from actual friends.

In Reddit discussions about the proposed relaunch, former users reminisced about learning basic HTML and CSS while designing their profiles. One person said Myspace’s level of customization “hasn’t really been replicated,” while another recalled charging friends to design their pages.

Of course, the same freedom also produced unreadable text, flashing backgrounds, slow-loading pages, and songs that began playing at full volume without warning. When one Reddit user argued that being ambushed by Linkin Park or Evanescence was exactly why those designs had disappeared, others insisted that it was "part of the charm." On the other hand, some argued that a platform could not recreate "a feeling from 20 years ago."

Myspace’s original friendly face has also floated a comeback separately. In January, Anderson, better known as everyone’s first friend "Myspace Tom," told his Threads followers that he would discuss reviving the platform if his account reached 1 million followers. The now-deleted post received nearly 15,000 likes and more than 2,000 comments within a day, according to Parade.

Anderson, however, sold the company in 2005 and is not involved with the Vanderhooks’ current plans.

Whether Myspace can recreate its old appeal remains unanswered. For now, at least, nobody has to explain why their best friend suddenly fell from No. 2 to No. 7.

Hank Green apologizes for relying too heavily on ChatGPT

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 14:56:07 +0000

Hank Green has spent nearly two decades answering the internet’s questions, but this time viewers had one for him: Did ChatGPT write that?

Green says it did not, although the controversy has prompted the longtime YouTuber and science communicator to reconsider how much he uses AI in the first place. In a lengthy Reddit response posted July 31, Green said he plans to make fewer videos and pause two online word games after admitting that his reliance on large language models had become "not healthy for me or good for the world."

"I’m mortified that I have let so many people down," Green wrote. "I’m going to change things about how I make stuff."

How "I appreciate the pushback" started the backlash

The questions began with a recent 55-minute episode of Complexly’s Ask Hank Anything, featuring TikTok creator Soupytime. During a segment recorded separately from their conversation, Green said, “A better way to say it, and I appreciate the pushback, is a word is a human invention.”

That "I appreciate the pushback" caught viewers’ attention. The phrase is commonly associated with chatbots responding to a correction, and because Green appeared to be speaking alone in that portion of the video, some people speculated that he had accidentally read language generated by ChatGPT.

Green responded in a since-deleted post on X, explaining that he had produced the episode "under a ton of pressure." He confirmed that he used ChatGPT to research the script, but said neither his notes nor the script contained the disputed phrase. According to Green, it was an ad-lib referring to a disagreement with Soupytime earlier in the episode.

The line may have been his, but Green conceded that the broader impression was not coming from nowhere.

"I think it’s fair to say I was relying too much on generated notes," Green wrote in the deleted post. "That’s a thing I’ve been doing, and it’s a bad habit at a time when I’ve overcommitted myself."

Complexly soon offered its own clarification. In an Aug. 1 statement, the educational media nonprofit Green founded with his brother, author John Green, confirmed that he used ChatGPT during preliminary research. The organization said he did not use it to write or fact-check the segment.

Under Complexly’s existing AI policy, the organization permits limited use of AI for preliminary research but prohibits AI from writing, editing, or fact-checking videos. It also described Green’s use of ChatGPT as uncommon for him and for Complexly productions.

"You need to know that my words are mine. I’ve been moving so fast that my own process isn’t actually clear to me."

With the video’s production process clarified, Green turned to the larger concern: how deeply AI had worked its way into his routine.

In his Reddit response, Green said he has used chatbots to locate academic papers and other resources, rather than generate scripts or opinions.

"You are still getting my takes based on what I read, know, and learn," he wrote.

Finding those sources faster, however, came with a tradeoff. Green said relying on ChatGPT prevented him from finding his "own ways into and around a topic," even when the chatbot led him to papers he did not know existed.

That uncertainty carries particular weight for Green, who helped build educational channels, including SciShow and CrashCourse, focused on making complex subjects accessible.

"You need to know that my words are mine," Green wrote. “I’ve been moving so fast that my own process isn’t actually clear to me.”

Green’s response was not a complete rejection of AI. He described himself as "not a pure AI-hater" and said people can reasonably disagree about whether or how the technology should be used. He also reiterated his concerns about how AI models are trained, their climate impact, and the speed at which AI companies are consolidating economic power.

The part of his explanation connected to the pressure he felt to keep producing projects as quickly as possible.

"The level of dopamine I’ve been getting from interacting with LLMs...with doing more and more and more and more...is not healthy for me or good for the world," he wrote.

Green said his wife, Katherine, and brother John had also raised concerns. Neither "pulled any punches," he wrote, and both believed his behavior had become unhealthy.

Hank Green plans to make less content

That realization will change Green’s production schedule. Green says he plans to slow down Hankschannel, his personal YouTube account with more than 3 million subscribers, which may either pause temporarily, return with additional writing and research support, or simply publish far fewer videos.

Green is also pausing SMUSH and 4x3, two daily online word games he produces. He currently has a backlog of 4x3 puzzles, but said he will let the game stop updating if those run out, rather than pressuring himself to keep producing them.

With fewer projects competing for his attention, Green said he wants to spend more time making videos where "the writing was the whole thing." There may still be occasional unscripted videos filmed directly to the camera, but the pace will be slower.

Beneath Green’s response, some fans gave him grace, saying Green "is allowed to slow down" and that most viewers would prefer fewer videos over greater reliance on AI. But many more questioned Green's use of AI in the first place, especially given that Complexly already works with human researchers.

"If the pressure to make a video is too much that you can’t use a human researcher, we don’t need the video," one Reddit commenter wrote. Another argued that AI can create the impression of increased productivity while merely "pushing the food around on your plate."

Even the user who started the Reddit discussion apologized if the post had contributed to a dogpile. Green replied that he understood and believed the criticism was "coming from a good place."

NYT Pips hints, answers for August 2, 2026

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 14:10:54 +0000

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.
Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.
Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.
Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.
Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

Easy difficulty hints, answers for August 2 Pips

Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 0-2, placed horizontally.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-1, placed horizontally; 0-2, placed horizontally; 0-0, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 5-3, placed horizontally; 3-6, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (5): Everything in this space must be greater than 5. The answer is 3-6, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for August 2 Pips

Greater Than (0): Everything in this space must be greater than 0. The answer is 4-0, placed horizontally.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 4-0, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed vertically.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally.

Not Equal Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 2-6, placed horizontally; 5-5, placed horizontally; 4-3, placed vertically.

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 4-3, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-3, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for August 2 Pips

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically; 1-6, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-3, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-0, placed vertically.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-2, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (5): Everything in this space must be greater than 5. The answer is 6-2, placed horizontally.

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 5-0, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-1, placed vertically.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically; 2-3, placed horizontally; 6-2, placed horizontally; 2-1, placed vertically.

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically; 6-4, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally.

Less Than (5): Everything in this space must be less than 5. The answer is 4-1, placed horizontally.

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 4-1, placed horizontally; 2-1, placed vertically; 1-1, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-1, placed horizontally.

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 0-1, placed horizontally; 3-1, placed vertically.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 2, 2026

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 13:41:08 +0000

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you've ever watched football.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight, and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Each puzzle features 16 words, and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes before the game ends.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

Yellow: Drive this
Green: Atlanta sports
Blue: GEQBUS
Purple: Makes a face

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

Yellow: Things with Wheels
Green: Atlanta Teams
Blue: Associated with Sam Darnold
Purple: Ends in a Part of the Face

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #678 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

Things with Wheels: BICYCLE, RACE CAR, SKATEBOARD, ZAMBONI
Atlanta Teams: ATLANTA UNITED, DREAM, FALCONS, HAWKS
Associated with Sam Darnold: JETS, SEAHAWKS, SUPER BOWL LX, TROJANS
Ends in a Part of the Face: BOURNEMOUTH, DIAGNOSE, HAWKEYES, KICKFLIP

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Minnesotas nudification ban takes effect after judge rejects xAIs bid to pause it

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 13:33:25 +0000

Minnesota's new ban on AI "nudification" technology took effect on August 1, 2026, after a federal judge declined to pause it, even as a legal challenge by Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company, xAI, proceeds.

U.S. District Judge Donovan W. Frank denied xAI's emergency motion for a temporary restraining order in a two-page order issued July 31. The judge found that the company's own timeline undercut its claim of urgent harm, noting that xAI filed its motion "nearly three months after the law was signed, and only three days before the law is set to take effect."

The order stated that such a delay "suggests that harm is not immediate," and cited a prior Minnesota case in which a similar delay weighed against granting emergency relief.

Minnesota's nudification law, explained

The statute, H.F. 1606, adds a new section to Minnesota law prohibiting any person who owns or controls a website, app, or software from allowing users to "nudify" images or generate such alterations on a user's behalf. It also bars advertising or promoting services that perform this function.

The bill defines "nudify" as altering or generating an image so that it depicts an intimate part not present in the original, in a way realistic enough that a reasonable viewer would believe it belonged to the person shown. The law carves out an exemption for tools that require "the technical skill of a user" to produce the alteration, and it preserves Section 230 liability protections under federal law.

Violations can draw a civil penalty of up to $500,000 per unlawful access, download, or use, enforceable by the attorney general, along with a private right of action allowing individuals to sue for compensatory and punitive damages, injunctive relief, and attorneys' fees. Penalty revenue collected under the law is directed toward grants for organizations serving survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and other crimes, per the bill's text.

According to NBC News, xAI's lawsuit argues the law violates the First Amendment and is broader than necessary, calling it "overinclusive" with "far less restrictive alternatives" available. Governor Tim Walz, who signed the bill in May, responded on social media: "See you in court, creep," per NBC News.

The law follows scrutiny of xAI's Grok chatbot, whose Imagine tool reportedly began generating sexualized deepfakes at scale after a December update, prompting international backlash and an Apple app-store removal threat; NBC News reported the issue persisted as recently as April. SpaceX, xAI's parent, also faces class-action suits alleging Grok produced nude deepfakes of children and adults.

Free-speech groups are split, per NBC News. The ACLU of Minnesota, which backed an earlier bill version, said the final law didn't properly balance First Amendment interests against real harms. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression called the law overbroad; its legislative counsel, John Coleman, said it "sweeps in ordinary political speech and satire."

Minnesota's measure is described by NBC News as the first such law in the nation, part of a broader wave of state action on AI deepfakes, including cease-and-desist letters San Francisco's city attorney sent to Apple and Google in July.

Survey says: Here are the Apple products readers still expect this year

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

It's already been a very busy year for Apple. Tim Cook announced he'll be stepping aside for John Ternus. Siri AI finally made its big debut (in beta form) at WWDC 2026. Apple launched a new budget MacBook, and then raised prices just months later.

But don't forget: We're still expecting the launch of the iPhone 18, the first folding iPhone, and a ton more Apple devices in the months ahead.

So, Mashable and the rest of the CNET Group (ZDNET, PCMag, CNET, and Lifehacker) are hosting the Big Guessing Game: Apple Edition to give our readers a chance to predict the biggest Apple news. Every correct answer earns you one chance to win the new Apple Watch announced in September. (Read the full content rules.) Ahead of the September iPhone launch event, we have our readers' answers from round two of the game.

Don't forget to keep checking back, as round three of the Big Guessing Game: Apple Edition is coming soon.

Question 1: Will Apple announce that a foldable iPhone will be released in 2026?

The foldable iPhone — rumored to be called the iPhone Ultra, or some variation thereof — is the biggest open secret in Silicon Valley right now, but Apple still hasn't confirmed its existence. However, 68 percent of respondents in Mashable's Big Guessing Game said they expect the phone to arrive this year, while just 32 percent answered in the negative.

Question 2: Will the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max include a black color option this year?

The lack of a black color option was a major disappointment for many Apple fans after the launch of the iPhone 17 Pro last year. (Scratchgate may have been the reason why.) Rumor has it we won't get a black phone this year either, though leaks suggest we are getting a dark grey that looks pretty close. So, what do Mashable readers think?

The breakdown here was almost identical to question one, with 68 percent of you expecting that we will get a black iPhone after all.

Question 3: Will Apple announce a touchscreen MacBook in 2026?

Rumors of MacBook Pros with OLED screens and touchscreens have been spreading for awhile, and it's very possible these high-end laptops will finally arrive in 2026.

We asked Mashable readers whether they expect to see the first-ever touchscreen MacBook this year, and our readers are almost evenly split on this question. In the end, 55 percent said yes, and 45 percent said no.

Question 4: Will Apple release new AirPods in 2026?

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who seems to have a direct line right into Apple Park, has reported that Apple is working on AirPods with built-in cameras. The cameras wouldn't be for photography, but to support new Siri AI features. Regardless, we were curious what you think: Will we get any new AirPods this year?

On this question, only 26 percent of our respondents said no, with the majority (74 percent) answering in the affirmative.

Question 5: Will an M6 series chip be announced in 2026?

An M6 chip is expected to arrive this fall, based on Apple's previous silicon release schedule. When we posed this question to Mashable readers, 35 percent predicted we would not see an M6 chip, while 65 percent believed that we will.

Enter our Big Guessing Game for a chance to win a new Apple Watch

Don't forget to participate in the third and final round of the Mashable Big Guessing Game for another chance at winning a new Apple Watch. The last round will take place in the weeks leading up to the iPhone launch event, which we believe will be in mid-September.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY to enter or win the "CNET Group Big Guessing Game" Giveaway. Open to legal U.S. residents in the 50 U.S. & D.C., 18+ yrs of age. Other restrictions apply. Begins May 19, 2026 at 12:01 pm ET and ends Sept. 1, 2026 at 11:59 pm ET. Void where prohibited. Subject to Official Rules: https://www.mashable.com/article/mashable-big-guessing-game-apple-edition-official-contest-rules/. Sponsor: Ziff Davis, LLC.

Apple is not a sponsor of, affiliated with, or endorser of this sweepstakes. Apple Watch is a trademark of Apple Inc.

