Mashable

Fitbit trackers and Garmin smartwatches are down to their lowest price ever ahead of Prime Day

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:53:43 +0000

Best early Prime Day fitness tracker deals

Best fitness tracker deal

Fitbit Charge 6

$99.95 (Save $60)

Best smartwatch deal

Garmin Epix Pro (47mm)

$499.99 (Save $500)

Best Apple Watch Deal

Apple Watch Series 11 (42mm)

$299 (Save $100)

Best Samsung Galaxy deal

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (44mm)

$289.99 (Save $90)

Prime Day deals can be totally overwhelming with the sheer volume of products on sale, but the smartest way to shop is to go for what you really need. If you've been in the market for a new fitness tracker, just in time to hit your summer fitness goals, Prime Day is the best time to buy.

Right now there are a wealth of fitness trackers and smartwatches on sale. Find Fitbits, Garmin smartwatches, and Apple Watches all on sale for their lowest price ever ahead of Prime Day. That's some stellar savings a week before Prime Day has even kicked off.

Best early Prime Day fitness tracker deal

Credit: Fitbit

Fitbit Charge 6

$99.95 at Amazon
$159.95 Save $60.00

Fitbits are one of the OG fitness trackers, helping people get on their feet and stay active. The Charge 6 displays your daily steps and heart rate. It automatically detects activity and can even link to compatible exercise machines to display your heart rate. And right now, the Fitbit Charge 6 is 38% off ahead of Prime Day.

Grab it for just $99.95 and save $60 off its $159.95 list price. This early Prime Day deal also brings the Charge 6 down to its lowest price ever.

More fitness tracker deals

Fitbit Sense 2 — $199.94 ~~$249.95~~ (save $50.01)
Fitbit Inspire 3 — $79.95 ~~$99.95~~ (save $20)

Best early Prime Day smartwatch deal

Credit: Garmin

Garmin Epix Pro (47mm)

$499.99 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $500

Garmin smartwatches are a staple among runners who want elite GPS tracking alongside health monitoring. The Garmin Epix Pro is usually a big investment at $999.99, but ahead of Prime Day, it's been cut in half, down to just $499.99, saving you $500.

It has 1.3-inch always on AMOLED display with a built-in LED flashlight. It's for true endurance athletes, providing a hill score for big climbs and endurance scores as you train. For a complete picture of your health, it'll monitor your health 24/7, providing pulse ox and HRV status.

Grab it now ahead of Prime Day for its lowest price ever.

More smartwatch deals

CMF by Nothing Watch 3 Pro — $61.75 ~~$99~~ (save $37.25)
Garmin Vivoactive 5 — $189.99 ~~$299.99~~ (save $110)
Apple Watch SE 2 (44mm) — $249 ~~$279~~ (save $30)
Garmin Vivoactive 6 — $249.99 ~~$299.99~~ (save $50)
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (40mm) — $289.99 ~~$349.99~~ (save $60)
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (44mm) — $289.99 ~~$379.99~~ (save $90)
Apple Watch Series 11 (42mm) — $299 ~~$399~~ (save $100)
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (47mm) — $549.99 ~~$649.99~~ (save $100)
Garmin Venu X1 — $599.99 ~~$697~~ (save $97.01)
Garmin Forerunner 970 — $649.99 ~~$749.99~~ (save $100)
Apple Watch Ultra 3 (49mm) — $699.99 ~~$799~~ (save $99.01)

macOS 27 beta seemingly confirms touchscreen MacBook is on its way

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:48:57 +0000

In 2007, Apple introduced a lot of folks to the idea of a cell phone with a touchscreen. Since then, a ton of laptops have shipped with touch support, but Apple has avoided doing the same with MacBooks. It seems like that trend will end soon.

Bloomberg's resident Apple guru Mark Gurman did some analysis of the latest batch of Apple software betas and found evidence of touchscreen support coming to at least one future MacBook model. Specifically, the developer beta for macOS 27 Golden Gate features things like support for pull-to-refresh (like how you refresh social media feeds on an iPhone), as well as a pill-shaped Siri interface that looks a lot like the iPhone's Dynamic Island feature.

These are small things, but they're part of a longer trend of evidence piling up for a touchscreen MacBook.

A recent leak out of China, for example, said it was definitely happening, while Gurman has also previously reported on the topic. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much in the way of specific info about this laptop, such as price, release date, or any other unique features it might have. But Gurman did call it a MacBook Pro in a previous report, so it might not be one of the cheaper models. (Remember: Apple is also rumored to be working on a high-end MacBook Ultra.)

Currently, the MacBook line includes the new MacBook Neo, the Air, and the Pro.

20+ trading card deals to shop before Prime Day — save on Pokémon TCG, Magic, One Piece, and more

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:39:17 +0000

Amazon’s Prime Day sale is fast approaching, with deals on popular trading cards like MTG and Pokémon already live.

Mashable regularly tracks the best deals from Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon, plus other collectable cards like One Piece and KPop Demon Hunters. And this sale season is no different — we’re expecting more deals to go live as we get closer to Prime Day’s official launch date of June 23.

These are the best early Prime Day trading card deals we’ve found.

Best trading card deal

Credit: Magic: The Gathering

Magic: The Gathering Avatar The Last Airbender Jumpstart Booster Box

$73.70 at Amazon
$91.99 Save $18.29

Why we like it

After becoming one of our highlighted deals earlier this week, Amazon's dropping Magic: The Gathering’s 24-pack Avatar: The Last Airbender Jumpstart Booster Box to only $73.70 (20% off its standard $91.86). It's still the very best trading card deal ahead of Amazon’s Prime Day sale today.

Dropped to its lowest price ever on Amazon, confirmed via price tracker camelcamelcamel, this deal has been selling incredibly fast (68% claimed at the time of writing), but is still very much worth grabbing while you still can.

Even going lower than the Avatar Jumpstart Box’s market price and listings on TCGplayer, this $18.16 saving means you’re only paying $3.07 per pack. With that, this is one of the most budget-friendly ways to enter into either this expansion or Magic: The Gathering altogether.

After all, the Jumpstart format makes Magic incredibly accessible and simple to start — having you ready to play just by opening two packs and shuffling them together.

At the time of writing, any buyer can get delivery by Sunday, June 21, but Prime members can get theirs delivered as soon as tomorrow, June 17.

More early Prime Day trading card deals

Canopy introduces Sound Machine + Aroma, and its already helping me sleep better

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:34:54 +0000

Canopy is best known for its stylish small home gadgets, including its iconic humidifiers. On June 16, the brand announced a new product offering: The Sound Machine + Aroma. It's a 3-in-1 sleep device that combines sleep sounds, a night light, and aromatherapy diffusion.

The Canopy Sound Machine + Aroma retails for $69 and comes in white, moonstruck, cream, lavender, and jade.

Canopy Sound Machine + Aroma specs and settings

Sleep sounds: 15, including white noise, brown noise, ocean waves, and rain
Volume levels: 10
Battery life: 15 hours
Night light colors: Red, white
Aroma levels: 2
Timers: 30, 60, 90 minutes

Choose red or white light to wind down for bed or keep the monsters away. Credit: Miller Kern / Mashable

Canopy Sound Machine + Aroma first impressions

I live in New York City, so you'd think my sleep is interrupted by loud noises all night, but I actually have the opposite problem. My street is incredibly quiet overnight, which means any time there is a noise — like my upstairs neighbors' creaking floorboards — I'm super aware of it. I can't sleep in dead quiet, so I've used different sound machines for years (my Echo Spot, and more recently the Babelio sound machine).

I've only used the Canopy Sound Machine + Aroma for four nights, but I can already tell it's going to earn a permanent spot on my nightstand. I prefer brown noise to white noise, and the Canopy's brown noise setting is perfect. Some of the programmed sounds are definitely geared toward babies, like shushing and lullabies, and I don't see myself ever using those. But there are enough white noise and nature soundscapes that I will use to justify the device's price.

I have a Vitruvi essential oil diffuser, which I love, but it's not the quietest while running. So I've been enjoying the absolutely silent aromatherapy from Canopy. I just squeeze a few drops of my lavender and peppermint oils, and the scents are diffused throughout the night.

The front of the device houses controls for power, light, aroma diffusion, timer, settings lock, sound selection, and volume. Credit: Miller Kern / Mashable

Open the back of the device to access the aromatherapy diffuser. Credit: Miller Kern / Mashable

I'm not a night light gal, but I do like to wind down the evening with soft, dim lighting. The red and white built-in lights are soothing and not at all too bright. You are able to adjust the brightness as well.

The 15-hour battery life means I get two nights' worth of use out of the Canopy Sound Machine + Aroma before having to recharge. I can also leave it on the charger overnight to avoid a lapse in my precious brown noise.

It's only been a few nights, but so far, I'm impressed. The Canopy Sound Machine + Aroma is stylish, portable, and packed with great sleep tools. I would absolutely spend my own money on this.

Credit: Canopy

Canopy Sound Machine + Aroma

$69 at Canopy

Kitchen deals live at Amazon ahead of Prime Day: Save on air fryers, ice cream makers, espresso machines

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:12:49 +0000

A quick look at the best Amazon kitchen deals ahead of Prime Day

Best air fryer deal

Oster Dual Air Fryer Oven (11-quart)

$99.99 at Amazon (save $99.88)

Best ice cream maker deal

Black+Decker Ice Cream Maker

$129.99 at Amazon (save $90)

Best blender deal

Ninja Kitchen System

$129.99 at Amazon (save $90)

Warm weather has a way of inspiring us in the kitchen. Whether we're trying to recreate a delicious dish from vacation or recreate the vibes of an outdoor happy hour at home, summer is a great time to upgrade your kitchen gadget lineup. And Prime Day is a great time to buy the kitchen gadget you've been eyeing on sale.

Prime Day 2026 will officially run from June 23 to 26, but kitchen deals from Ninja, Instant Pot, Nespresso, and more are already popping up at Amazon. We've gathered the best early deals on air fryers, blenders, coffee makers and more below, many of which match record-low pricing that we haven't seen since Amazon's spring sale.

Best Amazon kitchen deal overall

Black+Decker Ice Cream Maker

$129.99 at Amazon
$219.99 Save $90

Why we like it

We're pro Ninja frozen treat makers here at Mashable, but we're also pro dupes when we can find them. At its record-low price of $129.99, Black+Decker's ice cream maker is a solid Ninja Creami dupe to consider. It operates very similarly: Once liquid base ingredients have been mixed and frozen for 24 hours, the ice cream maker whips them into the perfect fluffy texture — regular ice cream, yogurt ice cream, and sorbet are all options. Follow the recipes in the included book or customize your own unique flavors around dietary restrictions or fun mix-ins.

More kitchen deals at Amazon

Deals on frozen drink and ice cream makers

Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker — $71.99 ~~$129.95~~ (save $40.96)
Nutribullet Chill Ice Cream Maker — $149.99 ~~$199.99~~ (save $50)
Chefman Iceman Slush-Ease Slushie Machine — $169.99 ~~$299.99~~ (save $130)

Deals on blenders

Ninja Blast Max Portable Blender — $69.95 ~~$99.99~~ (save $30.04)
Oster Extreme Mix Blender — $113.99 ~~$189.99~~ (save $302)
Ninja Kitchen System — $129.99 ~~$219.99~~ (save $90)

Deals on air fryers and pizza ovens

Instant Pot Vortex 6-in-1 — $59.99 ~~$89.99~~ (save $30)
Oster Dual Air Fryer Oven (11-quart) — $99.99 ~~$199.87~~ (save $99.88)
Instant Pot Vortex Plus XL ClearCook Double Basket — $129 ~~$189.99~~ (save $60.99)
Ninja French Door Premier Air Fry Oven — $179.95 ~~$89.99~~ (save $30)
Chefman Indoor Pizza Oven — $189.99 ~~$399.99~~ (save $210)
Ninja Foodi Smart XL 6-in-1 Indoor Grill — $199.95 ~~$299.99~~ (save $100.05)
Breville Pizzaiolo Countertop Pizza Maker — $699.95 ~~$999.95~~ (save $300)

Deals on multi-cookers

Crock-Pot Personal Electric Food Warmer (20-ounce) — $27.73 ~~$109.99~~ (save $12.26)
Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 (6-quart) — $64.99 ~~$109.99~~ (save $45)
Instant Pot Pro 10-in-1 (6-quart) — $64.99 ~~$109.99~~ (save $45)
Instant Pot Dual Action 8-in-1 Serve Together Multi-Cooker and Rice Cooker — $129.99 ~~$169.99~~ (save $40)
Ninja HyperHeat 9-in-1 (6.5-quart) — $139.99 ~~$169.99~~ (save $30)

Deals on coffee makers

Keurig K-Mini Mate — $89 ~~$109~~ (save $20)
Nespresso Vertuo Pop+ with Milk Frother — $99 ~~$129.95~~ (save $30.95)
Nespresso Vertuo Next Coffee and Espresso Maker with Milk Frother — $158.65 ~~$239.95~~ (save $81.30)
Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine — $499.95 ~~$699.95~~ (save $200)
Ninja Luxe Café Pro Espresso Machine — $599 ~~$749.99~~ (save $150.99)

Deals on cookware

Calphalon Brushed Stainless Steel Fry Pan — $33.24 ~~$49.99~~ (save $16.75)
Calphalon Brushed Stainless Steel Fry Pan and Sauce Pan Set — $84.99 ~~$119.99~~ (save $35)
Calphalon Classic Stainless Steel 10-Piece Set — $132.99 ~~$199.99~~ (save $67)

Deals on cleaning products

If You Care Compostable Reusable Sponge Clothes (5 count) — $5.05 ~~$6.43~~ (save $1.38)
Aidea Microfiber Reusable Paper Towels (50 count) — $9.99 ~~$14.99~~ (save $5)
Blueland Dishwasher Detergent Tablets (60 count) — $23.99 ~~$29.99~~ (save $6 with on-page code)
Dropps UltraWash Dishwasher Detergent Pods (120 count) — $36.23 ~~$47.46~~ (save $11.23)

Threads now has 500 million monthly users

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:04:56 +0000

When Elon Musk bought Twitter back in 2022, rebranded it to X, fired most of the staff, and significantly loosened moderation (leading to a reported increase in hate speech on the platform), it opened the door for new Twitter-like services, and Meta was one of the first to take it seriously with Threads.

The gamble appears to have paid off. On Tuesday, Meta announced that Threads now has 500 million monthly active users.

For context, X doesn't officially report the number of monthly active users it has, but estimates put it at around 560 million.

According to the company, one of the biggest growth drivers on Threads were Communities, which are groups of people engaging in conversations around certain topics. To celebrate the occasion, Meta said it's "graduating" Communities out of beta and launching several new features.

The new features include a Communities Hub, which resides in the app's main menu and makes it easier to find new communities, as well as switch between them. Communities have also gotten distinct icons, which makes them easier to recognize. Community Progress is a visual cue on how a certain topic is close to becoming a Community (topics need to reach a certain critical mass in popularity and engagement to become Communities).

This topic is close to becoming a Community. Credit: Meta

Also, more people who frequently contribute to communities are getting the community champion status. Finally, Meta is launching local Communities, starting with native language tags in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan.

Meta also launched another new feature, called Your Algo, allowing you to (privately) control which conversations you see in your feed. It's a complement to Dear Algo, which tells Threads what you want to see more or less of, but a little more granular, as you can choose whether you want this request to last one, three, or seven days (there's no permanent option, so you'll have to keep tuning this every now and then if you want it to stick).

Notably, Meta recently introduced similar algorithm controls in Instagram.

Your Algo is rolling out today in the U.S., Canada, UK, Australia, and New Zealand.

The best Pokémon deals to grab before Prime Day — Chaos Rising booster bundles hit all-time low price

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 13:47:45 +0000

Amazon’s latest Prime Day sale is almost here, steadily building up to several days of huge deals on appliances, gadgets, and, of course, offers on Pokémon cards, games, gifts, and more.

While the actual four-day Prime Day sale doesn’t kick off until June 23, Amazon is doing its usual thing and revealing plenty of deals early on to start ramping up the anticipation. Whether you're shopping for booster packs on the latest trading card game expansion or hit games on Nintendo Switch, Mashable has scoured the site and cherry-picked the best deals live right now.

Here are the best early Prime Day deals you can find on all things Pokémon.

Best Pokémon deal

Credit: The Pokémon Company

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Booster Bundle

$44.99 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $15

Why we like it

The Chaos Rising expansion has proved to be an exceptionally popular member of the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution set. The Chaos Rising Booster Bundle has just dropped to its lowest price yet ahead of Prime Day — now only $44.99 after a 25% price cut from its standard $59.99 list price.

The Chaos Rising Booster Bundle usually falls to around $48-$49 at best Now, as confirmed with price tracker camelcamelcamel, this is the lowest price we’ve seen yet.

At $44.99, this six-pack Booster Bundle means you’ll only be paying $7.49 per booster. What’s more, this is even lower than TCGplayer’s own market price of $45.29 — undercutting its best listing price of $45.98. It even beats Walmart’s price of $46.95.

Amazon’s $44.98 Chaos Rising Booster Bundle is being sold by third-party seller Collectors Expedition, but Amazon itself is handling the shipping. Although the option for returns isn’t available, this is still the best price we’ve seen on this six-pack chance to pull valuable single Chaos Rising chase cards, like SIR Mega Greninja ex, Mega Hyper Rare Mega Greninja ex, Cinccino ex, SIR Mega Dragalge ex, and SIR Mega Floette ex.

More early Prime Day Pokémon deals

Pokémon TCG

Pokémon Trading Card Game Random Sealed 3 Booster Pack Lot — $25.99 ~~$27.89~~ (7% off)
Pokemon TCG Mega Zygarde ex Premium Collection with 8 Booster Packs — $55.55 ~~$69.99~~ (21% off)
Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Elite Trainer Box — $87.42 ~~$119.99~~ (27% off)
Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Ascended Heroes Premium Poster Collection Mega Lucario — $187 ~~$199.99~~ (6% off)
Pokémon Prismatic Evolutions Elite Trainer Box — $208.85 ~~$219.99~~ (5% off)
Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Booster Display — $262 ~~$279.99~~ (6% off)

Clothing

Pikachu Bath and Beach Soft Cotton Terry Hooded Towel Wrap — $13.44 ~~$19.99~~ (33% off)
Pikachu Hoodie — $21.79 ~~$33.99~~ (36% off)

DVDs

Pokémon Movies 1-3 — $9.96 ~~$11.39~~ (13% off)

Funko Pop! figures

Ivysaur Collectable Vinyl Figure — $8.84 ~~$14.99~~ (41% off)
Pikachu Collectable Vinyl Figure — $11.91 ~~$19.99~~ (40% off)

Gifts

Pokémon Deluxe Character Guide (Pokemon Pikachu Press - Preorder) — $41.99 ~~$59.99~~ (30% off)

Video games

Pokémon Shining Pearl (Nintendo Switch) — $47.89 ~~$59.99~~ (20% off)
Pokémon Violet (Nintendo Switch) — $51.99 ~~$59.99~~ (13% off)
Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! (Nintendo Switch) — $53.99 ~~$59.99~~ (10% off)

How to watch France vs. Senegal online for free

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 13:12:59 +0000

TL;DR: Live stream France vs. Senegal in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is going to be absolutely electric. Most of the drama will be reserved for the knockout rounds, but that doesn't mean we aren't getting huge games in the group stage.

Take France vs. Senegal, for example. It's one of the favorites to win the competition against a special Senegal team that some argue won AFCON earlier this year. Could Senegal turn back the clock and beat France in the group stage like they did in the opening match of the 2002 tournament? What a story that would be.

All eyes will be on the battle between Kylian Mbappe and Sadio Mane, but there really are too many stars to name in this blockbuster matchup.

If you want to watch France vs. Senegal in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is France vs. Senegal?

France vs. Senegal in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on June 16. This fixture takes place at the MetLife Stadium.

How to watch France vs. Senegal for free

France vs. Senegal in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock BBC iPlayer to live stream the 2026 World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream France vs. Senegal for free by following these simple steps:

Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
Visit BBC iPlayer
Watch France vs. Senegal for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream France vs. Senegal (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.

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

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

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

Servers in 105 countries including the UK
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee

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

Live stream France vs. Senegal in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

Microsoft unveils new Surface Laptop 8 and Surface Pro 12 with Snapdragon X2 chips

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Microsoft has formally announced the new Surface Laptop 8 and Surface Pro 12 with Qualcomm's fresh Snapdragon X2 chips, as promised. They're available today starting at $1,599.99 and $1,499.99, respectively.

In a blog post, Microsoft said its next-gen Copilot+ PCs for consumers offer up to 58 percent and 53 percent better graphics performance than their predecessors from 2024, which ran on the original Snapdragon X series chips. Aiming to entice creative professionals, both devices will ship with the graphic design app Affinity pre-installed and pinned to their Start menus.

Shop Microsoft's new Surface devices:

Microsoft Surface Laptop 8, 13.8-inch (Snapdragon X2 Plus, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)

$1,599.99 (includes free Surface Arc Mouse through June 30)

Microsoft Surface Laptop 8, 15-inch (Snapdragon X2 Plus, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)

$1,699.99 (includes free Surface Arc Mouse through June 30)

Microsoft Surface Pro 12, 13-inch with LCD display (Snapdragon X2 Plus, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD)

$1,499.99 (includes free Surface Pro 13-inch Keyboard through June 30)

Microsoft Surface Pro 12, 13-inch with OLED display (Snapdragon X2 Elite, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)

$1,799.99 (includes free Surface Pro 13-inch Keyboard through June 30)

Speaking to Mashable, Andrew Hill, Microsoft's corporate VP of Surface, said the company's biggest priority in developing its new devices was "making sure the fundamentals are great."

"We are spending a lot of time and energy across Surface and Windows right now on fundamentals, and we should make sure that you have a bunch of that collateral, for lack of a better word, for how those investments are laddering up for reliability, responsiveness, battery life, just across the board," Hill said. "So we spent a ton of energy on those pieces."

Shoppers who purchase a Snapdragon X2-powered Surface Laptop 8 directly through Microsoft now through June 30 will receive a free Surface Arc Mouse ($89.99), and those who buy a Surface Pro 12 this month will receive a free Surface Pro 13-inch Keyboard ($169.99). If you miss the boat, you'll have to buy those accessories separately.

SEE ALSO: The 10 best Windows laptops for 2026

The new Surface devices cost roughly the same as their predecessors, which recently saw late-in-life price hikes due to the global RAM shortage. Some 2026 configurations cost $50 to $100 more than the price-adjusted 2024 versions, but others cost $50 to $100 less.

This is the second generation of Surface devices where Microsoft has earmarked Snapdragon models for consumers, despite lingering ARM compatibility issues. (The company announced Intel-powered counterparts for businesses last month.) According to Hill, this is because "We find with Qualcomm, the performance per watt and battery life is of high value."

Microsoft Surface Laptop 8: What's new (and what's not)

The 13.8-inch Surface Laptop 8 comes in a fun new "Jade" finish. Credit: Microsoft

The clamshell-style Surface Laptop 8 comes in 13.8- and 15-inch sizes like usual, and the smaller one will be available in a new Jade finish. Other options include Microsoft's standard Dune, Black, and Platinum finishes. Sorry, no more Sapphire.

Contrary to what the rumor mill has been saying, these new Windows laptops won't have OLED displays. However, the 15-inch model's 120Hz LCD touchscreen has been bumped from a 2,496 x 1,664 resolution (201 pixels per inch) to a 3,270 x 2,180 resolution (262 ppi). It's "the sharpest ever [display] on a Surface Laptop," Microsoft said. For reference, it's even crisper than the Apple MacBook Pro's Liquid Retina display.

The new Surface Laptops' haptic trackpad has added support for Windows 11's new haptic signals feature, which adds subtle vibrations to certain on-screen actions. They also have a new 1080p webcam that's been certified by a camera benchmarking site called DXOMARK as "the #1 ranked laptop camera," Microsoft said.

Configuration options for both sizes are:

CPU: Snapdragon X2 Plus or X2 Elite processor
Memory: 16GB to 64GB of RAM
Storage: 512GB to 2TB

Battery life will be the same or slightly worse in this generation. The 13.8-inch Surface Laptop 8 is rated for up to 20 hours of local video playback, while the 15-inch model is rated for up to 19 hours. Their predecessors notched ratings of up to 20 and 22 hours, respectively.

Both models still have a backlit keyboard, WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and their usual ports. The 13.8-inch model has two USB-C ports, one USB-A port, a Surface Connect port, and a headphone jack; the 15-inch model adds a MicroSDXC Express card reader.

Both 2026 Surface Laptops have the same footprints as the 2024 versions, though the 13.8-inch Surface Laptop 8 is the smallest bit heavier. It's now three pounds on the dot, up from 2.96 pounds.

Microsoft Surface Pro 12: What's new (and not)

That keyboard is an extra purchase unless you buy the Surface Pro 12 sometime this month. Credit: Microsoft

The convertible Surface Pro 12 is available in Platinum, Black, and Dune finishes. No more Sapphire here, either.

You can still choose from LCD or OLED displays, like in the previous generation. The type you pick still determines your CPU, RAM, and storage configuration options. However, the OLED model now maxes out with 64GB of RAM (up from 32GB in the Surface Pro 11):

CPU: Snapdragon X2 Plus on the LCD model; Snapdragon X2 Elite on the OLED model
Memory: 16GB RAM on the LCD model; 16GB to 64GB of RAM on the OLED model
Storage: 256GB to 512GB on the LCD model; 512GB to 1TB on the OLED model

There should be a small gen-over-gen battery life boost. The Surface Pro 11 was rated for up to 14 hours of local video playback, but this new model should tap out around 15.5 hours.

Finally, the Surface Pro 12 has the exact same weighs and measurements as its predecessor. Plus, you still get WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, two USB-C ports, a Surface Connect port, and a Surface Pro Keyboard port.