I tested the top MacBook alternatives: See which Windows PCs actually beat Apple

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 09:30:00 +0000

Which Windows laptops can beat Apple?

We've added over 80 laptops to our testing database in the last two years, and a number of them can beat Apple in different ways. The HP OmniBook 3 16 with the Snapdragon X chip has a bonkers 40-hour battery life, far outpacing MacBooks. In the budget category, the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 likewise beats the MacBook Neo in battery life.

And in terms of performance, while the MacBook Air (M5) and MacBook Pro (M5) have impressive single-core scores on Geekbench 6, Windows Ultrabooks like the Asus Zenbook A14 beat both devices in multi-core performance.

What I look for in the best MacBook alternatives

IMO, a Windows laptop or Chromebook is doing a good MacBook impression if it has above-average performance, long battery life, and a sleek, polished design. Basically, it's a very good Windows laptop or a top-tier Chromebook. I'll add some extra qualifiers depending on the exact Mac model:

MacBook Air alternatives should be super lightweight and portable
MacBook Neo alternatives should cost well under $1,000
MacBook Pro alternatives should have a crisp, rich 120Hz display and enough power for intensive tasks like video editing

As of July 2026, I've found seven worthy alternatives from Asus, Acer, Dell, and HP, all of them rigorously tested. I believe these PCs are the top MacBook alternatives for buyers in 2026. I've also lined up a fallback option for those who want to stay within the Apple ecosystem.

What's new

I made several adjustments to this guide in July 2026 based on my latest round of testing, and after checking our current picks for price and availability changes.

The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 is now the best MacBook Neo alternative, replacing the sold-out Acer Aspire 16 AI. That said, I'll be testing a couple new budget laptops in the near future that could be even better options (see below).
The Dell XPS 14 is now the best MacBook Pro alternative. It's still a splurge compared to the MacBook Pro, but now a little less so after Apple's price changes. The Acer Swift X 14 is now the best MacBook Pro alternative for users who need a laptop with discrete graphics.
I added the Asus ExpertBook Ultra as a new top pick. I had some build quality concerns with the pre-production unit I originally tested, but Asus remedied them in mass production. (I tried a second updated unit to verify this.)
I added the HP OmniBook Ultra 14 as another new top pick. I can only recommend the Snapdragon X2 Elite configuration because it's the only model I've tested, but I plan on trying an Intel Panther Lake variant down the road.

Other contenders to consider

Not giving the ProArt GoPro Edition a 120Hz display was an odd choice on Asus' part. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The special-edition Asus ProArt GoPro Edition bundles MacBook Pro-rivaling multi-core performance and 128GB of RAM in a rugged convertible design. It's expensive at $2,999.99, but fairly priced for how much memory it has. (An identically configured MacBook Pro costs $6,139.) Still, I can't recommend it as a MacBook Pro alternative because it has a blurrier 60Hz display. That feels like a glaring omission on a premium creator laptop.

The Acer Swift Edge 14 AI is a shockingly thin-and-light ultraportable with a 2.8K OLED touchscreen. It only costs $1,499.99 with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. It would make a very good MacBook Air alternative if it wasn't such a mediocre performer: It's 48 percent slower than the latest MacBook Air in single-core scenarios and 33 percent slower in multi-core tasks. It's a closer rival to the M2 MacBook Air from 2022 when it comes to processing power. I would only pick it over the Zenbook A14 if you can't use an ARM-based laptop (see below).

I haven't tested them yet, but the new Dell XPS 13 and Acer Swift Air 14 look like very promising MacBook Neo alternatives, and the Framework Laptop 13 Pro seems like a neat repairable MacBook Pro alternative. I'll update this story once I or one of my colleagues try them.

A note about ARM-based Windows laptops

The Asus Zenbook A14, Zenbook A16, and HP OmniBook Ultra 14 run on Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 series chips. These are ARM-based chips, which are built differently than traditional x86-based Intel and AMD chips. As such, they're not compatible with as many video games and certain specialty software. This isn't an issue for most users, but if you do a lot of PC gaming or you're a college student, you should avoid them. You can read more about this in my dedicated guide to the best Windows laptops.

RAMageddon is making it harder to find the best Windows laptops. These 10 are actually worth it.

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 09:00:52 +0000

What's new this month

In late July 2026, I updated this guide with two fresh picks. The Dell 14S is my new favorite mid-range model for build quality and battery life. The HP OmniBook Ultra 14 is now the best choice for style and speed. I also renamed the Dell XPS 14 as the best MacBook Pro alternative. (Previously, it was the best choice for build quality; I think its new title better conveys its great craftsmanship and stellar performance.)

I'm currently looking for replacements for Acer Aspire 16 AI and the Alienware 16X Aurora, our former picks in the budget and gaming categories, respectively. Both of them were out of stock at the time of writing.

As a quick note before we get into the picks, Mashable evaluates laptops on the basis of performance, battery life, design/build quality, and value. We do so using a combination of synthetic benchmarking and real-world usage. You can read more about our testing process below.

What's on deck

The Mashable team has several other Windows laptops in hand for testing right now, including the Dell XPS 13, Dell 16S, LG gram Max 17, Alienware 16 Area-51, Lenovo LOQ Essential 15, and MSI Prestige 16 AI+. Stay tuned to see if any of them make the cut for a future update to this guide.

A note about ARM-based Windows laptops

Asus' Zenbook A-series laptops are two of the best ARM-based laptops I've tried. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

Qualcomm's Snapdragon X series chips use ARM-based architecture, not traditional x86 architecture like Intel and AMD chips. As such, their compatibility differs. ARM-based laptops don't work natively with certain specialty software (like AutoCAD), nor can they run as many PC games.

ARM compatibility issues are a non-concern for the majority of general-purpose Windows users, but they'll be dealbreakers for some demographics — PC gamers being an obvious one.

College students should also steer clear of ARM laptops. When I examined the 10 top public universities' hardware recommendations for the 2026 fall semester, I found that a couple schools explicitly advised their students against getting ARM-based laptops to make sure they can run all of their necessary coursework without emulation. (This is one big reason why I recommend the Acer Swift Edge 14 AI for rising freshmen: It has an x86-based Intel chip.)

The good news is that ARM compatibility has gotten better over the past couple years, and it will definitely continue to do so now that Nvidia is coming out with its own Windows on ARM chips.

Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8, walk away with an extra $200 — how to claim this free offer

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Get the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 (256GB, unlocked) for $1,199.99 at Amazon and a free $200 gift card bundled in — no trade-in required.

Credit: Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 + $200 Gift Card

Samsung didn't ease into its Unpacked event — phones, watches, and smartglasses were all unveiled in one go, which means there's a lot to sort through if you're trying to find the one deal that's actually worth your money.

And here's one worth grabbing: Amazon is currently bundling the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 with a free $200 gift card — no trade-in, no discount code, just the phone at $1,199.99 with a $200 gift card to use later.

The whole point of a flip phone is the cover screen, and Samsung's built around that here — FlexWindow lets you handle a range of AI tasks without opening the phone, so quick checks don't require unfolding it. When you're shooting photos, you can go hands-free for creative angles, or hold it steady and rely on Super Steady Video to keep the footage smooth.

The Flip 8 runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, the same chip powering the Fold8, which means gaming and multitasking should hold up even on this smaller form factor.

Battery life is built to last through a full day, and when it runs low, Super Fast Charging gets you back up quickly. If you're switching from an iPhone, Samsung's made that transfer easier, too — your photos, contacts, alarms, and passwords come with you, and your messages stay encrypted the whole way.

The gift card isn't an instant perk, though — Samsung sends an email once it's ready to claim, and that only happens after the phone ships. The offer ends Aug. 6, so the earlier you pre-order, the safer you are before that window shuts.

Grab the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 before Aug. 6, and the $200 gift card is on its way to you.

Owalas Back-to-School Sale is live — 20% off bottles, bags, accessories, and more

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000

SAVE 20%: From Aug. 2-8, Owala's Back-to-School Sale takes 20% off sitewide, including bottles, bags, and accessories.

Credit: Owala

Owala's Back-to-School Sale

20% off bottles, bags, and accessories until Aug. 8

Owala's Back-to-School Sale isn't just about the bottles you already own — the whole lineup is included, so it's worth looking beyond the FreeSip.

The sale covers everything from hydration essentials like water bottles and tumblers to insulated bags, totes, and crossbodies, plus accessories like lids, straws, and other add-ons. The original FreeSip is still the bestseller for a reason, and the FreeSip Sway is a solid pick if you want something more cupholder-friendly for the car. If coffee's more your thing, the SmoothSip Slider is built specifically for hot drinks on the go.

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And if you need something bigger than a bottle, the Sun-Day Tote is a collapsible bag that packs flat yet holds a lot, making it easy to toss in a backpack or bag during the actual back-to-school rush. They've also got a few small essentials — a Bottle Boot, cleaning accessories, stickers, and matching pet bowls.

With 20% off sitewide, this is a good time to stock up across categories rather than just grabbing one bottle — especially if you've got a household that goes through water bottles, lunch bags, or travel mugs regularly.

Shop Owala's Back-to-School Sale until Aug. 8 — stock is bound to run out.

Final days to lock in your favorite Microsoft Office apps for life for just $33

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Get a Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows lifetime license for $32.97 through Aug. 9 and enjoy Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Publisher, OneNote, and Teams with a one-time purchase.

Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License

$32.97
$219.99 Save $187.02

This is your last chance to ditch Microsoft 365’s subscription fees for good. Through Aug. 9, you can grab a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2021 for much less than its usual retail price. Simply pay once, download the full software suite, and never worry about renewals again.

We know what you’re thinking, but rest assured, this isn’t some stripped-down lite version either. It’s the real deal. Whether you’re writing reports, crunching numbers, building presentations, managing emails, or wrangling databases, the lifetime version of Microsoft Office has you covered.

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It’s a one-time download for one Windows PC, so once it’s yours, it’s yours. The full pro-level toolkit, minus the stress of a subscription. Plus, with instant license delivery and free customer support, getting started is as painless as your new spreadsheet workflow.

No more “trial expired” pop-ups. No more surprise charges. Just the latest versions of Microsoft’s best apps, ready to support all of your work and personal needs.

Download Microsoft Office for Windows while it’s on sale for $32.97 (reg. $219.99) until Aug. 9 at 11:59 p.m. PT. No coupon is needed.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

One dashboard, 20+ AI models — get ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and more for $79

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Pay $79 once (reg. $619) for ChatPlayground AI Unlimited Lifetime and compare 20+ leading AI models side by side, chat with PDFs and images, and generate AI art.

Credit: ChatPlayground AI

ChatPlayground AI: Lifetime Subscription (Unlimited Plan)

$79
$619 Save $540

If you’ve ever copied the same prompt into three different AI tools just to see which one gives the best answer, you’re not alone. Different models excel at different things — but juggling tabs and subscriptions gets old fast.

ChatPlayground AI puts the top AI models in one place, so you can compare responses side by side without the back-and-forth. For a limited time, a lifetime subscription is on sale for $79 (reg. $619).

GPT-4o, Claude Sonnet, Gemini, DeepSeek, Llama, Perplexity, and more — all in one clean interface. It’s built for people who iterate fast, test variations, and actually care about optimizing results.

Beyond comparisons, ChatPlayground AI includes prompt engineering tools to refine outputs, image and PDF chat for context-aware responses, saved chat history for ongoing projects, and AI image generation powered by leading models. There’s even a Chrome extension to integrate it directly into your browsing workflow.

The Unlimited Plan means unlimited messages per month, making it ideal for startups, product teams, marketers, and prompt engineers who run experiments nonstop. You also get priority support and early access to new features and future models.

If you’re already paying for multiple AI tools — or constantly switching between them — this consolidates everything into one streamlined platform.

Grab lifetime access to ChatPlayground AI Unlimited for $79 (reg. $619) and stop juggling models for good.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

The best Dyson vacuums actually make vacuuming fun: See my favorites for 2026

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000

What is the best Dyson vacuum cleaner?

Regardless of your living situation, I believe the best Dyson vacuum cleaner is a cordless stick vacuum. Dyson hasn't made a new corded vacuum since 2018, and it doesn't plan on updating the line in the future. If you were waffling between a corded vs. cordless design, at least that part of the decision has been made for you.

For a while, Dyson Ball vacuums had such impressive suction that people simply put up with their bulkiness and the major inconvenience of being tethered to the wall. But in 2026, cordless Dyson vacuums are far too powerful and agile to make the old cumbersome design worth the hassle. In fact, the new Dyson V16 Piston Animal has officially surpassed the suction power of any corded Dyson vacuum.

Past that, the best Dyson cordless vacuum for one household may not be the best cordless Dyson for another household. The best fit is highly dependent on factors like the size of your home, your floor type, the number of pets that you have, and the amount of money you feel like spending. Do you need a full suite of attachments and dust-detecting lasers to match your (clean) freak, or would you prefer a more affordable version that just does the job? I have a solid idea of both ends of the Dyson spectrum from personal experience, and from comparing the value of the Dyson lineup to other top cordless vacuum cleaners from brands like Shark.

What about the Dyson robot vacuum?

You may have noticed that I've omitted the latest Dyson robot vacuum from this guide, and there's a good reason for that: it's a disappointment.

You could read my full review of the Dyson Spot+Scrub AI robovac. But, instead, skip straight to my regularly updated guide to the best robot vacuum and mops. Trust me — you can find a better robot vacuum for a lot less. Ultimately, the Dyson Spot+Scrub just isn't worth it.

Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on August 2

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 04:00:00 +0000

The Moon is still in its waning gibbous phase following the Full Moon. Here's what you can see on its surface tonight.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Sunday, Aug. 2, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon phase is in Waning Gibbous phase, with 87% of its surface visible.