The state of Microsoft Surface

Microsoft revealed the Surface Ultra at Computex, and it launched later this year at a probably-crazy price. Credit: Microsoft

It's been a busy spring for Microsoft. In mid-April, the company raised prices on its 2024 Surface devices by up to $500, citing "recent increases in memory and component costs."

In mid-May, Microsoft unveiled new Surface for Business devices with Intel chips. (It teased the consumer-oriented Snapdragon X2 models as part of that announcement.) The 13.8-inch Surface Laptop 8 for Business has an optional integrated privacy screen, similar to the Privacy Display on the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, but the two lines' designs are otherwise identical.

Their prices are not. The flagship Surface for Business devices will start at $1,949.99 when they arrive on July 14. A more portable Surface Laptop for Business 13-inch is now available starting at $1,499.99. A lesser variant with 8GB of RAM will debut later this year, starting at $1,299.99.

At Computex in early June, Microsoft debuted the all-new Surface Ultra laptop and Surface RTX Spark Dev Box desktop PC, both with Nvidia's new RTX Spark "superchip." They're set for release sometime later this year; stay tuned for pricing, which is probably going to be bonkers.

The new Surface Laptop 8 and Surface Pro 12 aren't cheap themselves, but they're the most affordable options in the Surface lineup for now. Microsoft has yet to announce updated Snapdragon X2 versions of the 13-inch Surface Laptop and 12-inch Surface Pro, which it launched last year as cheaper, more compact alternatives to its flagship devices. That said, they arrived nearly 11 months after the Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 12 dropped, so it's probably just a matter of time before their replacements arrive.

UPDATE: Jun. 16, 2026, 10:09 a.m. EDT Spec sheets that Microsoft shared with Mashable ahead of the announcement contained inaccuracies. This story has been updated to note that both sizes of the new Surface Laptop 8 start with 512GB of storage, and to reflect that the Surface Pro 12's configuration options differ by display type.

The best Disney+ deals and bundles in June 2026

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:17:42 +0000

The best Disney+ deals and bundles in June 2026:

Best Hulu Bundle Deal

Disney+ and Hulu Bundle

Get 6 months for $11.99/month

Best HBO Max Bundle Deal

Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max Bundle

$19.99/month with ads, $32.99/month ad-free

Best ESPN Bundle Deal

Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited Bundle

$35.99/month

Whether you're looking to jump into the latest superhero saga or journey to a galaxy far, far away, Disney+ is the streaming service for you.

Home to Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and more, Disney+ offers a library that's stuffed full of shows and films to keep both adults and kids entertained. With Disney+, you can watch Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord, the second season of Daredevil: Born Again, Pixar's new movie Hoppers, and much more.

If you've had this streaming service on your radar but you're unsure which plan is the best fit for you, we've got you covered with a selection of Disney+ streaming deals. Right now, the streamer is offering six months of its ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu bundle for only $11.99 per month (which renews at $12.99 per month after six months), or six months of its ad-free plan at $17.99 per month (which will return to $19.99 per month after the six-month promotional period).

There's also the Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max package, which is a great investment for those who already watch the other two streaming services but want to cut down on costs. We've detailed all of the available bundle deals below, alongside basic information on Disney+ plans if you just want the House of Mouse's service on its own.

Best Hulu bundle deal

Credit: Disney

Disney+ and Hulu Bundle

Get 6 months of Disney+ and Hulu (With Ads) for $11.99/month, then $12.99/month

Why we like it

For those interested in the Disney+ and Hulu bundle, the streamer is offering deals on both its ad-supported and ad-free plans. For the plan with ads, new and eligible returning subscribers can lock in for six months and enjoy it for $11.99 per month before it returns to $12.99 per month. And if you're interested in going ad-free, the Premium plan is down to $17.99 per month for six months before returning to $19.99 per month.

Disney+ and Hulu Bundle — $11.99 per month for six months, then $12.99 per month
Disney+ and Hulu Bundle Premium — $17.99 per month for six months, then $19.99 per month

Best HBO Max bundle deal

Credit: Disney

Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max Bundle

$19.99/month with ads, $32.99/month ad-free

Why we like it

The Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max bundle is one of the best available at the moment. Starting at $19.99 per month, you can have three excellent streaming services right in the palm of your hand. The $19.99 per month option is for the With Ads plan, but if you'd prefer to watch your favorite content without ads, the No Ads plan comes to $32.99 per month. Compared to what you'd pay for each of these on their own, you're saving 42% with the ad-supported plan and 41% with the ad-free plan.

Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle (with ads) — $19.99 per month (save 42%)
Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle (no ads) — $32.99 per month (save 41%)

Best ESPN bundle

Credit: Disney

Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited Bundle

$35.99/month

If you're a sports fan looking to add ESPN to your bundles, you're in luck: Disney offers bundles with both ESPN Select and ESPN Unlimited. According to ESPN, "ESPN Select includes ESPN+ content only. Fans who want ESPN+ exclusively may subscribe to the ESPN Select plan. ESPN Unlimited includes all of the ESPN networks and services, including ESPN+."

The Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle, which has ads, is available for $35.99 per month. The Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited premium bundle without ads is available for $44.99 per month.

Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle — $19.99 per month
Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle Premium — $29.99 per month
Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle — $35.99 per month
Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle Premium — $44.99 per month

Best Disney+ monthly plans

Disney+ offers two standard plans if you just want the service on its own. The Disney+ ad-supported plan comes to $11.99 per month while the ad-free Disney+ Premium plan will set you back $18.99 per month or $189.99 per year if you'd rather pay annually.

Disney+ (With Ads) — $11.99 per month
Disney+ Premium (No Ads) — $18.99 per month, $189.99 per year

Disney+ has also created an "extra member" plan for people using your account that live outside of your household as they crack down on password sharing. If you're looking to add another person onto your account, you're only allowed one extra profile and can choose from the following add-on plans:

Disney+ (With Ads) — $6.99 per month
Disney+ Premium — $9.99 per month
Disney+, Hulu Bundle — $7.99 per month
Disney+, Hulu Bundle Premium — $10.99 per month
Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle — $11.99 per month
Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle Premium — $14.99 per month

There's a wealth of shows and films to check out on Disney+ after you sign up. If you want some help finding something to watch, check out our roundups of the 12 best TV shows for adults on Disney+ and the 20 best movies on Disney+ to start building out your watchlist.

New York Knicks championship parade: Parade route, time, livestream details

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:16:22 +0000

TL;DR: The New York Knicks 2026 NBA championship parade starts on Thursday, June 18 at 10 a.m. ET. If you can't make it to Lower Manhattan, you can livestream the entire celebration via FuboTV or DirecTV, both of which offer free trials for new users.

It actually happened. After a painful 53-year wait, the New York Knicks are NBA Champions.

Finals MVP Jalen Brunson put away the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5, ending the longest active championship drought among teams that had previously won an NBA title. Predictably, the city has lost its mind. Now it's time to party.

Whether you plan on skipping work to stand 10-deep on the sidewalk or want to stream the entire historic moment from the comfort of your living room, here is everything you need to know about the logistics, the route, and how to watch.

What time does the Knicks parade start?

The parade is scheduled for Thursday, June 18, 2026. The floats are set to begin rolling at exactly 10 a.m. ET.

What is the Knicks parade route?

The procession will follow New York City’s legendary Canyon of Heroes pathway in Lower Manhattan. The parade kicks off at The Battery (Bowling Green) and travels directly north along Broadway before culminating at City Hall Park.

Following the float progression, Mayor Mamdani will host a civic ceremony outside City Hall to present keys to the city to Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and the rest of the roster. Keep an eye out for Mitchell Robinson driving his own custom raised pickup truck in the parade lineup. That's the kind of unhinged energy that Knicks fans relish.

How to watch the Knicks parade from home

If you aren’t willing to brave the swarms of fans taking over the subways (we get it), you will need a reliable livestream. The parade will be broadcast locally on New York news and sports networks (including MSG Network, FOX 5, and ABC 7). If you don't have a cable box, your best bet is a live TV streaming service.

How to live stream the Knicks parade:

Our top pick for cord-cutters

FuboTV

7-day free trial

Best Alternative

DirecTV

5-day free trial

Roblox launches accounts for kids and teens globally

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000

The gaming platform Roblox rolled out Kids and Select accounts globally, the company said in a blog post Tuesday.

The account types, which Roblox previously launched in Australia, Indonesia, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, provide parents with a range of content protections depending on a user's age.

What are Roblox Kids and Select accounts?

Kids accounts are designed for five to eight-year-olds while Select accounts are for users ages nine to 15.

The platform's youngest users can only access games that Roblox has labeled as "minimal" or "mild" for their maturity, and they cannot chat by default.

Select accounts can play games rated up to moderate, which may include some violence, crude humor, and fear, as well as "light realistic blood" and "unplayable" gambling content. The chat settings for these accounts vary based on the user's age and region.

Roblox automatically places users into a specific account type based on the age-check process. Users are then automatically moved into new accounts as they grow older. Once a teen turns 16, based on Roblox's understanding of their age, they're able to access a standard Roblox account. In January, Roblox began requiring users to verify their age to unlock chat features.

"With Roblox Kids and Roblox Select, we're creating age-based protections designed to support younger users at different stages, while giving parents tools to personalize the experience for their family," Matt Kaufman, chief safety officer at Roblox, said in the company's announcement.

In addition to its existing parental controls, Roblox is expanding game blocking and chat management features to parents of teens as old as 16. Parents will also be able to approve specific games not included in their child's default account settings.

Why is Roblox being investigated and sued?

The expected development comes as Roblox remains under intense legal pressure and scrutiny. Roblox faces more than 160 cases filed by plaintiffs who say they were sexually exploited as children as a result of the platform's inadequate child safety practices. Roblox, along with the messaging platform Discord, recently requested that those claims be moved out of court into closed-door arbitration, according to Bloomberg.

In April, Roblox paid $23 million to Alabama and West Virginia to settle investigations into the company's handling of child safety. West Virginia's investigation gathered evidence that young Roblox users had been exposed to sexual and violent content, grooming, and predators, according to Reuters.

Last month, child safety organizations accused Roblox of violating Federal Trade Commission regulations that prohibit false advertising, unfair conduct, and deceptive practices, and called for an investigation into Roblox. The company disputed those claims in a statement to Mashable.

Wordle today: Answer, hints for June 16, 2026

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 11:47:39 +0000

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're always in awe.

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:

To wow.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter A appears twice.

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 A.

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...

AMAZE

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.

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for June 16, 2026

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 11:47:29 +0000

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're a healthy eater.

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.

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 categories

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

Yellow: Healthy toppings
Green: Posse
Blue: One in a million
Purple: Rings

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: Creamy salad dressings
Green: Attendants
Blue: Rare things, idiomatically
Purple: What "Hoops' might refer to

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 #1101 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

Creamy salad dressings: BLUE CHEESE, CAESAR, GREEN GODDESS, RANCH
Attendants: COURT, ENTOURAGE, RETINUE, SUITE
Rare things, idiomatically: BLACK SWAN, BLUE MOON, PERFECT STORM, UNICORN
What "Hoops' might refer to: BASKETBALL, EARRINGS, RED TAPE, RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS GEAR

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new 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? 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 June 16, 2026

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 11:47:20 +0000

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you can't wait for break time.

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: For here or to go?

The words are related to food.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe midday meals.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Whats for Lunch.

NYT Strands word list for June 16

Sandwich
Ramen
Gyro
Whats for Lunch
Salad
Wrap
Soup
Tacos

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.

Knicks Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Mike Brown thank fans on The Tonight Show

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 11:34:49 +0000

Knicks fever took over The Tonight Show on Monday, with the NBA Champions joining Jimmy Fallon for a special episode.

Following a historic win that broke the internet, NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, six-time NBA All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns, and head coach Mike Brown joined Fallon to talk winning the New York Knicks' first NBA championship since 1973.

"It hasn't sunk in yet," said Brunson. "I don't know if it will for a while. But the opportunity presented itself, we went out there as a team, we found a way to do it, fighting back all those games, and it was worth it."

The three delved into superstitions, pre-game playlists, curses, and uncurses via WWE. And they also thanked Knicks fans and acknowledged the power of their community.

"When we get the fans involved, and we give them something to cheer for, it's something special," said Towns.

Brown also gave insight into his now viral "Who Let the Dogs Out" chant, leading The Tonight Show audience into it and delightfully sending his players into a cringe spiral. "We've got to put that to bed," said Brunson.

You can watch the whole episode on Peacock or through clips on The Tonight Show's YouTube page.

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How to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup online for free

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 11:24:06 +0000

TL;DR: All 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup are available to watch for free on BBC iPlayer/ITVX. Access these free live streams from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN, which recently announced it's an Official Tournament Supporter of the event in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

It feels like the world has stopped for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

16 cities across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada are welcoming the best international sides from around the world as they compete for arguably the biggest prize in sport. Huge names like Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Lamine Yamal are likely to steal the spotlight, but new stars always shine brightly in this prestigious competition.

It's going to be a wild ride. We're still making our way through the first round of group-stage fixtures, but the likes of Mexico, USA, and Australia have already secured big victories. And Cape Verde have produced the performance of the tournament so far by snatching a 0-0 draw against Spain.

If you're interested in watching the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

What is the FIFA World Cup?

The World Cup is an international football competition between senior men's national teams. The 2026 World Cup has been expanded to 48 teams, split into 12 groups of four teams. The top two teams in each group and the eight best third-placed teams will progress to the knockout rounds.

The defending champions are Argentina. They won their third title at the 2022 World Cup after defeating France in an epic final.

When is the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

The 2026 World Cup is the 23rd edition of this famous competition. This year's tournament takes place from June 11 to July 19.

How to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free

A number of streaming platforms are offering free coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup:

Australia — SBS
Austria — ORF and ServusTV
Belgium — RTBF and VRT
France — M6
Germany — ARD and ZDF
Ireland — RTÉ
Italy — RAI
Norway — NRK
Netherlands — NOS
Spain — RTVE
UK — BBC iPlayer and ITVX (recommended)

These streaming services are geo-restricted, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in another location, meaning you can livestream the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.

If you're looking for the best VPN to stream the FIFA World Cup, ExpressVPN recently announced that it's an Official Tournament Supporter of the event in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. ExpressVPN was already our go-to recommendation for sports streaming, and now it's also the exclusive VPN supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Livestream the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free by following these simple steps:

Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
Visit BBC iPlayer or ITVX (recommended)
Watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

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

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

What is the best VPN for the FIFA World Cup?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for accessing live sports on free streaming platforms, for a number of reasons:

Servers in 105 countries
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee

Live stream the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

Jimmy Kimmel breaks down Trumps big violent birthday party UFC event

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 11:09:35 +0000

Jimmy Kimmel's monologue was very sports-focused on Monday, and after recapping the Knicks' NBA finals win he was forced to turn his attention to Donald Trump's White House UFC 250 event.

"We had a sporting event that didn't bring people together this weekend, Donald Trump's big, violent birthday party, the UFC fight at the White House," says Kimmel in the clip above. "Last night, Trump turned the White House into a Waffle House."

The host then goes on to break down some key moments from the night, showing a photo of Donald Trump Jr. looking miserable ("This is the moment he realised his dad wasn't able to let him have his wedding at the White House, but was able to host a 4,000-person MMA fight") and the president appearing to nod off again.

"It was so exciting he almost stayed awake for the whole thing. Until it was time to take a little UFCiesta. So sweet, he's like an angel when he sleeps," says Kimmel. "Only Donald Trump could fall asleep at a party sponsored by Monster energy drink."

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The new Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2 tablet doubles as a digital picture frame

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 11:01:00 +0000

Lenovo just announced the second-generation of the Lenovo Tab Plus tablet. Priced at $399.99, it's more expensive than its predecessor, though it now offers richer audio, an upgraded HDR display, a built-in kickstand, and new AI features.

The Tab Plus Gen 2 is an Android tablet and an alternative to Apple's popular iPads, which start at $349. The new tablet features a JBL 9-unit Pro speaker system, fine-tuned with Dolby Atmos audio. Lenovo says it's meant to deliver a rich, cinematic experience and can even operate as a standalone speaker with built-in Bluetooth. Alongside all the boosted audio comes an equally upgraded display. The 12.1-inch 2.5K LCD display supports Dolby Vision and HDR10 video with a max brightness of 800 nits.

On the back of the tablet is a built-in kickstand, which props up the tablet or serves as a grip for carrying the device. When in standby mode, the Tab Plus Gen 2 also functions as a digital picture frame.

With a built-in kickstand, you can watch your shows anywhere on the Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2. Credit: Lenovo / Mashable

The tablet launches with Android 16 support, with two OS upgrades coming through Android 18. It starts at 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, which are similar specs to Apple's base iPad. It has a MediaTek Dimensity 7400 octa-core processor. Lenovo says it will provide 15 hours of battery life and has intelligent features like AI live transcription, Lenovo Smart Reader, and AI Notes.

The Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2 starts at $399.99 and will be available globally soon, though we still don't know the exact release date yet.

Regularly $899.99, the Roborock Qrevo S5V robot vacuum and mop is $549.99 at Amazon

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 10:55:36 +0000

SAVE OVER $300: As of June 16, the Roborock Qrevo S5V robot vacuum and mop is on sale for $549.99 at Amazon. This is $350 off its full price of $899.99.

Credit: Roborock

Roborock Qrevo S5V Robot Vacuum and Mop

$549.99 at Amazon
$899.99 Save $350

Early Prime Day deals have been popping up left and right at Amazon, and if you've been searching for a robot vacuum, the retailer isn't going to make you wait for the sale to start. We've already spotted some excellent deals on select models, including the Roborock Qrevo S5V which has dropped to $549.99.

Usually the Roborock Qrevo S5V robot vacuum and mop is priced at $899.99, so this is your chance to save $350 on both the black and white models. If you've been looking for a combination cleaner to help keep your floors shiny and dirt-free this summer, it's a model well worth considering.

Whether you're dealing with pet hair, dirt, or crumbs that have gotten lost in the carpet, the Roborock Qrevo S5V boasts a 12,000Pa suction to help lift it out. It even features obstacle avoidance technology that can help it navigate around any items in its way, so it won't be slowed down while scooting from room to room.

There's no need to worry about stains on harder surfaces as the Roborock Qrevo S5V's mopping system scrubs up to 200 rotations per minute. It also features an extendable mop arm that can reach corners or tricky spots, and has a 10mm lift that helps keep low-pile carpets from getting wet.

This early deal on the Roborock Qrevo S5V is well worth jumping on at Amazon ahead of Prime Day. Act fast to save.

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

Seth Meyers rips into Trumps UFC birthday party

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 10:48:45 +0000

Donald Trump threw himself and America a lavish $60 million birthday party on the White House lawn on Sunday, and Seth Meyers dug into the details on Late Night.

"Donald Trump threw himself a birthday party at the White House with big strong men fighting each other and motorcycles flying through the air, and then he gave himself the gift of a peace deal with Iran that accomplished nothing other than getting us back to where we were before the war began," said Meyers on Monday night. "But at least his name is still on the Kennedy Center. Right? Oh, it's not."

Trump's Freedom 250 event, which marked the president's 80th birthday and America's 250 years of independence, involved an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on the South Lawn, held in a 92-foot steel arena called "The Claw."

"So, The Claw was in place at the White House, as I'm sure the Founding Fathers would have loved, and to prepare for the fight, there was a press conference at the Lincoln Memorial, which had to be one of the weirdest things anyone's seen in our nation's capital," said Meyers. "Look at Lincoln in the background. It's like he saw what they were doing and said, 'Oh, I gotta sit down.'"

The event didn't exactly earn public praise, as Meyers pointed out that a recent Reuters poll shows just 16 percent of Americans, including only a third ‌of Republicans, approve of UFC fights being held at the White House — and as CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten pointed out, that's lower than the 28 percent of Americans who believe in telepathy.

"Fewer Americans support UFC fights in the White House than believe in telepathy," said Meyers. "Oh, speaking of which, I'm getting a message, I'm telepathically communicating with the American people, and they're telling me...wait...yes, this sucks."

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Jon Stewart roasts Trumps joyless UFC White House event

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 10:25:35 +0000

"Sunday night gave the president and his acolytes an opportunity to rebut the joyous communion of teamwork that embodied the New York Knickerbockers for a joyless, Vegas-style trudge through the People's House, now transformed into a gold-plated pummeling center."

That's Daily Show host Jon Stewart introducing Donald Trump's UFC Freedom 250 White House event that took place over the weekend, with the host cracking jokes before abruptly changing his tone upon realising that the event was broadcast by the Daily Show's parent network Paramount+.

"Once again the leaders of Paramount+ providing us all with incredible content at reasonable prices," says a suddenly robotic Stewart. "I...I am proud to stand with the Paramount family and whatever shows they decide to either cancel or put on."

Still, he makes his feelings very clear about UFC fighter Josh Hokit, who targeted former First Lady Michelle Obama with insults during a post-fight interview.

"What a f***ing asshole," says Stewart.

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How to watch Argentina vs. Algeria online for free

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 10:23:48 +0000

TL;DR: Live stream Argentina vs. Algeria in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The first round of 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage games is coming to an end, and we're finally getting a chance to see the defending champions. Argentina face off against Algeria in their opening game, a match they'll be expected to win without too much hassle. That being said, anything can happen in tournament football.

Argentina will be captained by Messi, set to make his 200th international appearance. Can he lead his side to another title? It all starts here.

If you want to watch Argentina vs. Algeria in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Argentina vs. Algeria?

Argentina vs. Algeria in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 9 p.m. ET on June 16. This fixture takes place at the Arrowhead Stadium.

How to watch Argentina vs. Algeria for free

Argentina vs. Algeria in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock ITVX to live stream the 2026 World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Argentina vs. Algeria for free by following these simple steps:

Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
Visit ITVX
Watch Argentina vs. Algeria for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Argentina vs. Algeria (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

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

Servers in 105 countries including the UK
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee

Live stream Argentina vs. Algeria in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

How to watch Iraq vs. Norway online for free

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 10:22:35 +0000

TL;DR: Live stream Iraq vs. Norway in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Nobody is really expecting Norway to challenge for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but they've got a really talented squad with some of the biggest names in the tournament. Haaland is one of the star names of this competition, but can he lead his team into the latter stages?

They'll expect to start with a win over Iraq. They'll need those three points, because Group I looks like possibly the toughest of the bunch. Group I also includes France and Senegal, two teams that can give Norway a lot of problems. A defeat here would make progressing into the knockout rounds particularly tricky.

If you want to watch Iraq vs. Norway in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Iraq vs. Norway?

Iraq vs. Norway in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 6 p.m. ET on June 16. This fixture takes place at the Gillette Stadium.

How to watch Iraq vs. Norway for free

Iraq vs. Norway in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

Live stream Iraq vs. Norway for free by following these simple steps:

Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
Visit BBC iPlayer
Watch Iraq vs. Norway for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Iraq vs. Norway (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

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

Servers in 105 countries including the UK
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee

Live stream Iraq vs. Norway in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

How to watch France vs. Senegal for free

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 10:21:40 +0000

TL;DR: Live stream France vs. Senegal in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is going to be absolutely electric. Most of the drama will be reserved for the knockout rounds, but that doesn't mean we aren't getting huge games in the group stage.

All eyes will be on the battle between Kylian Mbappe and Sadio Mane, but there really are too many stars to name in this blockbuster matchup.

If you want to watch France vs. Senegal in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is France vs. Senegal?

France vs. Senegal in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on June 16. This fixture takes place at the MetLife Stadium.

How to watch France vs. Senegal for free

France vs. Senegal in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

Live stream France vs. Senegal for free by following these simple steps:

Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
Visit BBC iPlayer
Watch France vs. Senegal for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

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

Servers in 105 countries including the UK
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee

Live stream France vs. Senegal in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

FIFA World Cup schedule today: Games, kickoff times, livestream info for June 16

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 10:19:22 +0000

It feels like the 2026 World Cup is picking up the pace. We started with some interesting matchups, but there's been some real fire with recent fixtures. We also got the biggest shock of the tournament so far, with Cape Verde stealing a stunning 0-0 draw against Spain. That result will give every side hope of doing something special.

Today, June 16, is another big day for the tournament. The action starts at 12 p.m. ET. The schedule is hectic and it can feel overwhelming, so we've broken down the details for you below. Here's what you need to know to tune in live today.

FIFA World Cup schedule today: June 16

Group I: France vs. Senegal (New York New Jersey Stadium) — kickoff at 3 p.m. ET
Group I: Iraq vs. Norway (Boston Stadium) — kickoff at 6 p.m. ET
Group J: Argentina vs. Algeria (Kansas City Stadium) — kickoff at 9 p.m. ET
Group J: Austria vs. Jordan (San Francisco Bay Area Stadium) — kickoff at 12 a.m. ET

How to livestream FIFA World Cup games today

Watch France vs. Senegal

There are plenty of interesting matchups from the group stage, but this might be one of the best on the schedule. France are one of the favorites to win the tournament, but Senegal possess a lot of talent. Live coverage will be on FOX and Fox One. Peacock will carry the live Spanish-language coverage.

Watch Iraq vs. Norway

Norway might surprise a lot of people in this tournament. Any team that has Haaland leading the line is in with a chance, and he's backed up by a squad full of elite talent. They face a tough test against Iraq in the opening game. Live coverage will be on FOX and Fox One. Peacock will carry the live Spanish-language coverage.

Watch Argentina vs. Algeria

The defending champions begin their campaign against Algeria. Messi and co will be favorites to win this one, but there's no better motivation than facing the team that holds the trophy. Live coverage will be on FOX and Fox One. Peacock will carry the live Spanish-language coverage.

Watch Austria vs. Jordan

This isn't the most glamorous matchup on the schedule, but who cares? Both of these sides will look at Group J as an opportunity to progress to the knockout rounds, and that all starts here. Live coverage will be on FS1 and Fox One. Peacock will carry the live Spanish-language coverage.

Credit: Fox One

Fox One (3-Month Subscription)

$39.98
$59.97 Save $19.99

Credit: Peacock

Peacock (Spanish Language)

Starting at $10.99/month

More live streaming options

Live TV cable replacement

Not interested in signing up for a standalone streaming service like Fox One or Peacock? You can sign up for a live TV cable replacement service, like YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV.