You don't need to have lots of visual equipment to see features on the Moon's surface. In fact, with just your naked eye you can spot the Oceanus Procellarum, Kepler Crater, and Mare Vaporum tonight. However, visual aids do make the experience more advanced, so if you have a pair of binoculars, this will help you see the Alphonsus Crater, Mare Humorum, and the Mare Frigoris. Pull out your telescope (if you have one) to see see all clearer, plus the Apollo 15 landing spot, the Rima Ariadaeus, and the Schiller Crater.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on August 28.

What are Moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon goes through a complete cycle of eight phases roughly every 29.5 days. As it travels around Earth, the angle between the Sun, Earth and Moon constantly changes, meaning we see different amounts of the Moon's sunlit side. This is what causes the familiar progression from a thin crescent to a half Moon, then a Full Moon, before the cycle repeats.

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).

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.

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for August 2, 2026

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 02:00:00 +0000

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're a frequent flyer.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

Yellow: Um...
Green: Across
Blue: Setting
Purple: Travel hubs

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

Yellow: Filler words
Green: By means of
Blue: __ Mode
Purple: U.S. airport codes plus starting letter

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #1148 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

Filler words: ACTUALLY, LIKE, SO, WELL
By means of: BY, PER, THROUGH, VIA
__ Mode: AIRPLANE, BEAST, DARK, À LA
U.S. airport codes plus starting letter: ASEA, FLAX, LORD, OLGA

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

NYT Strands hints, answers for August 2, 2026

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 02:00:00 +0000

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're goal-driven.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Eyes on the prize

The words are related to drive.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe aspiration.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is diagonal.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Aim High.

NYT Strands word list for August 2

Ambition
Plan
Goal
Purpose
Aim High
Objective
Intention

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 2, 2026

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 02:00:00 +0000

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're a rule breaker.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Punishable.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter P.

The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

PENAL

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

Hurdle hints and answers for August 2, 2026

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 02:00:00 +0000

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.

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If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

Hurdle Word 1 hint

Meaner.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

RUDER

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Peanut butter brand.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

JIFFY

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Cozy restaurant.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

DINER

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Junk.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

SCRAP

Final Hurdle hint

Fad.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

TREND

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 comes with a free $100 gift card this weekend

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 22:00:00 +0000

SAVE $100: The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is bundled with a $100 Amazon gift card for $699.99.

Credit: Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 + $100 Gift Card

Samsung Unpacked dropped a wave of new gear this month — new Samsung phones, new watches, and even Samsung Galaxy Glasses.

And here's the sweetener: Amazon is currently bundling the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 with a free $100 gift card, priced at $699.99.

This one's built for the outdoors. On a run or hike, it acts as a trail guide — giving you path, elevation, and pace guidance along the way, plus hydration alerts to help you stay ahead of dehydration rather than catch up to it. Instead of making you check your health stats separately, it also combines them into a single Heart Health Score, giving you one clear number.

Durability-wise, it's rated IP69K and 10ATM, meaning it's dust-tight and can handle water down to 100 meters, so both rugged trails and open water are fair game. For actual diving, it comes with a built-in dive computer from Mares that tracks ascent and descent, depth limits, and safety stops in real-time.

To get the gift card, select the gift card bundle variation at checkout. Since the offer ends Aug. 6, you should consider grabbing the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 now while you still can.

Learn American Sign Language for just $10 with this 13-course bundle

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 22:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Become a sign language expert with help from The All-in-One American Sign Language Bundle, on sale now for just $10.49 (reg. $104) with code COURSE30 until Aug. 2.

Credit: The All-in-One American Sign Language Bundle

The All-in-One American Sign Language Bundle

$10.49
$104 Save $93.51

If you’ve always wanted to learn American Sign Language, consider this your sign that it’s finally time. This All-in-One American Sign Language Bundle gives you access to 13 informative courses on a wide range of topics from different instructors to help give you a comprehensive education.

Right now, you can score The All-in-One American Sign Language Bundle for only $10.49 with code COURSE30 until tomorrow at 11:59 p.m. PT.

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Learn a whole new language at your own pace, all from the comfort of your couch, with this All-in-One American Sign Language Bundle. This online course combo is packed with 13 different courses that will shape you into an ASL expert in no time.

Kick things off with American Sign Language: Beginner, taught by Intellezy Learning. This course walks you through the origins of ASL — from finger-spelling and the alphabet to learning how to say different colors and animals — over 25 lectures and two hours of content.

Able Lingo, an established English and American Sign Language teacher who is TESOL and TEFL certified, teaches ASL: Family and Adjectives and ASL: Color and Nouns, which walk you through things like 24 different family signs and how to sign possessive pronouns, adjectives, and colors.

From there, hop into more niche topics with courses like American Sign Language for Business: Beginner, also taught by Intellezy Learning. This course teaches you all the basic business terms and vocab, so you can communicate using a new language and reach a broader audience.

Grab The All-in-One American Sign Language Bundle for just $10.49 with code COURSE30 now through tomorrow night at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Sam Altman suggests parents generate AI podcasts about their kids

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 16:53:34 +0000

OpenAI founder and CEO Sam Altman is trending on X for suggesting that parents use ChatGPT to generate podcasts about their children's lives in lieu of... listening to them.

"cool use case of chatgpt work i heard last night," he shared on X in all lowercase. "connect your family calendars and explain your kids' interests."

He continued, "Every morning for the drive to school, have it make a podcast that talks about one kid's soccer game that afternoon, one kid's upcoming birthday, some news, etc."

The post has amassed around 9,500 likes at the time of this writing, dwarfed by 120,000 likes on the reply, "What if you just talked to your children?" from Gravity Falls creator Alex Hirsch. (The same day, Hirsch also criticized Google's addition of its AI image generator into Google Earth, which it reversed.) Other popular replies have the same sentiment: That Altman is apparently encouraging users to disconnect from their families.

The backlash about AI tools has ramped up in recent years, for a myriad of reasons, including environmental impacts, surveillance, job loss, and fears of AI psychosis. The potential degrading of relationships is also a concern for some, as more people turn to chatbots to outsource relational conflicts or even seek to replace relationships themselves.

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.

NYT Pips hints, answers for August 1, 2026

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:07:28 +0000

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

How to play Pips

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.
Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.
Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.
Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.
Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

Easy difficulty hints, answers for August 1 Pips

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally; 6-5, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 6-5, placed horizontally.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically; 0-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally; 4-3, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for August 1 Pips

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-3, placed horizontally; 3-5, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 3-3, placed horizontally; 3-4, placed horizontally.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 0-5, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally; 0-5, placed horizontally.

Not Equal Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 1-2, placed horizontally; 6-6, placed vertically.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for August 1 Pips

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally; 4-2, placed vertically.

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-2, placed horizontally; 1-4, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically; 6-3, placed vertically.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 1-2, placed horizontally; 4-2, placed vertically; 2-0, placed horizontally; 2-6, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically; 4-4, placed vertically.

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 0-1, placed horizontally; 1-5, placed horizontally.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically; 1-5, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 6-3, placed vertically; 3-3, placed horizontally; 4-3, placed horizontally; 3-0, placed horizontally.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 2-0, placed horizontally; 0-1, placed horizontally; 0-0, placed horizontally; 3-0, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Google rolls back AI Google Earth feature a day after launch

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 14:48:47 +0000

After Google added its AI image generator, Nano Banana, to Google Earth on Thursday, it reversed its decision a day later.

Google announced the addition of Nano Banana 2 into its mapping platform, presumably to help users generate infographics about a site, see what it looked like historically, generate real estate ideas, and other use cases. Instead, as 404 Media observed, it made it very easy to inject misinformation into Google Earth, including making it appear like a nuclear strike had hit a location or that protests had taken over Google's offices.

On Thursday, Google seemed to try to smooth out the kinks, sharing on Thursday night on X that "every image created with Nano Banana in Google Earth includes the SynthID digital watermark, so if someone is unsure about an image, they can ask the Gemini app or use Lens in Search to see if the image was AI-generated." It also stated that it prevents image creation on "harmful topics."

However, come Friday afternoon, Google announced on X that it was removing the feature:

The backlash to the initial decision was quick. Replies to the rollback post on X include Gravity Falls creator Alex Hirsch saying, "You guys are living in a complete bubble. Step outside Silicon Valley for two seconds and you'll realize no actual human wants AI sludge crammed into every corner of every product. Touch grass. Talk to actual people."

Another top reply read, "There is 0 chance that no one on your development team didn't raise exactly this concern."

New York sues Kalshi, claiming its unlicensed gambling

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 13:53:15 +0000

On Friday, New York state filed a lawsuit against prediction market platform Kalshi, claiming that it's operating as an "unlicensed gambling business."

The Office of Attorney General Letitia James found that Kalshi is an illegal prediction market that exposes New Yorkers to "serious personal and financial risk," according to a press release. The lawsuit seeks fines, the forfeit of all illegal gains, and restitution to members.

The suit claims that Kalshi's prediction markets meet the legal definition of gambling "because the outcomes of the events on which its users are betting are uncertain and outside the control of the bettor or hinge on a game of chance." But the platform hasn't obtained a license from the New York State Gaming Commission. It also states that Kalshi is available to adults aged 18-20, while New York law requires users to be at least 21 to bet on sports.

"Kalshi has chosen to ignore New York’s gaming laws, which exist to protect consumers, prevent problematic gambling, deliver funding for critical public services, and ensure that every company plays by the same rules," New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in the press release. "This choice has consequences, and working closely with Attorney General James, New York is taking action to stop this illegal behavior and bring Kalshi into compliance, because no company is above the law."

"No matter what they call themselves, prediction markets like Kalshi are gambling platforms, plain and simple. By ignoring our laws, Kalshi is running an illegal operation and harming New Yorkers in the process," James said in the press release. "We are taking them to court to uphold our laws and protect New Yorkers."

Friday's lawsuit comes after New York sued Coinbase and Gemini for similar allegations in April. It also comes after Kalshi sued New York state in Oct., according to CNBC, following New York's Gambling Commission's cease-and-desist letter to the company. A judge denied the company's request for a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order against the commission in July.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), an agency of the federal government, has now sued New York, as it considers prediction markets to fall within its jurisdiction. "Rather than seek reasoned answers from the courts, Letitia James and New York seek to force an unprecedented, sudden shutdown of prediction markets nationwide," CFTC chairman Mike Selig posted on X. "The [CFTC] has already sued to stop this and will continue to defend its jurisdiction."

"It's sad to see this type of political theater from the leadership in our own state," a Kalshi spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC. "States can’t just shut down a federally licensed exchange… We love New York, we love New Yorkers, and New Yorkers love our product."

Google Pixel 11: Every rumor, leak, and confirmed fact ahead of Made By Google

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:46:15 +0000

Samsung just announced a bunch of fancy new phones, but don't relax just yet. Google has a big product launch just around the corner too, and we're keeping a close eye on the latest Pixel 11 leaks, rumors, and official teasers.

The Android maker has already confirmed that it will announce the next batch of Pixel phones in August. That means we have just a matter of weeks until the follow-up to the Pixel 10 lineup is unveiled, so you'd better get prepared in the meantime. Here is everything we know about the Google Pixel 11 right now.

Google Pixel 11: Release date and price

The first part of this is easy because Google isn't keeping the Pixel 11 launch window a secret. At 6 p.m. ET on Aug. 12 in New York City, Google is holding a Made By Google event where the Pixel 11 lineup will be shown off for the first time, and Mashable will be there reporting live.

Last year's event was hosted by Jimmy Fallon, for some reason, so you never know what to expect this time. You can watch Made By Google live on YouTube, or follow the news as it happens on Mashable. The phones should be on store shelves or in your hands less than a month after that.

As with last year, we expect to see four phones: the base Pixel 11, a Pro and Pro XL model, and a Pro Fold model.

Regarding price, we live in a RAMageddon world, so it sounds like there may be some mild price increases in the works. We don't know the official figures yet, but a recent Amazon leak (which we will return to throughout this piece because, holy mackerel, what a leak!) gave us these figures:

Google Pixel 11: $899
Google Pixel 11 Pro: $1,099
Google Pixel 11 Pro XL: $1,299
Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold: $1,899

Unfortunately, all of those are increases year over year compared to the Pixel 10. The Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pro XL are all $100 more to start than they were a year ago. Meanwhile, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, if this leak is to be believed, will cost $400 more than the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Ouch.

Google Pixel 11: What's up with Pixel Glow?

Before we get into detailed (and unconfirmed) specs for each device, there's basically one noteworthy design change that we expect to see across all four devices this year. According to both leaks and some imagery on Google's own pre-order page, Google is going all-in on something called Pixel Glow with the Pixel 11 series.

In terms of design, that means the horizontal camera bar seen on previous Pixel phones will change a little bit to accommodate a new multi-colored light module. This module will use lights of different shades to notify you of things like incoming messages, presumably while your phone is turned over and you don't feel like looking at a screen.

Google actually gave everyone an official sneak peek at Pixel Glow a couple of weeks before the event. In a brief teaser video that shows part of a Pixel 11 Pro, you can see a small, multi-colored light in the camera bar. While the video is very brief and vague, it's clear from the video that we are looking at Pixel Glow.

Google Pixel 11: Base model rumored specs

The aforementioned Amazon leak included since-removed store pages for each device in the Pixel 11 family, with colors and specs galore. Let's start with the base Pixel 11, whose array of color options has been reported with different names, but basically comes out to black, gray, pink, and green. Another leaker called MysticLeaks posted a bunch of alleged specs on Telegram.

Based on both of these leaks, these could be the specs for the base Pixel 11:

6.3-inch OLED display with 2856x1280 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate
Google Tensor G6 processor
8/12GB RAM
4,985mAh battery
50MP main camera
13MP selfie camera

It's worth noting that there are some small discrepancies between what Amazon posted and what MysticLeaks reported for all of these devices, especially regarding display resolution and battery size. When in doubt, this article is going by what was posted on Amazon.

The display, battery, and selfie camera specs all come from the Amazon leak, while the Tensor G6 chip would make sense as the natural follow-up to the Tensor G5 chip in last year's Pixel flagships. At the time of publication, there don't seem to be any credible leaks regarding the other camera specs for the base Pixel 11, aside from what's listed above.