These services carry over 100 live channels, but run off a WiFi connection. You'll get live access to Fox and FS1, plus a whole lot more. Here are some options to consider:

YouTube TV — 10-day trial, then $67.99/month for 3 months
Fubo Sports — 1-day trial, then $45.99/month for 1 month
Hulu + Live TV — 3-day trial, then $89.99/month

Watch the World Cup for free with a VPN

It's possible to watch the World Cup for free on international services like ITVX, BBC iPlayer, NOS, or RTÉ. Our global World Cup watch guide can walk you through the process.

You will need a VPN to live stream the World Cup for free. We recommend ExpressVPN — a Mashable-tested service and an Official Tournament Supporter of the FIFA World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Europe — as our VPN of choice for sport. It offers servers in 105 countries, a user-friendly app available on all major devices, a speedy connection, up to 10 simultaneous connections, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Credit: ExpresVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

Inside a Chinese self-driving electric vehicle banned in the USA

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 10:03:17 +0000

Xpeng brought Mashable reporter Amanda Yeo to China to experience the new VLA 2.0 autonomous driving model inside its P7 electric vehicle. The demonstration offers a closer look at how Chinese automakers are advancing self-driving systems and what sets their approach apart from competitors around the world.

NYT Mini crossword answers, hints for June 16, 2026

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 10:00:34 +0000

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: How to play Pips, the newest NYT game

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Tuesday, June 16, 2026:

Across

Worker who sticks a thick mix on bricks

The answer is Mason.

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

Volvos or VWs

The answer is Autos.

"Wow, that's wild!"

The answer is Crazy.

Peaceful place

The answer is Haven.

Key above ~ on a Mac

The answer is ESC

Down

___ 1 (speed of sound)

The answer is Mach.

Emanating glow

The answer is Aura.

Fend (off)

The answer is Stave.

Seeps slowly

The answer is Oozes.

Boy band with the 2000 hit "It's Gonna Be Me"

The answer is NSYNC.

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

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

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

Tesla Cybercab specs reveal low weight, big range

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 09:10:24 +0000

Tesla CEO Elon Musk may currently be busy looking at his net worth blasting through one trillion dollars, thanks to the recent SpaceX IPO, but he's got other reasons to be jolly, too.

Electrek spotted the official EPA filing for Tesla's self-driving car, the Cybercab, and the numbers look pretty great.

According to Tesla's submission, the Cybercab will be powered by a single, 163kW (219HP) motor driving the front wheels, and a 47.6kWh lithium-ion battery.

While that battery capacity doesn't sound like much (for example, even the Rear-Wheel Drive Tesla Model 3 has a larger, 57.5kWh battery), the Cybercab is listed as having 418.2 miles of combined range, and 375.4 miles of highway range. Those sound better than they really are, mind you; these are unadjusted EPA test results, and we'll probably see lower official figures once the Cybercab hits the roads. In particular, EPA will likely apply a 0.7 correction factor to these numbers (as it does to all electric vehicles), which brings the combined range to 293 miles, which is still pretty great.

The impressive range is partially thanks to the Cybercab's low curb weight, which is officially 3,113 lbs (1,412kg). Again, compare that to a RWD Tesla Model 3, which weighs 3,552 lbs in its lightest-ever configuration.

It's easy to see why the Cybercab is so light: smaller battery pack, only two seats, no steering wheel, and no pedals. Electrek points out that Tesla probably could have pushed the weight even lower, but the company was probably happy with the efficiency numbers it got with this configuration. The company originally claimed the Cybercab would have close to 300 miles of range.

Tesla Cybercabs are now pretty much cleared to hit the roads from EPA's standpoint, but in order to send them to ferry actual passengers, Tesla still needs to pass some regulatory hurdles. The company currently has a limited robotaxi operation with Model Y cars ferrying passengers in Austin, Dallas, and Houston, Texas.

Chat, are we cooked? A guide to internet slang in 2026.

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0000

If you've recently found yourself wondering why someone is talking to "chat," calculating their "aura," calling a friend "twin," or lamenting their "Chungus life" on a daily basis, you're not alone.

Terms that once lived in niche corners of Twitch, TikTok, and group chats now spread across the internet in a matter of days. Some, like "W" and "chat," emerged from livestreaming culture. Others, like "brainrot" and "Tung Tung Tung Sahur," were born of the internet's increasingly surreal sense of humor and its growing reliance on AI. A few, like "Chungus," have survived so long they've now been reinvented by the internet.

SEE ALSO: The cult and community of Labubu

Whether you're trying to decode a comment section or simply understand what young people are talking about, here's a guide to the most important internet slang terms you need to know in 2026.

"W"

Short for "win," W is one of the internet's most common ways to express approval. While the term has roots in sports and gaming, where wins and losses are literal outcomes, it became mainstream through livestreaming culture. Popular streamers like IShowSpeed, Kai Cenat, and xQc frequently encourage viewers to "spam W's in the chat" in response to a positive moment, whether it's a successful challenge, a major announcement, or an unexpected victory.

Today, the term serves as an online catchall endorsement. Your favorite team pulls off a historic comeback? W. ("W Knicks.") Your friend lands their dream job? W. ("Huge W.") A creator posts a particularly good take? W. ("Common Vanillamace W.") Your flight gets upgraded, your crush texts back, or you find a $20 bill in an old jacket pocket? Those are all W moments. The format is simple, instantly recognizable, and perfectly suited to social media, where a single letter can communicate support, agreement, excitement, or admiration.

Unc

Short for "uncle," "unc" evolved from a term of familiarity and respect in Black communities into broader internet slang. Online, it's often used to playfully call someone old, out of touch, or unintentionally embarrassing, even if they're nowhere near retirement age.

Athletes, celebrities, and creators in their late 20s or 30s have all found themselves labeled "unc" by younger users. The term reflects the internet's tendency to compress generations, where anyone perceived as slightly older can suddenly become an elder.

Aura

Aura refers to a person's perceived coolness, confidence, or social presence. While the word itself has existed for decades, Gen Z and Gen Alpha transformed it into a kind of imaginary social currency.

Online users often joke about someone "gaining aura" after a particularly cool moment or "losing aura" after an awkward interaction. During the NBA Finals, for example, some fans joked that Victor Wembanyama had "lost aura" as the Spurs fell to the Knicks, while Knicks players were celebrated for gaining it.

Entire videos are now dedicated to calculating "aura points," treating charisma like a video-game stat that can rise or fall based on a person's actions. The concept has become so widespread that it has spawned phrases like "aura farming," where someone intentionally tries to look cool, and "aura gambling," where a person takes a high-risk action that could either dramatically increase or destroy their aura.

Chat

Originally a livestreaming term, chat refers to the collective audience participating in a stream's live comments section. Streamers on Twitch, YouTube, and Kick frequently address viewers directly as "chat," creating a sense of shared conversation. "Hey chat" has become such a defining part of streaming culture that even Twitch has leaned into it in its marketing campaigns and social media posts.

The phrase has since escaped livestreaming culture and entered everyday internet language. People now jokingly narrate their own lives as if they're broadcasting to an audience, saying things like, "Chat, are we cooked?" or "Chat, what should I do?" even when no actual chat exists. Some Gen Z users even refer to AI chatbots like ChatGPT simply as "chat."

Chat has become the internet's modern-day Greek chorus, a collective audience perpetually reacting to the action. The difference is that today's chorus mostly communicates through emotes.

Brainrot

Brainrot was actually the word of the year for the Oxford University Press in 2024. The publisher defined it as "the supposed deterioration of a person's mental or intellectual state" caused by overconsumption of trivial online content. But the term has since evolved in a few different directions online.

Brainrot can refer to low-quality, repetitive, or intentionally absurd content — often called "slop" — that dominates social media feeds. It can also describe the obsessive state that results from consuming it. Someone deep into a TV show, celebrity fandom, sports team, video game, or meme might jokingly describe themselves as having brainrot. "Knicks brainrot," "K-pop brainrot," and "Formula 1 brainrot" are all common ways of describing an all-consuming fixation.

While brainrot can describe a fandom obsession, it has also evolved into a genre of internet humor itself. In 2025 and 2026, AI-generated "Italian Brainrot" memes helped transform the term from a warning about excessive internet use into a celebration of the internet's increasingly absurd sense of humor.

Chopped

If someone is described as chopped, it means they're considered unattractive, awkward-looking, or poorly styled. The term gained popularity through TikTok and meme culture, where users frequently use it to rate appearances.

Like much internet slang, it's often exaggerated for comedic effect, though it can also be genuinely harsh. The popularity of the term reflects the rise of appearance-focused humor and ranking culture more broadly.

Choppelganger

A blend of "chopped" and "doppelganger," choppelganger refers to someone who resembles another person, but in a less flattering way.

The term is commonly used in side-by-side meme comparisons, particularly when comparing celebrities, fictional characters, or public figures. Instead of being someone's lookalike, a choppelganger is essentially their discount version. The joke works because it combines internet roasting culture with the longstanding fascination with celebrity resemblance.

Chungus

Big Chungus is one of the internet's longest-lasting absurdist memes. The term originated from a 1941 Bugs Bunny cartoon frame in which the character appears unusually round and oversized. Decades later, internet users rediscovered the image and transformed it into a deliberately nonsensical meme.

Although its peak popularity arrived years ago, Chungus has evolved beyond the original image. Today, the word is often used as a playful, meaningless modifier in the same spirit as terms like "goober" or "blorbo." Online users might joke about their "Chungus life," describe something as "Chungus-coded," or exclaim "fuck my Chungus life" when things go wrong. In many ways, the term survives not because people remember the original meme, but because its sheer absurdity makes it endlessly reusable.

Tung Tung Tung Sahur

Tung Tung Tung Sahur is one of the defining characters of the AI-generated meme movement known as Italian brainrot. The character is typically depicted as a wooden humanoid figure with a large, log-like body, oversized feet, and a baseball bat, accompanied by dramatic AI-generated narration that repeatedly chants its name.

Like many brainrot characters, its design feels simultaneously recognizable and inexplicable — unsettling enough to be memorable, but absurd enough to be funny.

What began as a niche TikTok meme evolved into a recurring internet character with its own lore, fan art, merchandise, and pop culture references. It even has its own Fortnite skin. By 2026, Tung Tung Tung Sahur had become shorthand for a broader style of AI-era internet humor built around surreal imagery, such as AI-generated anthropomorphic fruit and animals.

Even people who couldn't explain the character's origins often recognize the name or figure instantly. In that sense, Tung Tung Tung Sahur has transcended meme status and become a cultural fixture of the brainrot era.

Twin

Twin is a term of endearment used to describe someone who feels especially relatable, close, or aligned with another person. Popularized through Black culture and hip-hop, the term suggests a level of understanding that goes beyond friendship. Users might call someone "my twin" because they share the same interests, opinions, experiences, or sense of humor.

The slang has become so widespread that it now appears everywhere from TikTok captions to pop lyrics, including the opening line of BTS's highly anticipated 2026 album, Arirang: "What you need, twin?"

The term received an additional boost in popularity thanks to the viral success of "Made for Me" by Muni Long in 2024, particularly the lyric, "Twin, where have you been?" The sound became a fixture on TikTok, where users paired it with videos celebrating friendships, relationships, pets, and even favorite fictional characters. Today, "twin" is one of the internet's most common expressions of affection, used both sincerely and jokingly to signal an instant sense of connection.

NASA is daring to rescue a space telescope before it falls to Earth

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0000

During the fierce solar storms of 2024, people in places far south — places where no one expected to see auroras — snapped photos of luminous green and purple light rippling in the sky.

For the masses, they were breathtaking and magical. But inside flight control for NASA's Swift mission, seeing those images was devastating: The flaring sun was only driving a nail deeper into the spacecraft's coffin. As Earth's upper atmosphere heated and bloated, the thickened air tugged on the space telescope.

The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, a telescope that has watched the universe's brightest explosions since 2004, is sinking — and fast. Instead of continuing its scientific observations into the 2030s, as once estimated, it now looks destined to fall back to Earth later this year, doomed for incineration in the atmosphere.

"To be totally honest, the idea of boosting it had occurred to us, but it seemed sufficiently far-fetched that I did not think there was any reasonable likelihood that NASA would go along with this," Brad Cenko, the mission's principal investigator, told Mashable.

But NASA will indeed go for it, full throttle. About nine months ago, the agency hired a contractor, Arizona-based Katalyst Space Technologies, to quickly throw together a rescue mission. The company's spacecraft, called LINK, will fly up, wrap its arms around the telescope, and tow it about 150 miles up into a safer orbit. That robotic mission — planned on an unseemly timeline by NASA standards — is expected to launch on a Pegasus rocket that will drop from a Northrop Grumman aircraft over the South Pacific, then ignite. If the weather and environmental conditions are good, they'll launch on June 27.

NASA has serviced the Hubble Space Telescope before with astronauts, but the Swift boosting mission is wholly different. For the first time, NASA will try to save a science mission that was never intended for repairs in space. If it works, the robotic mission could signal the end of a throwaway culture for spacecraft in favor of a new era committed to fixing and reusing.

NASA is paying a little over $30 million for the capture, boost, and release of Swift — a fraction of the original $160 million mission that launched in 2004. That's an economical choice, Cenko said, especially when considering that building another telescope today would likely cost in the $250 to $300 million range due to inflation.

Katalyst Space Technologies had less than nine months to plan the boosting mission. Credit: NASA / Katalyst Space Technologies infographic

Why astronomers love Swift

Astronomers say Swift, one of the few NASA mission names that isn't straining to be an acronym, has earned a second chance. The observatory hunts gamma‑ray bursts, brief flashes of high‑energy light that can outshine entire galaxies for a few seconds. In that blink of time, a single event can pour out more energy than our sun will emit over its whole lifetime.

Sitting a few hundred miles above Earth in low orbit, Swift constantly scans a wide patch of sky for these bursts. When it spots one, the spacecraft whips around and points its X‑ray and ultraviolet instruments at the fading glow. That ability to react within a minute or two to "catch the act" is how it got its name.

In its first decade, Swift mainly chased its own discoveries. More recently, the team has figured out how to feed it alerts from other observatories, including big sky surveys scanned from the ground. That has turned Swift into a kind of first responder for cosmic fireworks, swinging toward whatever the rest of astronomy flags as urgent.

Despite its value to astronomers, the driving force behind the boosting mission isn't entirely about preserving the scientific capability.

"If that were the only story, I'm not 100 percent sure we would be here," Cenko said. "The current administration is very strongly motivated to develop the U.S. commercial space sector, and to ensure that we maintain dominance in that space sector compared to other countries."

The autonomous robotic LINK spacecraft, built by Katalyst Space Technologies, will try to rendezvous with the Swift observatory. Credit: NASA / Sophia Roberts

Why Swift needs rescuing

The problem is not Swift's cameras or detectors. Those are in great working order, though they were only intended to operate for two years. It is the invisible drag of Earth's upper atmosphere that has created a ticking clock for the mission.

When NASA launched Swift in 2004, it flew about 370 miles above the planet. Even there, a very thin smear of air acts like a brake. Over time, that drag steals speed and lets gravity pull a spacecraft down. Today, Swift has an altitude of roughly 230 miles.

To buy extra time, the team changed how Swift flew in February, angling it to reduce drag. Then in April, they turned off the wide-angle detector that first spots gamma‑ray bursts. While those steps should slow down its fall, they've also essentially suspended the telescope's work.

Already researchers have logged dozens of missed opportunities, including exploding stars, black holes tearing apart nearby stars, flares from black holes in the Milky Way, and comets changing as they move through the inner solar system.

"Everyone wants to be able to go and save this telescope," Kieran Wilson, Katalyst's principal investigator for the LINK spacecraft, told Mashable. "It's not something where people are like, 'Oh, well, maybe we could slip launch a couple months.' It just doesn't come up. Everyone understands the constraints, understands the hard physics of the problem, and has been really, really motivated."

How LINK will boost Swift's orbit

Nothing about the boosting mission is "normal." First, the rescue spacecraft, LINK, will drop from an airplane and light its engines midair over the ocean near the Marshall Islands. That unusual launch profile should make it easier to reach Swift's path near Earth's equator.

Once in orbit, LINK, short for Lightweight In-space Navigation and Kinematics, will take its time closing in. The spacecraft will spend days or weeks gently adjusting its path until it flies close to Swift at nearly the same speed. Then, it will begin snapping detailed pictures of the sinking spacecraft.

What Swift looks like today is one of the biggest unknowns for the rescue operation. Its insulation has likely degraded quite a bit over the past two decades in space. Katalyst's flight team can't predict its condition, nor do they know if sturdy spots exist on the spacecraft's body to get a good grip.

When LINK does move in for the capture, people on the ground won't be steering it like a drone. Both spacecraft will be racing around Earth at about 17,000 mph. That means radio signals wouldn't be quick enough for the job. Instead, LINK will have to behave a bit like a self‑driving car. It will take rapid‑fire images, compare what it sees to its internal model of Swift, and fire small thrusters to correct its path by inches at a time.

In the last moments, three metal arms with clamps will unfold from LINK. Swift will then hand over control of its orientation to Katalyst's robot. The climb to a higher orbit could take from about a month to several months, depending on Swift's altitude when LINK grabs it, the sun's behavior, and how well the engines work.

This Northrop Grumman aircraft carries a Pegasus rocket, seen below the plane, that will drop over an ocean, light its engines midair, and launch to space. Credit: Northrop Grumman

Robots as space mechanics

If Katalyst succeeds, it will show that a relatively small robot can extend the life of a much more expensive telescope, even one that engineers never designed for maintenance. Future NASA missions might include grab handles, standard attachment rings, and replaceable parts, designed with the idea that a space mechanic could show up someday. It could mean a new era in the space economy, Wilson said.

"This is absolutely a model we want to use going forward, where spacecraft are no longer a static asset on orbit — they're no longer stuck with only what they launched with," Wilson said. "You can reposition spacecraft when they run out of propellant, boost their orbit when they're in danger of reentry, and that is something that we see as foundational to the way that space will evolve in the next few decades."

For the Swift team, the mission is more than an experiment or a demonstration. They consider themselves Swifties and have leaned into Taylor Swift fandom, swapping friendship bracelets at meetings and borrowing language from the pop star's albums.

They're hoping it's not the end of a good 20 years, full of astronomical hits.

"We say we're going into the 'boost era'," Cenko said.

Im tired of bi women being the internets Pride punching bag

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0000

New Pride Month, same boring jokes about bisexual women.

Every year, wannabe comedians online take Pride Month as an opportunity to poke fun at bisexual women, especially those who are dating men. 2026 is no different:

And this started before June 1, to be clear.

As a bi woman, I clench every time Pride approaches because I know these jokes are coming. They're not only tired at this point, but they also signal that stereotypes and stigmas about bisexual people haven't changed. (And I'm a bi woman dating a lesbian, so I'm not even the butt of this particular joke, and I'm still sick of it.)

Before I go further, I want to make something clear: Bi people are not the most oppressed faction of the LGBTQ community. Without a doubt, trans people are being oppressed by the U.S. and other governments, and they need our support. Trans people's existence is being threatened by legislation against gender affirming care, barriers to accurate IDs, freedom of speech, allowance in sports, bathrooms, and more. Not to mention all the transphobia that we see outside the government from everyday people. It's disgusting, and it needs to stop.

Cis bisexual people are by no means experiencing this level of threat. I'm not trying to play the Oppression Olympics. But given these same jokes happen year over year, it's past time we talk about it.

It's also worth pointing out that there is a common thread between biphobia and transphobia, and it's the human tendency — not speaking for everyone, obviously — to want to put everyone in a neat little box. To see everything in black and white. We as a species (and on the internet, especially) have trouble with the gray area of life, with nuance, with holding two things to be true at once. This is exemplified by both gender essentialism, or the belief that men and women have certain intrinsic characteristics, and biphobia, or the disdain for people who are attracted to more than one gender (or refusal to believe that's true).

And maybe that's why monosexual people (gay and straight people) can be hostile to us. At least, that's one reason.

Misogyny also can't be ignored here. All the jokes I've seen so far this Pride are specifically about bi women and ignore bi men entirely. When it comes to biphobia, the attraction to women is always what's questioned, as bi women are assumed to be straight and bi men are assumed to be gay.

Harmful stereotypes against bi people

Certain stereotypes are unique to bisexual people: We're greedy, we're hypersexual, we're cheaters, we're going to leave someone for the other gender, that we're faking for attention, and that bisexuality is a choice.

The sad reality is that these stereotypes don't just lead to mean social media posts; they have real-life implications. As I've written about for Mashable, bi people's mental health is impacted by this stigma, and bi people are more vulnerable to intimate partner violence. There are multiple factors that lead to this, from believing in the hypersexual myth, to wanting to "turn" women straight…

A famous example is Amber Heard and Johnny Depp. In 2022, after the infamous Depp v Heard trial concluded, Rebecca Bodenheimer wrote for the LGBTQ outlet Them.:

Bodenheimer went on to say that, "[Heard's] bisexuality was weaponized against her during her 2016 divorce from Depp, with media suggesting she was untrustworthy and had cheated on him due to her sexuality."

"On social media, supporters of Depp used hashtags like #AmberHeardIsAPsychopath, #AmberHeardIsALiar, and #AmberHeardIsASlut — all sentiments that mirror some of the many stereotypes and stigmas that bisexual people still face," Bodenheimer wrote.

We must recognize the harm that could stem from the same biphobia that leads to little jokes on the internet. I've never experienced what Heard has, but I've run into my share of biphobia.

In 2019, years before I met my fiancée, I attended a sapphic speed-dating event. I had a great time, but then at the end, before there was supposed to be an afterparty at another location, I was in line for the bathroom when I overheard someone say that she'd never date a bi woman. And I was so hurt by this that I just left. I didn't go to the second location. I didn't even go to the bathroom. I didn't say anything, either, so who knows if this woman found out that she upset me.

I understand that that woman might've had her own negative experiences with bi women that led her to say that. But like any group, bi people aren't a monolith. Instead of treating us as individuals, she wrote us off altogether. Or, perhaps worse, she didn't even base her preference on her past, and just judged bisexual women for dating/sleeping with men, or some other biphobic tick.

If I had to give my 2019 self advice, I'd tell her to just go to the afterparty and not let that person get to me. (But in the end, it didn't matter; I met the love of my life a couple of years later.)

Bi folks, we are a little annoying

As a bi person myself, however, I can admit we can be a little annoying. We are the "but, actually…" of the queer community — but with good reason.

As bisexual writer Zachary Zane has written about in his memoir, Boyslut, and in Men's Health, bisexual "visibility" can be difficult. In theory, you'd need to be holding hands (or making out with) two different-gendered people simultaneously. And if you're in a monogamous relationship, that's not happening.

What Zane advocates for is bisexual audibility, which is the practice of coming out as bisexual.

If you're assuming someone's gay or straight and they tell you you're wrong, you can perceive them as being obnoxious. It's indeed annoying to be wrong and to be told you're wrong. But for many bisexual people, saying so is the only way they can let it be known.

I don't think it's necessary to tell people they're wrong about you in every context. I also know there are times when we need to assert ourselves and our place in the LGBTQ community. We're here, queer, get used to it, etc.

Bisexual people may be the "but actually" of the queer community, but we're also the "yes, and," and I love that for us. We live in the gray area, the nuance. It's OK if you're not visibly bi all the time, and it's also OK if you're in a straight-passing relationship.

Maybe next year, we'll be writing the jokes.

T-Mobile is giving away the Apple iPhone 17 Pro for free — how to claim now

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: The iPhone 17 Pro is available for free with T-Mobile. You can claim by switching to an Experience More or Experience Beyond unlimited plan.

Credit: Apple

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Free when you switch to an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan (no trade-in required).

Look, we know the iPhone 17 Pro isn't exactly the shiny new kid on the block. It has spent the last nine months dominating our social media feeds thanks to that distinct camera module and the viral Cosmic Orange finish, after all. But the iPhone 18 launch is looming, and that means carriers are officially entering clearance mode.

If you don't care about having the absolute newest phone, T-Mobile has launched a massive late-cycle push on this current-gen handset. For a limited time, you can secure the iPhone 17 Pro for free. And it's straightforward to claim.

To score the iPhone 17 Pro for free, you just need to switch carriers and activate a new line on T-Mobile’s top-tier Experience More or Experience Beyond plans. If you're already an existing customer, you can get the exact same deal by trading in an eligible handset (like an iPhone 15 Pro) on those same plans.

It's important to note that T-Mobile doesn't just hand over an $1,100 phone without strings attached. The retail price is financed over 24 consecutive monthly statements, and T-Mobile applies a promotional credit each month to bring that specific line item down to $0. If you decide to bounce to another carrier or try to upgrade early to the iPhone 18 in September, those monthly credits vanish instantly. You will be stuck footing the remaining bill for whatever is left on the phone's 24-month payment cycle.

It was recently announced that only iPhone 17 Pro users will get some of iOS 27's AI tools. If you really want to experience Siri AI's most advanced features, it might be time to upgrade.

Score the iPhone 17 Pro for free with this latest offer from T-Mobile.

Who needs the MacBook Neo? Students can score the new XPS 13 laptop for as low as $599 from Dell.

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: As of June 16, students can shop the new XPS 13 laptop for as low as $599 from Dell.

Credit: Dell

Dell XPS 13

$599 at Dell
$699 Save $100

Students on the hunt for a budget-friendly laptop may be inclined to look at the shiny new MacBook Neo, but Dell is dropping some exciting competition in the form of the new XPS 13 laptop. Pricing starts at $699, but students can actually score this new model for as low as $599.

This student offer lasts until Nov. 2, so there's plenty of time to take advantage of this deal ahead of the next school year. It's open to high school students starting at 16-years-old and college students who are going to degree granting schools, but it's worth keeping in mind that students must join Dell Rewards or be a current member and verify student status to save.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that the offer is only valid for XPS 13 models with Series 3 Intel Core Processors. It excludes any model that's fitted with the Series 3 Intel Core Ultra Processors.