None of the above is horribly surprising or all that different from the Pixel 10, either. All signs are pointing to a pretty incremental upgrade cycle in 2026, Pixel Glow aside.

Google Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL: Rumored specs

Google is also reportedly planning on two Pro variants, as in previous years. The color options here are reportedly called Olive, Obsidian, Canyon, and Fog. Here is what both Amazon and MysticLeaks had to say about the regular Pixel 11 Pro:

6.3-inch OLED display with 2856x1280 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate
Google Tensor G6 processor
12/16GB RAM
4,850mAh battery
13MP selfie camera

And here are the reported specs for Pixel 11 Pro XL. The XL is usually just a bigger, slightly improved version of the Pro:

6.8-inch OLED display with 2992x1344 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate
Google Tensor G6 Processor
12/16GB RAM
5,115mAh battery
13MP selfie camera

The main attraction here, at least as it relates to year-over-year changes, is that Google seems to be offering a new 12GB RAM variant of the Pro devices. Prior to this year, they just came with 16GB RAM. Perhaps models with less storage capacity will only come with 12GB this year as a way to save money on the manufacturing end of things.

Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold: Rumored specs

Google isn't folding from the competition. Credit: Joe Maldonado/Mashable

Lastly, Google is making another foldable this year, if every leak is to be believed. Here are the reported specs for the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, which could have color variants called Obsidian and Olive:

6.5-inch outer display
Google Tensor G6 processor
4,750mAh battery
13MP selfie camera

This is the one we know the least about, sadly. Given Samsung's recent excellence in the foldable field and the rumored price increase for the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, it's going to have to do a lot to impress in a crowded market. We'll find out together on Aug. 12.

Remember: Mashable will be reporting live from the Made By Google event, so keep checking back for the latest Pixel 11 news, leaks, and rumors.

Google Pixel 11 Pro: Everything we know before the official Aug. 12 reveal

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:45:00 +0000

Before you know it, Google is going to announce some new Android flagship phones. Of course, there's already info out there about them. Time to brush up.

The Pixel 11 lineup launch is all set for Aug. 12. This year, as with last year, we expect four new phones:

Pixel 11
Pixel 11 Pro
Pixel 11 Pro XL
Pixel 11 Pro Fold

Let's focus on the Pixel 11 Pro for now, as it's going to be the more premium. What does Google have up its sleeve this year with the Pro-grade Pixel phone?

We asked you to predict what Apple will do next. See the results and find out how to get a shot at winning an Apple Watch!

Google Pixel 11 Pro: Release date, price, and that Amazon leak

As previously stated, Google is going to officially unveil all of these phones at an event in New York City on Aug. 12. Mashable will be attending the launch event — Jimmy Fallon hosted last year's event, you may remember — and we'll be reporting live. Presumably, as with past years, the phones will be on store shelves and in customers' hands just a couple of weeks afterward.

Thanks to RAMageddon, everyone is bracing for price increases with every major tech product, and rightfully so. Google has not yet told us the prices of these phones, but a recent and fairly extensive Amazon leak that seemed legitimate enough pointed to a $1,099 starting price for the Pixel 11 Pro. That would be a $100 price increase over the Pixel 10 Pro. Meanwhile, the Pixel 11 Pro XL (the XL model is usually basically the same phone, but bigger) is said to start at $1,299, another $100 price hike year-over-year.

Speaking of that Amazon leak: 9to5Google spotted draft Amazon listings for the Pixel 11 lineup, revealing a lot of early details:

The listings could include placeholder information, but the overall gist looks legit.

What is Pixel Glow?

We don't expect any massive design changes this year. Google has helped keep expectations low by actually posting a short video that shows the phone, weeks before the Aug. 12 event.

One thing that stood out, however, is the presence of a small, colored light in the camera bar that wasn't there on the Pixel 10 Pro. This is rumored to be part of a new "Pixel Glow" system that will use colored lights to convey basic phone notifications while the Pixel is lying down on its face. If you want to know that someone texted you even though you're focusing on something else and would rather not look at the screen, that's what this is for.

Google Pixel 11 Pro: Design and colors

Ultimately, the short teaser video doesn't show much, but it does reveal one more fact: The Pixel 11 Pro's basic design hasn't changed much from last year. It still has a horizontal, oval-shaped camera bar on the back, and is still otherwise a normal-looking smartphone.

As for colors, leaks suggest the options this year will be:

Olive
Obsidian
Canyon
Fog

Those don't sound like the most vibrant colors in the world, but that sort of thing has become par for the course for "Pro" smartphones in recent years. If the Amazon leak spotted by 9to5Google proves true, the Pixel 11 will have more interesting color options, at least.

Google Pixel 11 Pro: Rumored specs

Between the Amazon listings and another leak on Telegram from an account called MysticLeaks, this is the best idea we have about the Pixel 11 Pro's specs prior to the unveiling:

6.3-inch OLED display with 2856x1280 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate
Google Tensor G6 processor
12/16GB RAM
4,850mAh battery

The only real differences between the regular Pro and the XL, as far as leaks are concerned, are the display and battery size. Those same sources suggest a 6.9-inch display and a 5,115mAh battery on the XL, but everything else should be the same. That's how Google has done it in the past, too.

Believe it or not, those specs actually contain at least one notable downgrade from the Pixel 10 Pro. Prior Pixel Pro devices only came with 16GB RAM, so if Google is offering a 12GB variant, that would be a somewhat significant change. It's possible and perhaps even likely that the 12GB models will be tied to lower amounts of storage, so if you want 16GB, you may need to shell out for a 512GB or 1TB model this year.

Google Pixel 11 Pro: What about the cameras?

Last but not least, the Pixel Pro phones always have better camera specs than the base models. It's one of the main reasons to get the Pro, even though Google did start including a telephoto lens on the base model recently.

Last year, the Pixel 10 Pro had a 50MP main lens, with matching 48MP ultra-wide and telephoto lenses. We don't yet know what the camera modules for the Pixel 11 Pro will measure in at, but it would be a shock if they were downgraded at all from those figures.

Speaking of downgrades, though, the big Amazon leak suggested the Pixel 10 Pro will have a 13MP selfie camera. After the 48MP front camera on the Pixel 10 Pro, that would be an unpleasant surprise. We'll see if that actually pans out, or if the leak was wrong.

Remember: Mashable will be reporting live from Made By Google on Aug. 12, so check back for the latest Pixel 11 Pro news.

Review: The unbeatable M5 MacBook Air might be too powerful for its own good

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:30:00 +0000

At a glance

Key specs: A speedy M5 chip, Touch ID, HDR Liquid Retina Display, and Neural Accelerators to support AI workloads — all in a body that's just 2.7 pounds and 0.44 inches thick

New starting price: 13-inch model is $1,299 (originally $1,099); 15-inch model is $1,499 (originally $1,299)

Colors: Midnight black, sky blue, silver, starlight

Our 100-word review: "The M5 MacBook Air is an impressive piece of machinery. It's incredibly thin and light, and I'm a big fan of macOS 26 Tahoe and Liquid Glass, no matter what the haters say. The default screensaver that plays is completely mesmerizing, and sometimes I find myself staring at it for minutes on end, enjoying a nice moment of zen in the middle of a workday. On top of that, you get all the premium features you expect in a modern MacBook. My one caveat: If I already had an M3 or M4 MacBook Air, I'd probably hold onto it for awhile longer."

Apple MacBook Air (M5): Our updated review

The newest MacBook Air from Apple is a damn near-perfect machine. And for a few glorious days in late May, when it was discounted to just $899 at Amazon, it was a true 10/10 product. Unfortunately, thanks to the global memory crisis, Apple has since increased the starting price of this laptop from $1,099 to $1,299, and that changes how we feel about this machine.

To be clear, from an engineering, user experience, performance, and design standpoint, the M5 MacBook Air is nearly flawless.

And as a long-time product reviewer, I try to avoid using words like "perfect" and "flawless" in my reviews at all costs. But after spending five months with this laptop, it keeps impressing me.

In my initial review of the M5 MacBook Air, I wondered whether this laptop was actually too powerful for its own good. I still think it's overpowered (and thus slightly overpriced) for the average Air customer — especially after the recent price increase — but this is undoubtedly one of the best laptops and MacBooks in the world right now.

So, after stress-testing the newest MacBook Air — and watching many hours of Dropout TV shows after work — I'm ready to lock in this product as a Mashable Choice Award winner.

The new MacBook Air (M5): By the numbers

Liquid Glass looks particularly good on the MacBook Liquid Retina display. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

For this review, I tested the 15.3-inch version of the MacBook Air with 1TB of storage. You may see some slight variations in performance with the 13.6-inch model. Overall, this laptop has impressive specifications:

Processor: M5 (10-core CPU, 8‑core GPU, Neural Accelerators)
Colors: Sky blue, silver, starlight, midnight black
Memory: 16GB (configurable to 24GB or 32GB)
Storage: 512GB SSD (configurable to 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB)
Display: 13.6 or 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display
Video playback: HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10+/HDR10, and HLG
Resolution: 2,560 x 1,664
Brightness: 500 nits
Battery life: 17 hours, 40 minutes in video playback test
Ports: MagSafe 3 charging port, 3.5 mm headphone jack, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4, USB-C 4
Connectivity: Apple N1 chip, WiFi 7, Bluetooth 6
Webcam: 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View
Dimensions: 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches
Weight: 2.7 pounds

The MacBook Air (M5) performs like a Pro

Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

Despite all the accolades I've given it, the new MacBook Air is definitely an iterative upgrade in many respects. Like its predecessor, it comes in 13.6 and 15.3-inch models, and you can choose from silver, sky blue, starlight, and midnight black. At a mere 0.44 inches thick and a measly 2.7 pounds, it's remarkably thin and lightweight, yet it never feels fragile or flimsy in the slightest. On the contrary, the MacBook's signature all-aluminum body makes it a very durable laptop.

The big difference, of course, is the M5 chip inside. When we put it through the Geekbench 6 benchmark test, it scored 16,099 on the multi-core test. On the single-core test, it scored 4,025, even higher than we expected. The multi-core score puts it within spitting distance of the M5 MacBook Pro released late last year. For almost all intents and purposes, it is a MacBook Pro. Minus the fans, of course.

The single-core score is a good proxy for everyday performance (what our laptop expert calls "snappiness"), and that lines up perfectly with my testing. When exporting or importing large files, it barely flinches. It can handle video editing software, complex Apple Shortcuts, and even some gaming.

Is the MacBook Air (M5) too powerful?

Apple introduced the M1 chip in 2020, its first in-house processor, kicking off a revolution in the laptop world. The M1 chip destroyed the competition, and the original M1 MacBook Air is probably the most award-winning laptop ever. It's a legendary device that was still popular six years later, an unheard-of feat.

As Apple introduced the M2, M3, M4, M5, and now M5 Pro and Pro Max chips, the MacBook Air and Pro laptops have become extremely powerful. The new M5 Max chip scored 29,000 on the Geekbench 6 test, making it so powerful that pro laptop reviewers struggled to test it properly. I know professional film editors who are still working on M1 and M2 laptops. And in 2024, my colleague Stan Schroeder wrote that "Apple's M series chips are too good for their own good." That's doubly true today.

The new MacBook Air also has a much higher starting price of $1,299, or $300 more than the previous generation. Yes, Apple doubled the starting storage, but Apple experts like Bloomberg's Mark Gurman say that's just Apple's way of softening the blow of a price increase.

Traditionally, the MacBook Air has been a popular laptop for college students, early-career professionals, and more casual users. If you're running complex programs like Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or Adobe Suite, then you opt for the Pro.

On the Geekbench 6 tests we ran, this laptop achieved 92.5 percent of the power of the latest MacBook Pro. Only hardcore superusers are going to come close to taxing the M5 Air, and those kinds of users will probably be buying a Pro or Mac Studio anyway.

So, in a world with the $699 MacBook Neo — a surprisingly capable laptop that matches the M1 Air in performance — I'm not quite sure we needed a newer, even more powerful Air. The recipe was already just right.

So, am I seriously telling you that this MacBook would be better if it were worse? Kind of! I may be in the minority on this one, but I think the average Air buyer would be better off with a slightly less powerful but more affordable device. I miss the days when the M3 and M4 Air went on sale for $799 or $899.

Unfortunately, laptops are getting more expensive across the board. The top alternatives to the MacBook Air have also gotten price increases in 2026.

MacBook Air (M5) review: Speakers, display, and design

Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

As I mentioned earlier, I've been using this laptop to watch Dropout TV, which isn't available on my smart TV, sadly. Not only does it have enough processing power for most workloads, but it's also a great entertainment laptop. The HDR Liquid Retina Display looks fantastic, even if it's not quite at OLED level.

Similarly, the speakers sound strong and clear when listening to music or watching TV shows and movies. When using the four-speaker sound system, the laptop supports spatial audio and Dolby Atmos; spatial audio is also supported when listening with AirPods.

For video calls or voice recording, you'll benefit from a three-mic array, directional beamforming, voice isolation, and a 12MP Center Stage camera.

Of course, as strong as they are, none of these components has been upgraded from last year's M4 MacBook Air.

MacBook Air (M5) review: Battery life

Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

When testing a laptop's battery, we evaluate how long it lasts while using the laptop as our daily driver — doing work, browsing the web, streaming music and TV. And we've been able to get consistent all-day performance out of this device. However, we also test the battery life during video playback. (We conduct a battery rundown test by playing the 1080p version of Tears of Steel on loop, at 50 percent brightness and 50 percent volume.) And this is the one area where the new MacBook Air didn't quite meet our expectations.

Typically, we expect new MacBooks to achieve 19 hours of battery life (the smaller and more affordable MacBook Neo is the exception). However, when running down the 15-inch MacBook Air (M5), the battery only lasted 17 hours and 40 minutes. That's more than enough power for virtually all use cases, but we have tested other MacBook and Windows laptops with better battery life.

The M5 Air has two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a MagSafe charging port, and a headphones jack. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

M5 MacBook Air review: Is it worth it?

As much as I hate the new $1,299 price, this laptop is definitely still worth buying.

Sure, for $899, or even $949, I'd find this laptop irresistible, and it would get a perfect 5.0 score from me. But here's the bottom line: For the new $1,299 price — and with Windows laptops also getting price hikes — this laptop still justifies its price with premium components, the newest WiFi and Bluetooth tech, and a fast chip with no true competition in the Windows market.

Personally, I'd wait and see what this laptop's new sale price will be during events like Black Friday. Before the price hike, it was discounted to $899 to $949, but I suspect we won't see this laptop for under $1,000 for a long while, if ever. So, if you have the coin, and if you want near-MacBook-Pro-level performance but in a lighter and more portable body, then spring for the new and improved Air.

Credit: Apple

MacBook Air 13.6 inches (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)

$1,049 at Amazon
$1,099 Save $50

Credit: Apple

MacBook Air 15.3 inches (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)

$1,249 at Amazon

I put the Camp Snap 2 to the ultimate test: Capturing my honeymoon

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:05:06 +0000

In preparation for my honeymoon, getting a camera was at the top of my list. Although my iPhone 17 Pro Max takes next-level photos, I wanted to be able to stay off my phone and stay in the moment. I needed something beginner-friendly, and while I love the look of film, I wanted the convenience of digital. That's where the Camp Snap comes in.

Originally designed for summer campers who want a digital camera to capture camp memories, the Camp Snap is screen-free. However, the Camp Snap has attracted an audience beyond summer campers, thanks to its nostalgic-looking photos.

I own the Camp Snap, but when I tried the Camp Snap 2, I totally fell in love. It was the perfect camera to bring on my honeymoon, and now I have the sweetest photos to look back on.

Camp Snap 2 at a glance

The Camp Snap 2 is more high-tech than it looks. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The Camp Snap 2 is a screen-free digital camera, which costs $69.95. It has a playful, vintage look, but it's not a gimmick. It has flash and five filters and is exceptionally easy to use. Without a screen, you stay in the moment; however, it does make using the filters a bit of a guessing game. It still creates stunning digital photos with a film-like look. Uploading photos is straightforward, requiring only a USB-C connection to get them on your phone or computer, even on the go.

A camera made for amateurs

The only screen on the Camp Snap 2 displays your photo count and filters. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

You know when someone hands you their camera, and there are so many buttons that they need to point out the right one to hit snap? Well, that's not an issue on the Camp Snap 2 because there are so few buttons, it's obvious which ones do what. There are exactly three buttons: an on/off/flash switch, the shoot button on top of the camera, and a filter button.

There's no guessing on which button does what on the Camp Snap 2. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

There's a viewfinder and a tiny screen that displays the photo count and the filter the camera is set to. There are no lens details to futz with; you just turn it on and shoot. There's no learning curve to worry about. It also takes photos in a 3:4 or 4:3 ratio.

This meant that on our honeymoon, we could whip out the camera, snap the shot, and go. Plus, if we ever handed the camera to someone so we could get a couple shot, it was self-explanatory. It has a little shutter sound that clicks when the photo is taken, so you know you've got the shot.

The photos have a sweet, nostalgic feel to them

Camp Snap 2 photos look like film but still have the convenience of digital. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Camp Snap's photos are just as charming as the camera itself looks. It has a vintage-inspired design, and the Camp Snap 2 now comes in colorful jelly shades.

The photos the camera takes also have a nostalgic look, most reminiscent of photos from a disposable camera digitized. It looks like film, but it has the convenience of digital. Don't expect crisp, detailed photos; everything has a slight fuzz to it, but that's part of the style to just embrace.

Camp Snap 2

Lake Vouliagmeni captured on the Camp Snap 2. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

iPhone 17 Pro Max

Lake Vouliagmeni captured on my iPhone. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Without a screen, you're always taking a gamble on a bad shot, but since it's digital, it's not the same stakes as with a film camera. But out of the hundreds of photos I took, none of them were true duds.

Camp Snap 2

On the Camp Snap 2, the foreground is too dark compared to the sunset. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

iPhone 17 Pro Max

The iPhone gives a more balanced photo. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

It doesn't perform well on high-contrast images. For example, a crowded street in the shade with a bright sunset behind it lost much of the detail that a similar photo I took on my iPhone did. As long as you have bright, well-balanced sunlight, you'll have beautiful photos. If not, make sure to turn on flash.

Upload to any device on the go

With its easy uploads, I could look at photos from the day as soon as I took them. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

On vacation, I didn't have a full computer setup, just my phone and a USB-C cord, but that's enough to upload photos. While we were traveling between destinations, I plugged the Camp Snap 2 into my phone, watched the photos appear in the Photos app, uploaded them, and even deleted them to free up space on the camera. It was so simple, required no WiFi connection, and was really quick.

While I tested the Camp Snap on iOS and Mac devices, it's also compatible with Android and PC.

No worries about battery life or storage

There were plenty of devices I had to worry about charging during our honeymoon: my phone, iPad, and portable fan. But the Camp Snap wasn't one of them. It has extensive battery life, and one charge gets you 500 photos. With the included MicroSD storage, the camera stores 2,000 photos; however, if you need even more space, you can swap out cards.

There's a bit of a learning curve with the filters

This is the standard shot taken on the Camp Snap 2, without filter. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Photos taken in bright light will have a darker tint to them even without filter. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The biggest upgrade between the Camp Snap and Camp Snap 2 is the inclusion of filters. The Camp Snap 2 comes with six built-in filters: standard, vintage 1–3, analog, and black & white. The filters are a nice touch, but I never found myself reaching for them.

Trying out the filters with my dog, Milly. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Since there's no screen, you can't see what the filter looks like until you upload it later. This means you'll need to spend a little time playing around with them to see how they look and what you like.

Is the Camp Snap 2 worth it?

The Camp Snap 2 adds instant nostalgia to photos. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The Camp Snap 2 is 100 percent worth it. At $69.95, it's about half the price of a standard digital camera, and although it definitely has some drawbacks, like no screen or zoom, it makes up for them with ease and charm. It's so easy to use, whether you're an amateur photographer or a summer camper. The upload process is just as simple, too.

Camp Snap 2

$69.95 at Camp Snap

The best Kindle and e-reader accessories for your coziest reading nook yet

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:03:02 +0000

Kindles are the darling device of BookTok, where you can scroll through thousands of videos on the best accessories and gadgets to maximize your reading experience. One thing about the BookTok girlies: They're right. While I've spent hours watching videos of people decking out their Kindles with accessories, I never really understood the extras until I tried them for myself.

Kindle accessories are add-ons like remote page turners, gooseneck stands, clear cases, PopSockets, and hand straps, which are all aimed at improving your reading comfort.

You may roll your eyes at a gooseneck stand or page-turning remote — I once did — but you're missing out on a life of luxury. A life that includes a Kindle on a stand, a remote page turner in hand, and you all tucked into the covers.

And keep in mind that while Kindles are the buzziest e-readers, there's a whole lot of love for Kobo e-readers on BookTok and here at Mashable. Even though the Kindle Paperwhite is our favorite e-reader, we still have a lot of love for the Kobo Clara Colour and Kobo Libra Colour.

So if you own a Kindle or use another e-reader, this guide is for you: It features the essential accessories, including stands, remotes, grips, and cases. Plus, all the recently launched remotes from Kobo and Boox.

Remote page turner

Credit: Datafy

Datafy Remote Control Page Turner

$15.99 at Amazon
$19.99 Save $4.00

Credit: Kobo

Kobo Remote

$29.99 at Kobo

Credit: Boox

Boox Tappy Remote

$29.99 at Amazon

Credit: DuRoBo

DuRoBo Moodi Remote

$35.99 at DuRoBo

The remote control page turner was one of the first Kindle-adjacent gadgets to come across my feed. It clips onto the side of a Kindle, and then you press a button on the remote to turn the page, rather than tapping or swiping the screen. Tapping the screen is easy enough, but the page turner is an added layer of convenience.

At the end of the night, when you want to be cozy in bed, tucked under the blanket to stay warm, the remote allows you to do just that. Combined with the gooseneck stand? Nighttime reading is about to be the coziest it's ever been.

And while the page turner is great for getting cozy, it's also ideal for when you're using a Kindle while on the treadmill.

Kindle does not make a remote for its e-readers, while Kobo, Boox, and Durobo all do. While the Boox Tappy and Durobo Moodi aren't my favorite, the Kobo remote is perfectly designed.

Gooseneck stand

Credit: Magipea

Magipea Gooseneck Stand

$29.99 at Amazon

While the remote page turner helps you click through your book, to go truly hands-free, you need to prop up your e-reader, too. Enter the gooseneck stand. After seeing this viral video, I, and the rest of the internet, was influenced to get a clip-in stand for an e-reader.

And let me tell you, it is a luxury to have this stand. While a Kindle is still lightweight, when you're on a reading marathon, your arm inevitably gets tired from holding up the device. But having a gooseneck stand positions the Kindle within reading distance without any arm fatigue.

To test out a gooseneck stand, I tried the Magipea Gooseneck Stand, which is compatible with either a Kindle or Kobo e-reader (I used it with both). I find the bendy arm of this stand to be a little too stiff, but overall, it still works well.

Clear case

Credit: CoBak

CoBak Clear MagSafe Case

$15.99 at Amazon

There are plenty of Kindle cases in the sea, but the most popular option among BookTok is a simple, clear case. Sure, that seems boring, but the exciting part is decorating it. Add-ons like charms also bring personal flair, and some people even buy inserts or stickers to swap out over time.

And if you're interested in using a PopSockets grip with your Kindle, I recommend getting a case that's MagSafe compliant so you can take it on and off. PopSockets has its own Kindle case that also happens to be MagSafe.

MagSafe PopSockets

Credit: PopSockets

PopSockets MagSafe PopGrip

$30 at PopSockets

PopSockets are already the best ergonomic grip for your phone, so why wouldn't they be the best grip for another handheld device? When I'm not using my Kindle with the gooseneck stand, I like using it with a PopSockets grip for an ergonomic hold.

With a traditional PopSockets grip, you attach it to a device with adhesive, but that means once it's on, it's on. But using a MagSafe PopSockets grip allows you to attach and reattach the grip, depending on whether you want your Kindle to lie flat.

I personally use the PopSockets MagSafe Kick-Out Stand with my Kindle since that's what I use on my phone, and I like that I can prop it up to stand vertically. However, PopSockets launched a line of bookish MagSafe grips to go with its line of Kindle cases.

My PopSockets Kick-Out Grip works as a stand on-the-go. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Strapsicle Straps

Credit: Strapsicle

Strapsicle Straps

$19.99 at Amazon
$21.99 Save $2

If PopSockets grips aren't really your thing, then Strapsicle makes a nice alternative. Strapsicle's straps attach to the corners of your e-reader, creating a cross pattern. Your hand then slips through the straps, delivering an easy hold on your e-reader. While I personally prefer the feel of a PopSockets grip, the Strapsicle lets your hand lie flat, so it doesn't cramp up from being in a hold. The Strapsicle works best when it has a snug fit, so using it with a case can be a little tight.

Just slide your hand in between the straps for an easy hold. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Page Kindle Cases

Credit: Page.

Page Kindle Case

$40 at Page.

Before I went deep into the world of Kindle accessories, I really just wanted a good case. After several well-placed Instagram ads, I landed on a case from Page. Not only do they have a ton of really cute designs, but they also make cases for a variety of e-readers, including the full Kindle and Kobo lineups.

The case automatically wakes and sleeps your e-reader, and it includes a hand strap for a nice grip while reading. Plus, I like this case because it guards the poorly placed power button on the e-reader. This way, when I'm reading on the treadmill, the button doesn't accidentally get pressed.

You could also always go for an official Amazon case for a simple cover with good protection. Any protective case is a good choice, especially one with reinforced corners to protect against drops.

Ive read hundreds of free Kindle books with Libby — heres how

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:53 +0000

If I had to buy every book I read, I wouldn't be able to pay rent. Reading for free isn't hard; I'm always exchanging books with friends, scouring my neighborhood's little free libraries, shopping Stuff Your Kindle Day, and of course, I love my local library. However, as an e-reader expert and enthusiast, I'm almost always using a device for reading. But as I use and test e-readers, I still need to be able to use my library card and read for free. That's where Libby comes in.

Libby is an app that connects you with your library's digital collection so you can borrow e-books, audiobooks, and magazines. You can then enjoy these digital copies on your phone, tablet, or e-reader. The best part — it's totally free.

Having used Libby for several years, it's a crucial part of my content diet and an invaluable resource for staying well-read. This guide walks you through how it works, how to use it on Kindle and Kobo, plus some details on its updated hold system.

How does Libby work with your library card?

Felt like hitting the jackpot to find Emily Henry's "Great Big Beautiful Life" as ready to borrow. Credit: Screenshot: Libby

After several weeks, my copy of "Stag Dance" by Torrey Peters was finally ready to borrow and be added to my library. Credit: Screenshot: Libby

Libby, which is part of the OverDrive system, connects you with your library's digital collection. More than 90 percent of public libraries in North America use OverDrive, and Libby is available in 78 countries globally, so it's a universal system.

To use Libby, sign in using your library card information from a participating public library. Have multiple library cards? You can attach as many cards to your account as you want. Once logged in, you can browse your library's digital collection.

You can search for specific titles, or you can get suggestions from Libby as it highlights and curates titles. Some books will be ready to borrow right away, which you can check out and will automatically be added to your library.

Other books will require you to place a hold. New and popular books will often require long waits, because borrowing follows a licensed-copy model, but a pro tip: Having multiple library cards allows you to compare wait times at different libraries, so you can get in the shortest line.

Once a hold is ready to borrow, it will appear in your library, allowing you to check it out. The app also sends notifications for holds and loans. So if your library doesn't have a title, add a smart tag on it, and you'll be alerted when it gets a copy.