The XPS 13 laptop is actually a tiny bit lighter than the Neo, starting at 2.2 pounds compared to the Neo's 2.7 pounds, so carrying it between classes will be a breeze. It also features a sleek design that houses a 2.5K LCD touchscreen and backlit keyboard, alongside the Intel Core processor and WiFi 7 inside. It's capable of running up to 17 hours while streaming thanks to a great battery life. That beats the Neo, which is listed as lasting up to 16 hours.

This offer on the XPS 13 laptop lasts until Nov. 2 for students. Don't miss out on this great opportunity to scoop up this new laptop for as low as $599.

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

This lifetime AI-powered piano app is $99.97 during Deal Days and teaches you as you play

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Pick up a lifetime subscription to Skoove Premium Piano Lessons for $99.97 (MSRP $299.99) through June 28 during Deal Days and learn piano at your own pace from home.

Credit: Skoove

Skoove Premium Piano Lessons: Lifetime Subscription

$99.97
$299.99 Save $200.02

Learning piano sounds great in theory — until you’re trying to fit weekly lessons into an already packed schedule. Skoove Premium Piano Lessons makes it easier by putting guided instruction on your phone, tablet, or computer, so you can practice whenever you have time. During Deal Days (an alternative to Prime Day), you can get lifetime access for just $99.97 (reg. $299.99) through June 28 and skip both the recurring fees and the commute to lessons.

When was the last time you learned a new skill? If mastering the piano has always been on your bucket list, it’s time to make it happen with this lifetime subscription to Skoove Premium Piano Lessons. This AI-powered app lets you pick up piano in your spare time without ever leaving your house.

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All you need to get started with Skoove Premium Piano Lessons is a keyboard or piano and your laptop, smartphone, or tablet. The app does the rest, as it can hear you play, recognize your notes, and give you real-time feedback so you get better as you go.

Whether you’re totally new to the instrument or you have some lessons under your belt, Skoove Premium Piano Lessons offers lesson options ranging from beginner to advanced. And it’s not like the boring old piano lessons from your past; you’ll get to pick up skills by playing your favorite music — from Adele to Beethoven.

Your lifetime subscription includes permanent access to more than 400 lessons and thousands of instructional videos, and you’ll never run out of content because new ones are added every month. There’s also one-on-one support available from real music instructors when you need it.

Get this lifetime subscription to Skoove Premium Piano Lessons for just $99.97 (reg. $299.99) during Deal Days until June 28.

For more Deal Days offers, check out the full collection.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Running out of storage? This 1TB MacBook Pro refurb is under $500 right now.

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Score a refurbished MacBook Pro with a massive 1TB SSD for just $429.97 (reg. $1,999) during Deal Days, running through June 28.

Credit: Apple

Apple MacBook Pro 2020 (Refurbished)

$429.97
$1,999 Save $1,569.03

Storage has a funny way of disappearing faster than you expect. One minute you’re saving a few photos and documents, and the next you’re juggling video files, backups, downloads, and the dreaded “disk almost full” notification. If you’re ready for a laptop with room to spare, this MacBook Pro deal is worth a look.

During Deal Days — our answer to Prime Day — you can snag a feature-packed 13-inch MacBook Pro, complete with 1TB of SSD, for just $429.97 (reg. $1,999), until June 28.

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There’s a reason the MacBook Pro has amassed such a massive fan base — this laptop has a lot to offer. A 13.3-inch Retina display features Apple’s True Tone Technology, which automatically adjusts depending on your lighting and helps reduce eye strain.

Everything you see on that vibrant screen is powered by the 10th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, which offers a 2GHz base speed that makes multitasking smooth and steady. With 1TB of storage, you can save all of your important files locally, without shelling out extra for cloud storage or hard drives.

A Magic Keyboard with Touch Bar offers a comfortable typing experience and easy access to shortcuts to save you time on this MacBook Pro. There’s Touch ID to keep your device safe, and four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) Ports for easy connectivity. This model also offers 10 hours of battery life, so you don’t have to worry about frequent charging.

You’re securing a massive discount due to this model’s grade “A” refurbished rating. That means you’ll receive a device in near-mint condition, with minimal to zero amounts of scuffing on the case.

Act fast and bring home a refurbished 2020 MacBook Pro for just $429.97 (reg. $1,999) by June 28 while this sale lasts.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Year in review: The Nintendo Switch 2 has become one of my favorite consoles of all time

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Just a little over one year ago, the Nintendo Switch 2 finally came out, and it's been a heck of a rollercoaster ride.

Nintendo's latest home console/handheld hybrid has surprised, delighted, and in some capacity or another disappointed us all in the span of 12 months. There have been excellent exclusives and a stronger-than-expected pipeline of major third-party releases, all alongside serious concerns about affordability (and eventually a price increase) and questions about whether Nintendo might be playing it too safe with some of its big titles.

With all of that in mind, let's talk about the first year of the Switch 2, including what's gone right, what went wrong, and what we can expect from its next trip around the sun.

Nintendo Switch 2 first anniversary: The good

Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

Starting with what has worked in the Switch 2's favor, I would be remiss not to immediately mention the significantly more premium look and feel of the device compared to its predecessor. Nintendo sized up the Switch 2 a bit, giving it a larger display with a higher resolution and refresh rate, bigger Joy-Con controllers that are more comfortable in the hands, and a less toy-like feel overall. The dock for outputting games to your TV has also been significantly improved via the addition of a built-in Ethernet port, something the Switch 1's dock didn't have at launch.

The Switch 2's improved industrial design was also met by substantially more horsepower under the hood. While it's still a far cry from what a PlayStation 5 can do, the Switch 2's graphical capabilities are strong enough that a surprising number of big, expensive third-party releases have already made their way to the console, or will in the near future. The Switch 2 ports of recent hits like Pragmata and Resident Evil: Requiem are nothing short of outstanding, and the June 2026 Nintendo Direct contained some upcoming heavy hitters like Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen and Devil May Cry 5. Oh yeah, Elden Ring is still on track to release on Switch 2 this year, too.

Needless to say, the people who only own a Switch 2 and no other gaming hardware (anecdotally, this is not a small audience) are eating pretty good these days. It's also worth noting that the Switch 2's arguably best use case right now is playing older games. A shockingly large number of old Switch 1 games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild have either gotten paid "Nintendo Switch 2 Edition" upgrades or free patches to make them look and run a lot better on the new console. There's also a bunch of backward-compatible Switch 1 games that simply work better on Switch 2 without an official update, which is pretty sweet, honestly. I kind of can't believe how much time I've spent going back and clearing out my backlog of old games simply because they look better on Switch 2 than they did before.

Oh yeah, the eShop digital storefront that's built into the console is finally usable now. It was a real slog on Switch 1, but it's totally fine on Switch 2.

Couples Halloween costume idea, maybe? Credit: Nintendo

Lastly, Nintendo has been releasing roughly one first-party game per month since the Switch 2 came out. That cadence has produced some great stuff like Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Pokémon Pokopia. I'll also go to bat for Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, which is a lot cooler than you might think at first glance. Not every exclusive has been a banger, but you could argue the Switch 2 has gotten more compelling first-party titles in its first year than the PS5 has in its first six years. And there's basically zero argument against the fact that the Switch 2 is winning that battle against the Xbox Series consoles in the same time frame.

Nintendo Switch 2 first anniversary: The bad

I did not care for 'Kirby Air Riders.' Credit: Nintendo

When discussing the Switch 2's early pitfalls, one simply has to start with its place in the current economy. Everything is more expensive than ever, meaning disposable income is at a premium for many, many people. Put bluntly, the Switch 2 is a bigger investment than a lot of people can realistically make right now. Some of that is Nintendo's fault, but much of it isn't.

For example, Mario Kart World being $80 is something Nintendo has control over, but the $50 price hike coming later this year (an extreme rarity for a new video game console) is a response to the RAMageddon crisis that's causing tech prices to spike all over the place. Nintendo requiring users to buy MicroSD Express cards (a new storage medium most people don't already have lying around) to expand system storage is also unfortunate, given the ongoing memory crisis, even if the Switch 2 would be a notably less capable machine if it used an older, cheaper storage format.

Considering the quality of the hardware and the state of the tech manufacturing economy, the Switch 2, being a $500 initial investment starting in September, makes sense. But that doesn't mean people have to like it, and they probably shouldn't.

On the software side, there are some gripes to be had, as well. It's not great that we haven't even heard whispers of a new mainline Mario or Legend of Zelda game for the Switch 2 after a year. Their absences are easily explained (the core Mario team made Bananza and Zelda games take like six years to make now), but nonetheless, those are the things some people really flock to Nintendo systems for, and we have no idea when they'll come out or even be announced.

There's also a strong argument to be made that Nintendo is playing it a bit too safe with its software lineup at the moment. The Switch 2 has yet to be home to a notable brand new franchise of any kind, something that we usually see at least once per console generation. Beyond that, two of the biggest upcoming Switch 2 exclusives are Star Fox and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, remakes of older games. As intriguing as those both might be, they're not as exciting as new games would be.

What's next for Switch 2?

Having said all of that, I do think the near-future outlook for the Switch 2 is positive. Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave looks like it'll be a heater when it comes out in September, and the same could be said for announced 2027 releases like Pokémon Winds and Waves and Xenoblade Genesis. I also have a gut feeling we'll hear something from Mario by the end of 2027.

Aside from games, it would be great to know if Nintendo has plans for Switch 2 Lite or Switch 2 OLED models. A handheld-only Lite console could be a cheaper alternative, while an OLED model would address the complaints many users have about the handheld display on the current machine. In a perfect world where AI data centers didn't exist, one or both of these would be a lock-in for the next year or two, but sadly, the outlook is uncertain.

Broadly speaking, I think Nintendo has made most of the right moves over the past year, and I feel pretty good about where things are headed, RAMageddon aside. As someone who lived through the Wii U era, when it felt like Nintendo was in a sort of existential crisis, I'll take the current situation over that in a heartbeat.

Dump all your AI subscriptions for this $70 all-in-one lifetime platform with GPT, Claude, and more

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Get lifetime access to 1min.AI with ChatGPT, Gemini, and other major AI models in one place for $69.97.

Credit: 1minAI

1min.AI Advanced Business Plan Lifetime Subscription

$69.97
$540 Save $470.03

AI subscriptions can feel reasonable when you’re only using one tool, like ChatGPT. But once your work expands into writing, image generation, document analysis, and translation, the monthly costs and tool switching start to pile up quickly.

1min.AI — now on sale as a lifetime plan for just $69.97 — pulls those capabilities together in one platform, giving you access to ChatGPT, Gemini, Mistral, and more without juggling multiple subscriptions.

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
Claude 3 Opus and Claude 3 Sonnet
Gemini Pro 1.5
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.

Right now, it’s only $69.97 to get a 1min.AI lifetime subscription.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Last chance to own Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other core Microsoft apps for just $33

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows is down to $32.97 (reg. $219.99).

Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License

$29.97
$219.99 Save $190.02

This is your last chance to ditch Microsoft 365’s subscription fees for good. Until June 14 at midnight, you can grab a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2021 for 85% off 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. No coupon is needed.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Take the pain out of PDFs with this $30 tool

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Put an end to the PDF struggle with this lifetime license to AcePDF Converter and Editor, now just $29.99 (reg. $99.99).

Credit: Acethinker

AcePDF Converter & Editor: Lifetime License

$24
$99.99 Save $75.99

From contracts and invoices at work to forms from the doctor’s office, you can’t avoid PDFs these days. Fortunately, there’s now a much easier way to work with them thanks to AcePDF Converter and Editor. This handy tool is even on sale now, with a lifetime license for just $29.99.

Working with PDFs shouldn’t feel harder than your actual workload. AcePDF Converter and Editor keeps things simple, making the editing and converting process a whole lot easier.

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If you need to convert a PDF to another file format, AcePDF can help. Pick MS Word, Excel, PPT, HTML, PNG, or JPG, or you can also create PDFs from Word, Excel, PPT, and image files. You don’t have to worry about the original file being compromised, as AcePDF creates high-quality conversions that preserve the original layout, images, and hyperlinks.

Need to edit a PDF? AcePDF lets you fill out forms, add, or enhance content right in the app. It’s also easy to annotate, add watermarks, encrypt files, or add a passcode and unlock feature.

If you’re looking to create a PDF file from scratch, AcePDF lets you merge MS documents, images, or other types of files easily. There’s also built-in OCR technology that lets you extract text from image-based PDFs.

Stop struggling with PDFs for life by setting AcePDF as your default program when it comes to editing, opening, or reading PDF files. You can also use this lifetime license on two devices.

Make life a little easier with this lifetime license to AcePDF Converter and Editor, now just $29.99.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

How to watch Austria vs. Jordan online for free

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Live stream Austria vs. Jordan in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup rumbles on with more group-stage games bringing together teams that wouldn't usually meet, like Austria and Jordan. That's what this competition is all about. Argentina and Algeria are the other sides in this group, so Austria will be desperate to start strongly with three points from this game.

If you want to watch Austria vs. Jordan in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Austria vs. Jordan?

Austria vs. Jordan in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 12 a.m. ET on June 17. This fixture takes place at the Levi's Stadium.