Libby lets you borrow books for up to 21 days, depending on your library's rules. Some books can be renewed, while others that have people waiting to borrow them can't be renewed. Books are returned automatically, which means no late fees.

A major 2025 Libby app update

If you're new to Libby, this change won't mean much to you, but existing users may have noticed a change to how holds work.

On Sept. 18, 2025, Libby made a major change to its hold system that upset some users. Now, instead of being able to delay holds for a certain amount of time, users will need to suspend holds until they're ready to receive them.

Users complained about the change, saying they won't remember to unsuspend their holds. In response, Libby explained via Instagram that the new system: "helps libraries serve more readers by keeping books moving and reducing expired holds."

Where can you read books with Libby?

When you borrow a book on Libby, it'll give you multiple options on how to read. Credit: Screenshot: Libby

You have a couple of options on how to read your e-books, whether that's in the Libby app on a smartphone or tablet, in a browser through the Libby website, or on a supported e-reader.

The best part about using the Libby app or website is that it syncs your progress across all devices. That way, if you leave your iPad at home, you can read on your iPhone and pick up right where you left off. Within the app or on an e-reader, you can adjust the font size, book layout, and background color for a truly customizable reading experience.

Libby also allows you to read its books as ePUB files. The best way to do so is by using Adobe Digital Editions, so if you have a device with Adobe access but not Libby access, like Boox e-readers, you can still access your borrowed books.

To read on an e-reader, you can either have it automatically sync to a Kobo or send it to your Kindle device. However, the Kindle and Libby integration is only available with U.S. libraries and Amazon accounts.

Kobo has the smoothest Libby integration. You can log in via Overdrive (Libby's parent company) on your device, and when you borrow books, they'll auto-populate in your library.

For Kindle users, there are a couple of extra steps in the process.

How to read Libby books on Kindle

To read Libby books with Kindle, you'll have to manually send it to your Kindle library. Credit: Screenshot: Amazon

Once you send your Libby loan to the Kindle, it will automatically populate to your library. However, you still need to download it to your device. Credit: Screenshot: Kindle

To read Libby books on a Kindle, select the "Read With Kindle" option within the Libby app, which lets you send borrowed e-books to your Kindle (only in the U.S.). That'll take you to Amazon, where you'll click the "Get Library Book" button. From there, the book will automatically appear in the library of your Kindle app and devices. Just remember, once the book is in your library, you'll need to download it on your Kindle to start reading.

What's the best e-reader for Libby?

The Kindle Paperwhite and Kobo Libra Colour are easily the best e-readers for Libby. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The best e-readers for Libby are either the Kobo Libra Colour or the Kindle Paperwhite. Which one you go for depends on how you use Libby. If you just have one library card, the Kobo is the best e-reader for Libby. All of your borrowed Libby books automatically populate on the device without needing to press any extra buttons. The downside is that you can only have one Libby account attached to your Kobo at a time.

If you have multiple library cards, the Kindle Paperwhite is the best e-reader for Libby. While it requires one extra step to get your books on the device, you can borrow with multiple cards simultaneously.

If you don't want to buy an e-reader, you can get started with Libby immediately by reading on a smartphone or tablet that you already own. If you're going to read on a tablet, I recommend the iPad mini, which is smaller than other models, preventing wrist strain while holding the device. The screen of an iPad is sometimes too glossy for reading, and if that hurts your eyes, you can add a paper-like screen cover.

Avoid the Barnes & Noble Nook and Boox e-readers for reading with Libby, as both require tedious steps to get your library books on the devices.

If you're primarily using Libby for audiobooks, you don't need an e-reader. The Libby app on your phone also works well for audio, letting you download for offline reading or stream if you need to save space on your device. Its built-in player lets you control playback speed, which ranges from 0.6x to 3.0x. Listening in the car? It will play via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, too.

Credit: Kobo

Kobo Libra Colour

$229.99 at Rakuten

Credit: Amazon

Kindle Paperwhite

$159.99 at Amazon

Downsides to Libby

There aren't many downsides to Libby — I'd argue there technically are none. But as a word of warning, I think it's important to view Libby as the library that it is and not as an e-book store. With an e-book store, you can buy nearly any title you want, but with a library, sometimes books aren't available.

This can sometimes be because libraries have limited copies, so you have to wait weeks or even months for a book to become available to borrow. The change to the Libby hold system will hopefully cut back on long wait times. And if you're stuck waiting on e-book waitlists in Libby, explore your library's vast collection of digital magazines, which have unlimited simultaneous use.

Sometimes your library just won't have a book in its collection at all. The best way to avoid this issue is to get multiple library cards since different networks have varying catalogs.

MacBook Neo review: Is this budget laptop still worth it after a price increase?

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:09 +0000

Updated on Aug. 1 at 6 a.m. ET — On June 25, Apple announced sweeping MacBook price increases due to the global memory crisis. The MacBook Neo now starts at $599 with an education discount and $699 without it. The version with 512GB of storage and TouchID now costs $799. We've updated our MacBook Neo review and adjusted the Mashable score from 4.8 to 4.7.

On March 11, Apple dropped the MacBook Neo like a bomb on the laptop market. I was at a New York City launch event to see its big unveiling, and the colorful budget laptop made a strong first impression. As I wrote at the time: If I were a Windows laptop that cost under $1,000, I'd be shaking in my boots.

Since then, we've seen a wave of price increases in the Windows world. Eventually, the MacBook Neo got a $100 price increase, too. But even at its new $699 starting price, the MacBook Neo offers unbeatable value, and I think it's easily the best laptop under $1,000 right now. And after spending an extra four months with this laptop on my desk, I've updated this review.

The Neo brings premium MacBook features — Liquid Retina Display, the intuitive macOS, a sleek aluminum design — to an entirely new market segment. For the first time, we have a true budget laptop from Apple.

Even with its repurposed A18 Pro chip and 8GB of RAM, this is a laptop with no viable competition, full stop.

Who is the MacBook Neo for?

The MacBook Neo in citrus and indigo at the Mashable office. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

The MacBook Neo is Apple's first MacBook without an M-series chip since 2020. For that reason, the Neo is not a laptop for professionals like myself. If you need to do heavy-duty photo or video editing, work with 3D modeling programs, or run open-source AI models on your device, you'll want that MacBook Air or Pro with the latest M5 chips.

Instead, the MacBook Neo is meant to be baby's first laptop, and I mean that as a compliment. It's a starter laptop you might buy for a high school or college student who will eventually graduate to the Air or Pro, depending on their needs. But I also foresee another popular use case for this device — the party laptop.

Lots of people, including myself, use two laptops on a daily basis. You have your work laptop — in my case, a MacBook Pro — and then you have what I call the party laptop. It could be a simple Chromebook, an old work laptop, a gaming laptop, or even a tablet. When your workday is done, you put away the work laptop with your email and calendar, and fire up your party laptop for streaming, music, casual browsing, and retail therapy.

The MacBook Neo would be a perfect party laptop or Chromebook alternative, and while it lacks storage and RAM, Apple definitely didn't skimp on the entertainment features.

MacBook Neo design: We gotta talk about the colors

Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

No tech brand does design better than Apple, at least, not for the mass market. And in the under-$1,000 laptop category, the Neo stands out for its premium design. Lately, we've seen many Windows laptops imitating the MacBook's metal body and rounded edges, but those are typically Ultrabooks that cost quite a bit. The Neo offers a budget price without compromising on Apple's signature all-aluminum build quality.

Let's look at the competition: Our favorite Windows laptop under $1,000 as of August 2026 is the Framework Laptop 13, which costs $899. We also love the Acer Aspire 16 AI, which costs $699 (if you can find it in stock). It's a good laptop, but it also has a flimsy hinge and plastic components. With the Neo, you get an aluminum chassis, plus it's $100 cheaper, plus it comes in fun colors, plus it has Dolby Atmos speakers. The keyboard and components also have a premium feel. Apple even matches the color of the key caps to the laptop's color, a very nice touch.

Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

The Neo has an all-aluminum design; Apple matches the color of the keys to the aluminum. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

The MacBook Neo comes in four colors: silver, indigo, citrus, and blush. Now, I will say, the blush is a very subtle pink. I say, if you're going pink, go pink. But in person, the citrus and indigo really pop. Apple also color-matches the keys to the aluminum finish, and it's those little details that elevate the design. The Apple team has been having a lot of fun with this product launch, and I think shoppers will, too.

MacBook Neo: Performance and battery

Be honest, did you notice the home screen artwork says "MAC"? Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

When Apple unveiled the Neo, two competing opinions spread in the tech world. The MacBook Neo, with its fun colors and killer price, would either disrupt the entire Windows laptop market, or it would be an underpowered waste of space with its old iPhone chip and a measly 8GB of RAM.

In this case, the optimists were proven right.

To be sure, you're not going to edit a professional music video, mix a song, or work on an animation project with 8GB of RAM and the A18 Pro chip, first introduced for the iPhone 16 Pro. But don't believe what the haters are saying online: You can still do a lot with 8GB of RAM.

Here's what people are forgetting: Over the past few years, Apple has quietly made its MacBook Air and Pro laptops way overpowered for the average user. (The same is true for the iPad Air and Pro, as I explain in my M4 iPad Air review.) The original M1 MacBook was a legendary laptop that truly changed the category for good. Six years later, I know professional film editors who are still working on M1-era MacBook Pros and have zero complaints about performance or speed.

Apple M-series silicon changed the laptop market for good. Credit: Mashable

As you can see in this chart, ever since Apple launched the M1 chip in 2020, the company's M-series silicon has progressed by leaps and bounds. At one point, it seemed like Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chip might finally offer some true competition for Apple silicon, but then Apple released a new M chip.

Apple's M series chips have made such massive leaps in performance that you have to be a serious superuser to tax these devices to their limits. So, a simpler MacBook with less firepower makes sense for a ton of reasons. You don't need 16GB of RAM and an M5 chip to stream Netflix, make Word documents, and send emails.

But let's get specific. Let's talk benchmarks.

MacBook Neo review: Geekbench performance and stress tests

When testing a new laptop, Mashable runs a series of standardized tests, including the latest Geekbench 6 benchmark. The MacBook Neo received a multi-core score of 8,770, nearly identical to the 8,783 we recorded for the M1 MacBook Air. We also assessed its single-core performance, since that's a good measure of what we call snappiness, or how quickly it responds in everyday use. And this is where it gets interesting. The MacBook Neo achieved a single-core score of 3,484, significantly higher than most other laptops.

For reference, the Razer Blade 18 with an Intel Core i9-275HX processor scored 3,057 in single-core testing. So, it's no wonder I've been able to do a surprising amount with the A18 Pro Chip.

I was able to edit a simple, cheesy video in Final Cut Pro using the MacBook Neo without struggling against the spinning wheel of death. Even when I layered video clips on top of each other and added a series of totally unnecessary transitions, the Neo handled the tasks just fine, as you can see for yourself:

For my MacBook Neo review, I also set up multiple Apple Shortcuts to perform complex tasks. I set up one Shortcut to automatically convert raw image files into JPEGs, crop them into a 16:9 aspect ratio, auto-adjust the color balance, hue, and saturation, and then save them in a specific folder. Using this Shortcut, the Neo edited a dozen massive image files with ease in under 30 seconds.

I set up another Shortcut to automatically convert all my video files into GIFs, also without problems.

The MacBook Neo does have one big flaw

The lack of Thunderbolt 4 ports is a big drawback. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

In stress-testing the Neo, I found its kryptonite, which won't be a surprise. Because the Neo lacks a Thunderbolt 4 port, it can only offer transfer speeds of up to 10Gb/s, compared to 40Gb/s with the latest MacBook Air. Likewise, the A18 Pro chip offers 60GB/s memory bandwidth, compared to 153GB/s memory bandwidth on the M5 Air.

The A18 Pro chip offers:

6-core CPU (2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores)
5-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine

The only time I encountered the spinning wheel of death? When importing or exporting large files. M-series MacBooks can multitask while doing this, but as you can see in my screen recording, the Neo really struggled to multitask while transferring large video files.

MacBook Neo battery life

Apple promises "all-day" battery life with the Neo. Specifically, the company promises up to 16 hours of battery for video streaming (and 11 hours for wireless web browsing). In our battery rundown test, we got exactly 14 hours and 50 minutes of battery performance.

If you want the MacBook Neo to last for an entire day of classes or a long travel day, I think it will be up for the challenge. And once again, it compares very favorably to Windows laptops under $1,000. In Mashable's testing database, the media battery life for this category is only 10.5 hours. So, once more, the MacBook Neo can do more for less money.

MacBook Neo: Display and speakers

The headphones jack and side-firing speakers. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

The MacBook Neo has the same Liquid Retina display tech that you'll find on the $1,299 M5 MacBook Air (previously priced at $1,099) and other Apple laptops. The Neo's Display is 0.9 inches smaller than the Air, however. It can offer up to 500 nits of brightness on its 13-inch, 2,408 x 1,506 resolution display. The color, clarity, and sharpness are as impressive as ever, particularly when you compare them to the average Windows laptop in this price range. It's a premium display in a budget laptop.

The MacBook Neo isn't simply a MacBook Air with a bunch of performance sacrifices, however. Apple actually improved the speaker system for the Neo (further solidifying it in my mind as the party laptop). Apple added two side-firing speakers, which you might mistake for SD card readers at first. The result is a speaker system that's surprisingly loud, clear, and compatible with Dolby Atmos.

MacBook Neo: What's missing?

The MacBook Neo has the MacBook's signature all-aluminum design. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

The MacBook Neo does make both performance and hardware sacrifices to keep its price low, of course. Before buying the Neo, you need to understand what you're not getting:

No 12MP Center Stage Camera (the Neo has a 1080p FaceTime HD camera)
No True Tone technology
No fast-charging capabilities
No Thunderbolt 4 ports (it has one USB-C 3 and one USB-C 2 port)
Only supports one external display
$599 version only has 256GB of memory and no Touch ID (the $799 version has 512GB and Touch ID)

The MacBook Neo has a Magic Keyboard, but it's not backlit like you're used to. It also features a different trackpad. While it's extra-clicky, it's not quite as nice as a standard MacBook. That's hardly a breaking point, though.

Will Siri AI work with the MacBook Neo?

At WWDC 2026, Apple finally introduced Siri AI, which will be coming with macOS 27 Golden Gate. Even though the Neo lacks M-series silicon, Apple says it will be ready to support the new OS, the updated Siri, and new Apple Intelligence features.

For now, these features are only accessible on the Neo via the macOS 27 developer beta, but they will be widely available starting in the fall.

Final thoughts: Is the MacBook Neo still worth it for $699?

Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

My verdict: The MacBook Neo is 100 percent worth it for budget shoppers, even after the recent price increase. Unless you need a Windows laptop, or if your educational institution recommends a laptop with more processing power, you won't find another laptop under $1,000 than can go head-to-head with the Neo.

I will continue to update this review for as long as I'm using the Neo. But as someone who works with a lot of video, photography, and AI tools, the MacBook Neo can handle quite a bit of my daily workflow. First-time buyers will also appreciate how easily it works with the iPhone and iPad. As per usual, your files can instantly sync across devices, and AirDrop fills any gaps.

As I said, if you're comparing the $699 MacBook Neo with a similarly priced Windows laptop or Chromebook, it's going to be really hard to say no to the Neo, especially as Dell, Microsoft, Lenovo, and Acer raise prices. And if you qualify for the $599 education pricing (unfortunately, Apple has cracked down on the requirements), don't overthink this one.

Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)

$689.99 at Amazon

Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD)

$689.99 at Amazon

UPDATE: Jun. 14, 2026, 5:00 a.m. EDT We updated our MacBook Neo review after conducting addtional testing.

UPDATE: Mar. 11, 2026, 11:18 a.m. EDT We replaced one of the images in this review to correct a photo-editing mistake.

How to watch NFL preseason games: Streaming guide

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:04 +0000

How to watch the 2026 NFL preseason at a glance:

ESPN Unlimited

$299.99/year (save $59.89)

YouTube TV Sports

free 10-day trial, then $54.99/month for 12 months (save $120)

ESPN Unlimited + NFL+ Premium bundle

$39.99/month (save $4.99/month)

Fubo Sports

$54.99/month for 1 month (save $10)

NFL+ Premium

$79.99/year (save $20)

While preseason might not bring all the action of the regular season, which kicks off in September, it does give football fans a glimpse into the new talent pool for 2026. You'll see the 2026 NFL Draft Class take the field in hopes of earning starting spots on each team. And, of course, scout players for your fantasy team and build up excitement for the best time of year.

Watching live sports, particularly football, is exceedingly complicated in the streaming era. Yes, that even includes the preseason schedule. So, I've done the grunt work for you and broken down the necessary details you need to know to tune in. Here's a handy watch guide for the 2026 NFL preseason so you don't miss out on your team's early exhibition games.

When is the 2026 NFL preseason?

The 2026 NFL preseason begins with the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 6 at 8 p.m. ET, featuring the Carolina Panthers vs. the Arizona Cardinals. The official preseason schedule then runs from Aug. 13 through Aug. 29, with the regular season kicking off on Sept. 9.

How to watch NFL preseason games live

There are 48 games total in the 2026 NFL preseason schedule; 32 of those games will be broadcast on either ESPN/ ESPN Unlimited or NFL Network. The other games will be dispersed between Prime Video and your local CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox stations.

The good news is all of these networks will also carry regular season games. So, if you make the investments now in your streaming lineup, you'll be set for the full NFL season. The bad news is, you'll need at least a couple different subscriptions to watch your home team. While there are a number of different ways to gain access to every game, I recommend one of two options. You can buy a digital antenna for access to local networks (CBS, NBC, Fox) and sign up for subscriptions to ESPN with NFL Network and Prime Video. Or you can sign up for a live TV streaming service like YouTube TV or Fubo to get access to local networks as well as ESPN and NFL Network in most markets. Unfortunately, you'll still need to sign up for Prime Video separately if you're not already a Prime member. Make note that blackout restrictions apply to local broadcasts, just as they do in the regular season. To access out-of-market preseason games, you'll need an NFL+ subscription.

Note: The only preseason game on Prime Video is the Aug. 27 matchup between the Cleveland Browns and the New England Patriots. Feel free to skip the Prime Video subscription for preseason if you don't care about this game.

Let's break down what those two options would cost you.

Option 1: Digital antenna + ESPN/NFL Network + Prime Video

Digital antenna options and prices vary depending on the range. Do a quick search of how far you live from your local TV stations by miles, and be sure to grab an antenna that has a range of at least that far. Mashable's sister site, PCMag, has some recommendations if you need help in your search. On average, you're looking at about a $30 to $40 purchase. That will grant you access to local games on Fox, CBS, and NBC. In order to access the 32 games on ESPN and NFL Network, you'll need an ESPN Unlimited subscription with the NFL+ Premium add-on (scroll down to the "Looking for more?" section on the ESPN website). This will cost you $39.99 per month for the bundle. Throw Prime Video into the mix for $8.99 per month, and you have a grand total of around $80 to $90 for a month. After your initial investment in the digital antenna, however, that price will go down to just $49 per month for the ESPN bundle and Prime Video, making this a better deal in the long run.

Option 2: Live TV streaming service + Prime Video

Another smart option to watch preseason NFL games is to sign up for a live TV streaming service like YouTube TV. Recently, YouTube TV added a more affordable Sports Plan, which grants you access to NBC, CBS, FOX, NFL Network, and ESPN — all of the networks you'll need for the preseason. It'll only cost you $54.99 per month for your first year, which is a pretty solid deal. All you'll need in addition to the YouTube TV Sports Plan is a Prime Video subscription for $8.99. That brings the grand total to $64 for a month.

The best streaming deals for the 2026 NFL preseason

Credit: ESPN

ESPN Unlimited

$29.99/month

ESPN Unlimited costs $29.99 per month, but you can save $59.89 by signing up for a full year at $299.99. Unfortunately, if you want to bundle it with NFL+ Premium for the ultimate football streaming package, you'll have to stick with the monthly plan. However, you'll save about $5 per month on the bundle deal.

ESPN Unlimited deals:

ESPN Unlimited annual subscription — $299.99/year ~~$359.88/year~~ (save $59.89/year)
ESPN Unlimited and NFL+ Premium — $39.99/month ~~$44.98/month~~ (save $4.99/month)
Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited bundle — $35.99/month ~~$53.97/month~~ (save $17.98/month)
ESPN Unlimited and Fox One bundle — $39.99/month ~~$49.98/month~~ (save $9.99/month)

Credit: YouTube TV

YouTube TV Sports plan

free 10-day trial, then $54.99/month for your first year

We're big fans of YouTube TV's massive 100+ channel lineup, which includes nearly all of the networks you'll need to tune into the NFL preseason live. We're even bigger fans of the 10-day free trial offer. We're not so thrilled with the full price of the Base Plan, however, so we recommend going for the new Sports Plan.

YouTube TV will cost you $67.99 per month for your first three months of the Base Plan, then $82.99 per month thereafter. The Sports Plan, on the other hand, is just $54.99 per month for your first 12 months and $64.99 per month thereafter.

YouTube TV deals:

YouTube TV Sports — free 10-day trial, $54.99/month for your first year ~~$64.99/month~~ (save $120)
YouTube TV Base — free 10-day trial, $67.99/month for your first 3 months ~~$82.99/month~~ (save $45)

Honorable mention live TV streaming deal:

Fubo Sports — $54.99/month for 1 month ~~$64.99/month~~ (save $10)

Credit: NFL+

NFL+ Premium annual plan

$79.99
$99.99 Save $20

*Best for out-of-market preseason games*

If you're a fan of a non-local team, you'll need an NFL+ plan to watch out-of-market preseason games. Fortunately, NFL+ is running a preseason deal just in the nick of time. Save 20% on an annual plan to NFL+ or NFL+ Premium and catch your favorite team on your mobile devices. Of course, if you're already an ESPN Unlimited subscriber, the best deal is to bundle it with NFL+ Premium for an extra $10 (see above).

Note: Though you can watch out-of-market preseason games, you'll only be able to watch your local in-market games during the regular season with NFL+. I don't know why and I don't make the rules, but it's something to consider.

NFL+ deals:

NFL+ — $39.99/year ~~$49.99/year~~ (save $10)
NFL+ Premium — $79.99/year ~~$99.99/year~~ (save $20)

House of the Dragons Fabien Frankel reveals a detail from Criston Coles death that was years in the making

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Farewell, Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel).

House of the Dragon's most-hated knight came to the end of his prolonged death march in Season 3, when he took three arrows to the chest and face. But before he met his unceremonious fate, he proved why he called himself the realm's greatest warrior, killing at least 10 enemy soldiers over the course of a brutal ambush.

Even though Criston makes mincemeat of several Rivermen, Frankel never wanted the fight to feel like a walk in the park.

"The big thing I found with all those fight scenes in general, in medieval-adjacent films, [is that] everyone always looks like it's so easy, and I wanted him to look exhausted," Fabien Frankel told Mashable Entertainment Reporter Belen Edwards in a Say More interview.

He continued: "They've been on the road for so long, and we really worked super hard, me and the stunt team, to build the beats in where you find him exhausted, where you find him out of breath."

Criston's rising exhaustion is just one of the many stories House of the Dragon spins throughout the fight scene. Another has to do with Criston's weapons of choice. He begins the fight with a flail, the very same weapon he uses against Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) in their tourney fight in House of the Dragon's very first episode. Later, he picks up a sword, reminiscent of his days in the Kingsguard and as a commander. He also pulls a dagger on his enemies, and this particular dagger is one that Frankel has been eager to use since Season 1.

In Season 1, Criston tries to stab himself with that same dagger, before a young Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey) stops him. He's been carrying around that dagger at his back ever since.

"I had this dagger for a long time, and I wanted to find a reason to use it because it's unbelievably uncomfortable," Frankel said.

Enter Criston's last stand at the Butcher's Ball.

"We were looking for a few extra beats in the fight, and I was like, 'Guys, this is the moment, and the dagger has to come out now,'" Frankel said. "We had that amazing beat, which was so cool. They choreographed that so well, and the weapon progression was really joyful to do."

Watch Mashable's full interview with Frankel above.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes premiering Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

Stop trading blind: The 5 most valuable MTG cards from every current Standard set

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Magic: The Gathering has produced plenty of expensive trading cards over its long history, but you do not need to dig through sets from the 1990s to find singles worth hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars.

The current Standard format (used for competitive MTG) stretches from 2023’s Wilds of Eldraine through to Marvel Super Heroes, covering traditional Magic planes alongside Universes Beyond crossovers such as Final Fantasy, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Even among these relatively new collections, you can find enough expensive chase cards to fully fund a pension plan and then some.

With that, we’ve checked the top five leading cards from every Standard-legal set using TCGplayer market prices — including those sporting alternate artwork, premium foil aesthetics, and coveted serialized versions. Just like with the most valuable Pokémon cards in the modern TCG, Magic prices can change as more copies are opened and sold, but these are the five most valuable chase cards right now.

Wilds of Eldraine

Wilds of Eldraine is one of the more affordable Standard expansions at the upper end, with none of its five leading cards currently stretching far beyond $50:

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan sits at the opposite end of the scale to Wild of Eldraine. Not only are its top five cards dominated by rare borderless Cavern of Souls variants, but the most valuable version carries a market price of roughly $4,900:

Murders at Karlov Manor

Murders at Karlov Manor’s biggest cards have been dominated by serialized versions of familiar Ravnica characters:

Outlaws of Thunder Junction

Outlaws of Thunder Junction is considerably cheaper than many of the sets that came before and after. That’s slightly surprising, given Bristly Bill, Spine Sower, and Terror of the Peaks account for four of its five leading cards:

Outlaws of Thunder Junction: The Big Score

The Big Score was released inside Outlaws of Thunder Junction boosters, pushing the wider set’s value much higher than one might normally expect. Its Raised Foil Vaultborn Tyrant and Sword of Wealth and Power sit very comfortably above the main expansion’s biggest pulls, with market prices well over $200 and $150, respectively:

Bloomburrow

Bloomburrow's animal-focused setting might be an approachable set to dive into, but its most desirable Raised Foils carry some seriously high prices:

Duskmourn: House of Horror

Duskmourn: House of Horror has a strong collection of premium cards without reaching the four-figure price brackets of Standard’s biggest releases:

Foundations

Magic: The Gathering’s Foundations offers plenty of recognizable Magic staples, and its Fracture Foil treatments have ended up becoming very high value in terms of chase cards:

Aetherdrift

Aetherdrift's most valuable cards are relatively cheap compared to other expansions released around the same time. Radiant Lotus and Loot, the Pathfinder lead through their Fracture Foil treatments, but neither currently reaches much beyond $140:

Tarkir: Dragonstorm

Tarkir: Dragonstorm was released with one enormous chase card separating it from almost everything else in the expansion. The serialized Mox Jasper carries a market price of roughly $1,757, putting it more than $1,200 ahead of the Halo Foil Ugin, Eye of the Storms:

Final Fantasy

Magic: The Gathering’s Final Fantasy expansion was one of the most anticipated trading card releases in a long while — and is now one of the most expensive by far. Unsurprisingly, for those who kept up with MTG Final Fantasy at launch, all five of the most valuable chase cards are the Traveling Chocobo variants:

Edge of Eternities

Edge of Eternities mixes a single four-figure showstopper with several more moderately priced Fracture Foils. Leading the top five by far is the Singularity Foil version of Sothera, the Supervoid, with a market price of over $1,200, while Icetill Explorer drops to around $348 in second place:

Marvel’s Spider-Man

Marvel’s Spider-Man unexpectedly included a high-priced Infinity Stone sitting at the top of its rankings, with the borderless Soul Stone carrying a market value of nearly $1,700:

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Magic: The Gathering’s Avatar: The Last Airbender expansion brought the iconic Nickelodeon series’ bending to the tabletop and has one of Standard’s most valuable collections of premium treatments:

Lorwyn Eclipsed

Lorwyn Eclipsed returned to the land of light and shadow with a noticeably smaller gap between its premium pulls and the rest of the expansion. Bloom Tender leads through its Fracture Foil treatment at approximately $356, followed by Moonshadow at just under $150:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles emerged from the sewers and became another heavyweight Universes Beyond release, largely thanks to its beautiful Gold-Stamped borderless cards:

Secrets of Strixhaven

Secrets of Strixhaven has perhaps the most uneven top end of any expansion on this list. Its serialized Double Rainbow Foil Emeritus of Ideation is valued at approximately $2,900, but the second-place card sits at only around $18:

Marvel Super Heroes

Magic: The Gathering’s fun Marvel Super Heroes expansion closes out the current Standard lineup with another hugely valuable Infinity Stone:

T-Mobile is giving away the Apple iPhone 17 for free — claim yours this weekend

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Get the iPhone 17 for free when you switch to T-Mobile and bring your number on an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan.

Credit: Apple

T-Mobile: Apple iPhone 17 for free

Switch to T-Mobile and bring your number on an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan.

While Samsung continues to dominate the news cycle with its latest wave of foldables and smart glasses, we can't simply ignore Apple.

With memory costs creeping up under global RAMageddon supply squeezes, getting your hands on the latest iPhone usually requires a steep upfront cost. However, T-Mobile is cutting through the noise with a major carrier deal: you can score an Apple iPhone 17 for free right now when you switch networks. The best bit? Unlike most promotions that force you to trade something in to qualify, this offer bucks that trend.

To qualify for this promotion, you simply need to switch to T-Mobile and bring your number on an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan.

T-Mobile finances the $829.99 device balance over 24 months, then applies an equal monthly bill credit to cancel out that fee. You are responsible for local sales tax on the full pre-credit price plus T-Mobile’s standard $35 device connection charge due at checkout. This is a 24-month carrier agreement. If you cancel the service, switch to another plan, or leave T-Mobile before the 24-month period is up, the remaining unpaid device balance becomes due immediately.

If you’re still clutching an iPhone 12 or iPhone 13, you’re missing out on Apple’s most transformative generational leap in years. The iPhone 17 is the first base-model handset built to run Apple Intelligence features without lag. Check out our review for a more detailed breakdown.

If you’re already planning to switch carriers or want a premium unlimited plan with high-speed data, grabbing Apple’s latest flagship for free without giving up your old phone is a no-brainer upgrade.

Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 this weekend and get a free $50 Amazon gift card

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000

SAVE $50: You can pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 bundled with a $50 Amazon gift card for $379.99.

Credit: Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 + $50 Gift Card

Samsung Unpacked brought the usual overwhelming wave of new gear — new Samsung phones, new watches, and even Samsung Galaxy Glasses — because, apparently, Samsung decided to surprise everyone.

Here's where it gets good: Amazon is currently bundling the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 with a free $50 gift card. Pre-order now and it'll ship Aug. 7. It's not just a good preorder deal — it's a good preorder deal with a little something extra tucked in for later.

Once it's on your wrist, the Watch 9 tracks your vitals while you sleep and flags anything that's off from your normal patterns, so you get a heads-up on anything that might need your attention. There's also a Fitness Index feature that adjusts its coaching based on what you're training for, whether that's building endurance for a hike or just getting stronger.

The AI assistant skips the wake word entirely — just raise your wrist and start talking, and it's already listening. And instead of making you check five different health stats separately, the watch combines sleep, BMI, activity, and vascular load into one Heart Health Score that tells you how your heart's doing at a glance.

Quick note on the gift card: you'll need to select the gift card bundle variation at checkout to get it, and the offer ends Aug. 6 — a day before the watch even ships. So if you want that $50 gift card, grab the Galaxy Watch 9 asap.

Pay once, use it forever — MS Office 2024 Pro Plus is just $55 for a limited time

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Get Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus for just $54.99 (reg. $249.99) and own Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and Access with a lifetime license for one PC.

Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus for Windows: Lifetime License

$54.99
$249.99 Save $195

So many of us are happy with Microsoft’s classic Office apps, but less enthusiastic about recurring software payments. That’s what makes this version worth a closer look.

Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus is available for $54.99 for a limited time. Instead of signing up for an ongoing Microsoft 365 subscription, you’ll get a lifetime license tied to one Windows PC. That’s also why this version costs less than account-based Office licenses — it’s licensed to a specific device rather than your Microsoft account.

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Inside the suite are the apps many people rely on every day:

Word for document creation and editing
Excel for spreadsheets and analysis
PowerPoint for presentations
Outlook for email
OneNote for note-taking
Access for database management

Office 2024 Professional Plus is designed with long-term stability in mind. Rather than frequent feature changes, it focuses on reliable performance, a streamlined interface with Dark Mode support, enhanced security features, and compatibility with Windows 10 and Windows 11.

This makes it a practical choice for professionals, small businesses, students, or anyone who prefers software they can install once and continue using without worrying about another monthly charge.

One important detail: this license is device-linked, not Microsoft account-linked. Once activated, it’s tied to the Windows PC where it’s installed.

Get Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus for Windows for $54.99 (reg. $249.99) and enjoy a lifetime license with no ongoing subscription fees.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Unlock ChatGPT, Gemini, and other AI models for life for a one-time $70 — only today

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Get the 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan for just $69.97 through Aug. 9 and bring leading AI models and other tools into one lifetime workspace.

Credit: 1minAI

1min.AI Advanced Business Plan Lifetime Subscription

$69.97
$540 Save $470.03

AI subscriptions aren’t cheap, but it’s manageable if you only use one model like ChatGPT. However, if you need tools for generating images, writing copy, analyzing documents, or translating between languages, a platform like 1min.AI is a more viable option.

1min.AI gives you lifetime access to some of the most popular AI tools, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Mistral, and many others. It’s also only $69.97 for a lifetime subscription through today (reg. $540).

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1min.AI runs in your browser and pulls a ton of everyday work into one place. You can research keywords, draft blog posts, rewrite and shorten text, generate social posts, and keep a consistent brand voice across projects.

There are tools to summarize or translate documents, chat with multiple PDFs at once, and spin up slide presentations. For visuals, you can generate images from prompts, upscale low-resolution pictures, remove backgrounds, extend edges, or turn rough sketches into cleaner artwork.

Here’s a small sample of the AI models you’ll get access to:

GPT-5.5 Pro, GPT-5.4 Pro (OpenAI)
Claude 4.1 Opus, Claude 4.5 Sonnet, Claude 4.6 Sonnet (Anthropic)
Gemini 2.5 Flash, Gemini 3.1 Pro
Llama 3
Mistral models

The Advanced Business Plan includes 4,000,000 credits each month, plus the chance to earn up to 450,000 more through daily logins and other tasks. Credits are shared across writing, images, audio, and video, so you can lean harder on whichever tools you need that month.

The plan supports up to 20 members, with shared workspaces, an unlimited prompt library, unlimited storage, and unlimited brand voices. If you don’t use all your credits, they just roll over, so you aren’t missing out if you have a lighter month.

It’s currently only $69.97 (reg. $540) to get a 1min.AI lifetime subscription, but that’s only through today, Aug. 9, at 11:59 pm PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

The best hookup apps for 2026: I swiped until my thumb hurt

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000

In the age of on-demand everything, it’s no surprise that we can get "dates" (and I use that term loosely) with the tap of a button. Thanks to classic hookup apps like Tinder and newcomers like Pure, finding a sexy new friend can be as straightforward as ordering a pizza. As for the quality? That’s about the same as your pizza — hit or miss, depending on the time of day, where you're located, and how hungry you are.

Fortunately, you’ve got me, your resident dating app expert (though I prefer modern-day Carrie Bradshaw), to guide you to the promised land, aka the best hookup apps.

I’ve spent the past three years (yes, years) researching, downloading, and testing dozens of the top dating apps to find the best ones for all kinds of daters, including the one-night-stand crowd. From discreet sexting apps to dating sites for serious relationships, I've swiped through them all. I also consulted a helpful panel of sex and relationship experts to make sure my picks are solid.

How to get the most out of hookup apps

My number one rule is to be brutally honest about what you want. Are you here for a good time? Own it. That means staying in your lane; don't go looking for a one-night stand on an app like eharmony.

"Hookup apps help prevent situations where people are on mainstream dating sites with the intention of having a casual hookup but are unclear about these intentions," Suzannah Weiss, resident sexologist for Biird and author of Subjectified: Becoming a Sexual Subject, tells Mashable. "They also give women a space to be openly sexual creatures without judgment."

And here's a little secret I picked up from Alexander Liebisch, the CEO and founder of TinderProfile.ai: Timing is everything. He found that people messaging on Tinder's "free tonight" feature after 10 p.m. on a weekend had a 45 percent higher chance of hooking up.

So, whether you're looking for a one-night stand, a regular FWB situation, or just a space to explore your sexuality, I've got you covered. Based on all my hands-on testing and expert consultations, I’ve broken down the best hookup app for every type of person and mood.

Recent updates to this guide

Hinge: Hinge just keeps getting better, so I’ve bumped it up higher on my list as of October 2025. In our most recent update in July 2026, it still earns the top spot. Its user base is growing, and my own recent tests on the app have been surprisingly positive.
Sniffies (added September 2025): I've added Sniffies, the map-based app for queer men, because it's been gaining a lot of traction. (It got a little too spicy for Apple and was pulled from the App Store, so it's now technically a dating site.) Don't say I didn't warn you about the NSFW content.
FetLife (added September 2025): FetLife is my new favorite "Honorable Mention." It's not your typical hookup app; it's more of a social network for the kink community (and, oddly enough, the best hookup app for gamers). Just remember: it's a community, so don't treat it like Tinder.
Plenty of Fish (removed January 2025): POF went through a rebrand recently, and honestly, I'm not impressed. My latest tests showed they got rid of key features like free messaging for non-matches, and I kept running into the same old profiles.
Match (removed August 2025): I know some people say they've found casual hookups on Match, but that's not what it's for. Match is where you go to find a serious, long-term relationship, and I still recommend it for that. But for a hookup? You're just fishing in the wrong pond.

Why some popular hookup apps didn't make the cut

You might notice a few apps that pop up in ads or other lists are missing here. That’s intentional. I swipe through the good, the bad, and the downright sketchy so you don’t have to. For an app to make my list, it has to be effective, safe, and worth your time.

Here's a shortlist of apps that didn't make the cut this year:

Wild: You’ve probably seen ads for this one. On paper, Wild sounds like the perfect casual dating app. In practice, the paywalls are aggressive, the distance filter doesn't work, and you have to pay for anything that's even remotely useful. Unless you're willing to spend serious cash upfront (and hope for the best), the experience feels limited compared to more open apps like Tinder.
DOWN: This app (formerly "Bang With Friends") is known for its simple "Get Down" vs. "Get Date" feature. It sounds clever, but in reality, the experience is messy at best. Many users report feeling scammed by subscriptions that don't deliver matches, or finding that the few real people on there are... let's say "odd." It’s hard to recommend an app when the main user complaint is "Is anyone real?" Hard pass.
Facebook Dating: Yes, Facebook has a dating section, and it’s surprisingly massive (and completely free, which is huge). While it's a decent option for casual dating, the vibe tends to be a bit more "friends of friends" and "relationship-focused" than the anonymous, no-strings energy you get from apps like Pure or Feeld. (For Mashable's Chance Townsend, signing up was "the most uneventful dating experience" of his life.) It's worth a shot if you're already on Facebook, but it didn't quite crack my top tier for hookups specifically.

Theres still time to pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 with a free $350 Amazon gift card

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 08:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Get the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 (256GB, unlocked) for $1,899.99 at Amazon and get a free $350 Amazon gift card bundled in — no trade-in required.

Credit: Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 + $350 Gift Card

Samsung's Unpacked event didn't hold back — new Samsung phones, new watches, and even Samsung Galaxy Glasses all landed within the same event. With that much new hardware announced at once, it can take some digging to figure out which deal on which device is actually worth your money.

Amazon is currently bundling the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 with a free $350 gift card, no trade-in or discount code needed — just the phone at $1,899.99 with the gift card tacked on.

Unfolded, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 turns into a mini tablet for watching movies and reading books. Whatever you're watching looks immersive on the big screen, and Samsung claims it's the lightest fold they've made yet, so you're not lugging around a brick to get there.

Folded back up, it handles texting and everyday use just like a normal phone. The display also claims the title of the brightest screen on any Galaxy phone, so glare from being outside won't ruin your movie or your doomscrolling session.

On the camera side, you get a 50-megapixel dual camera setup paired with the screen, so you can see your shot clearly before and after you take it. If you're filming something chaotic, Super Steady Video with Horizontal Lock keeps the shot leveled even if you're not.

However, the gift card isn't instant here — you'll get an email once it's available after the phone ships. The offer runs through Aug. 6, so pre-ordering sooner gets you in before the window closes.

Grab the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 (256GB, unlocked) at Amazon to claim your bonus.

Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on August 1

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 04:00:00 +0000

The Moon is now well into its waning phase, gradually appearing less full as it moves closer to the New Moon. Here's what you can still see on its surface tonight.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Saturday, Aug. 1, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon phase is in Waning Gibbous phase, with 93% of its surface visible.

Without visual aids, tonight you should still be able to see the Mare Tranquillitatis, Copernicus Crater, and the Tycho Crater. If you have binoculars will help you see the Alphonsus Crater, Endymion Crater, and the Clavius Crater. Pull out your telescope (if you have one) to see see all clearer, plus the Apollo 14 landing spot, the Rupes Altai, and the Linne Crater.