How to watch Austria vs. Jordan for free

Austria vs. Jordan in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

Live stream Austria vs. Jordan for free by following these simple steps:

Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
Visit BBC iPlayer
Watch Austria vs. Jordan for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Austria vs. Jordan (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

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

Servers in 105 countries including the UK
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee

Live stream Austria vs. Jordan in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

The best early Prime Day DJI deals you can shop now — score heavily discounted drones and cameras

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 08:37:12 +0000

The best early DJI Prime Day deals at a glance:

Best drone deal

DJI Mini 3

$399 (Save $20)

Best camera deal

DJI Osmo Action 4 Essential Combo

$169 (Save $30)

Best accessory deal

DJI Mic 3

$259 (Save $70)

Amazon Prime Day is still a week away, but some of DJI's most popular products are already seeing early discounts at Amazon.

Whether you're looking to capture better travel footage or finally pick up that creator favorite you've had your eye on, these pre-Prime Day deals could save you from waiting until the main event kicks off.

Prime Day officially runs from June 23-26, but the savings have already started landing.

Best early Prime Day DJI drone deal

Credit: DJI

DJI Mini 3

$399 at Amazon
$418.98 Save $19.98

Why we like it

This is a lightweight drone, weighing under 249g, meaning no FAA registration is required for recreational flying. It captures 4K HDR video, supports True Vertical Shooting, and offers stable footage thanks to its 3-axis gimbal and Level 5 wind resistance. It has beginner-friendly features like GPS Return to Home and Auto Takeoff/Landing, so it's a great choice for getting started with a drone.

More early Prime Day DJI drone deals

DJI Neo — $169 ~~$199~~ (save $30)
DJI Mavic 4 Pro Fly More Combo — $2,550 ~~$2,899~~ (save $349)
DJI Mavic 4 Pro — $3,500 ~~$3,750~~ (save $250)

Best early Prime Day DJI camera deal

Credit: DJI

DJI Osmo Action 4 Essential Combo

$169 at Amazon
$199 Save $30

Why we like it

This camera features a 1/1.3-inch sensor for shooting in low-light conditions, as well as 4K video capabilities at up to 120fps with a 155° ultra-wide field of view. It offers up to 150 minutes of battery life and it works in temperatures as low as -20°C. It's even waterproof to depths of 18m, making it an ideal choice for vlogging your outdoor adventures.

More early Prime Day DJI camera deals

DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro Waterproof Action Camera Bundle — $429.99 ~~$399.99~~ (save $30)
DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo — $539 ~~$629~~ (save $90)

Best early Prime Day DJI accessories deal

Credit: DJI

DJI Mic 3

$259 at Amazon
$329 Save $70

Why we like it

The DJI Mic 3 is a compact wireless microphone system designed for creators, podcasters, and interviewers who need quality audio while on the go. It supports up to four transmitters, features adaptive gain control and selectable noise cancellation, and uses dual-band transmission for clear audio in busy environments. You'll get up to 28 hours of battery life with the charging case, so it's great for long hours recording. Not to mention, it has compatibility with a huge range of DJI devices.

More early Prime Day DJI accesories deals

DJI Mic 2 Transmitter — $59 ~~$79~~ (save $20)
DJI Mic 2 — $199 ~~$269~~ (save $70)

The Shark AV2501S AI Ultra has dropped to its lowest-ever price — save $300 ahead of Prime Day

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 08:05:56 +0000

SAVE $300: As of June 16, the Shark AV2501S AI Ultra robot vacuum is on sale for $249.99 at Amazon. That's a 55% discount on the list price.

Credit: Shark

Shark AV2501S AI Robot Vacuum

$249.96 at Amazon
$549.99 Save $300.03

Prime Day kicks off next week, but there are some early deals already starting to pop up. You can already find deals on things like portable power stations and robot vacuums, and if you’re looking for the latter, there’s a great deal on the Shark AV2501S AI Ultra live right now.

As of June 16, this vacuum is down to $249.99, a savings of $300. That’s more than half off the list price and the lowest-ever price for this model.

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This vacuum uses Matrix Clean Navigation to follow a precise grid pattern when vacuuming. This means it makes multiple passes over areas and dirt, making sure nothing is missed. This model also benefits from a self-emptying and bagless design. This is managed at the docking station where it can hold up to 30 days of dirt and debris.

360° LiDAR mapping helps it to navigate around your home, and it can even detect and avoid obstacles like shoes or furniture legs. And if you have pets at home, this vacuum is more than capable of dealing with the excess hair and fluff. It has a self-cleaning brushroll and strong suction to handle pet hair, dust, and dander.

It can also be controlled hands-free using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, and it supports scheduled cleans, so you can set it to run when you’re out of the house.

Pick up this robot vacuum deal from Amazon now.

The Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus is over $1,000 off at Amazon ahead of Prime Day

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 08:01:40 +0000

SAVE OVER $1,000: As of June 16, the Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus is on sale for $1,619 at Amazon. That's a 42% discount on the list price.

Credit: Jackery

Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus

$1,619 at Amazon
$2,799 Save $1,180

Amazon Prime Day gets underway next week, but if there are items on your shopping list that just can't wait, you might be lucky and catch an early deal.

Amazon has already started dropping prices on some popular products, and if you're shopping around for a portable power station, make sure you check out this early deal on the Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus. As of June 16, it's currently over $1,000 off, with the lprice dropping to $1,619.

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This is a seriously powerful unit, providing up to 3,600W of output with a 3,584Wh capacity that can be expanded to 21kWh per unit or 43kWh across multiple units. It supports both 120V and 240V operation in parallel and is designed to power big household appliances including pumps, heaters, and dryers during outages.

It's built with high-temperature-resistant ceramic membrane battery cells, so it's designed to help excessive heat or overcharging, giving it a rated lifespan of 6,000 charge cycles and up to 10 years of use.

This portable power station also supports four charging methods. These include hybrid AC and DC charging that can recharge the battery from 0-100% in around two hours, alongside AC, solar, and gas generator charging options.

Get this portable power station deal at Amazon now.

NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for June 16, 2026

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 05:29:20 +0000

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will require baseball movie knowledge.

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.

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: North Carolina sports
Green: Baseball cinema
Blue: NBA finances
Purple: Famous Max

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

Yellow: A North Carolina Athlete
Green: Baseball Films
Blue: NBA Contract Terms
Purple: Max___

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 #631 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

A North Carolina Athlete: BLUE DEVIL, HORNET, HURRICANE, TAR HEEL
Baseball Films: 42, BULL DURHAM, EIGHT MEN OUT, MAJOR LEAGUE
NBA Contract Terms: 10-DAY, MIDLEVEL EXCEPTION, SUPERMAX, TWO-WAY
Max___: FRIED, SCHERZER, STRUS, VERSTAPPEN

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.

NYT Pips hints, answers for June 16, 2026

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 05:23:52 +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 June 16 Pips

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically.

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

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

Number (9): Everything in this orange space must add up to 9. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically; 4-6, placed horizontally.

Number (9): Everything in this dark blue space must add up to 9. The answer is 4-6, placed horizontally; 2-3, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for June 16 Pips

Equal (1): Everything in this purple space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-3, placed horizontally; 1-4, placed vertically.

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

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

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

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 6-1, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 3-0, placed vertically; 6-1, placed horizontally; 3-2, placed horizontally.

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

Hard difficulty hints, answers for June 16 Pips

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 3-0, placed horizontally; 0-0, placed vertically; 0-1, placed horizontally; 0-2, placed vertically.

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

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

Number (22): Everything in this space must add up to 22. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally; 6-0, placed vertically; 4-2, placed vertically.

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

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 6-0, placed vertically.

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

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

Equal (1): Everything in this light blue space must be equal to 1. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically; 1-2, placed vertically; 5-1, placed vertically.

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

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically.

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

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

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

Hurdle hints and answers for June 16, 2026

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 04:00:00 +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

In the future.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

LATER

Hurdle Word 2 hint

To meander.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

MOSEY

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A thud.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

THUNK

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A share.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

QUOTA

Final Hurdle hint

A drum.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

CONGA

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

Pick up a new language — or 25 — with this $127 Rosetta Stone deal

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 04:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Learn up to 25 languages in a year with this one-year subscription to Rosetta Stone Sapphire, now just $127.20 (reg. $159).

Credit: Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone Sapphire: 1-Year Subscription

$127.20
$159 Save $31.80

Want to learn a new language? How about more than one? With this one-year Rosetta Stone Sapphire subscription, you can learn up to 25 different languages with the immersive lessons and technology geared toward helping your pronunciation.

Right now, you can lock in major savings and learn for a year for just $127.20.

If you want to learn languages, it’s best to go to a trusted source. Rosetta Stone has over 30 years of language learning expertise under its belt, coupled with new technology that helps you speak like a native.

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This one-year subscription gives you access to their structured lessons in 25 different languages, from Spanish and German to Mandarin and Arabic.

Take advantage of the Dynamic Immersion® method, which teaches you via context, imagery, listening, reading, and speaking — not dull direct translation or memorization drills. There’s also TruAccent speech recognition that can help improve your pronunciation thanks to advanced technology designed for language learners.

Rosetta Stone’s bite-sized lessons let you work at your own pace. You can also learn across platforms, with synced progress across your desktop, smartphone, and tablet.

Practice conversations in practical topics like travel, social, and everyday scenarios, go over more than 500 flashcards, and access personalized learning tools geared toward the topics you want to learn most, all on this convenient platform.

Lock in a one-year subscription to Rosetta Stone Sapphire for only $127.20 today.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Stock up for the summer with this $15 BJ’s membership

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 04:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: BJ’s Club Card Membership is down to just $15 (reg. $60), giving you a full year of access to wholesale pricing, fresh groceries, gas savings, and seasonal finds right before summer kicks off.

Credit: BJ's Wholesale Club

1-year The Club Card Membership with BJ’s Easy Renewal® (Terms apply.)

$15
$60 Save $45

Summer has a funny way of turning quick grocery runs into full-contact financial experiences.

Suddenly, you’re buying burgers for cookouts, drinks for backyard hangs, enough fruit for everybody’s “healthy phase,” plus paper towels, sunscreen, pool stuff, and approximately 900 snack foods for road trips and beach days.

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Which is exactly why grabbing a BJ’s Club Card Membership for $15 right now feels like a smart move instead of a random impulse buy.

Normally priced at $60, this membership saves you $45 upfront while unlocking access to BJ’s warehouse pricing on everyday essentials, fresh groceries, household items, top national brands, gas stations, and bigger things like furniture and electronics.

And honestly, timing matters here.

Right before summer is arguably peak warehouse-club season. People are stocking up more often, hosting more gatherings, grilling more, traveling more, and trying not to spend their entire paycheck at the grocery store every weekend.

And this offer is built for that kind of shopping rhythm.

Members can save up to 25 percent on grocery store prices on everyday essentials while getting access to fresh produce, deli items, bakery goods, meat, snacks, drinks, and household staples in bulk-friendly sizes. There are also 175 BJ’s gas stations and more than 244 clubs across the eastern U.S., so it’s not exactly difficult to put the membership to work.

And for $15 for the whole year, this feels like a very practical summer decision.

Get a 1-year membership to BJ’s with auto-renewal for a one-time $15 payment (reg. $60).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Stop copy-pasting prompts across GPT-4o, Claude, and Gemini — this tool combines them for a one-time $55

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 04:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Get lifetime access to ChatPlayground AI for $54.97 (reg. $619) and compare outputs from 25+ leading AI models side by side in one place.

Credit: ChatPlayground AI

ChatPlayground AI: Lifetime Subscription (Unlimited Plan)

$59.97
$619 Save $559.03

If you’ve ever pasted the same prompt into multiple AI tools just to see which one gives the best result, you’re definitely not alone. Each model has its own strengths, but switching between apps, tabs, and subscriptions slows everything down. ChatPlayground AI, on sale for $54.97, brings those models together so you can view and compare responses side by side without constantly bouncing between platforms.

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 $54.97 and stop juggling models for good.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

How to unblock Pornhub for free in Australia

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 04:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Unblock Pornhub for free with a VPN. The best services for unblocking porn sites from Australia are ExpressVPN and ProtonVPN.

The world of porn continues to be impacted by age-verification laws. Back in early 2025, more than a third of U.S. states introduced age verification laws for online adult content. Pornhub hit back by blocking users from those locations. A similar situation took place France and the UK, and now Australians are facing the same set of challenges.

The porn blocks arrived just days before new online safety codes came into effect, requiring organisations to verify the ages of users. It's the same story we've seen before, with the same straightforward workaround.

If you want to unblock porn sites like Pornhub for free from Australia, we have all the information you need.

How to unblock Pornhub for free in Australia

VPNs are tools that can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other locations. This process bypasses geo-restrictions so you can access sites like Pornhub from anywhere in the world.

Unblock Pornhub from Australia by following these simple steps:

Sign up for a VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN or ProtonVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that supports access to Pornhub
Visit Pornhub

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

Credit: Proton VPN

Proton VPN (1-Month Plan)

$10.81 only at Proton VPN (with money-back guarantee)

The best VPNs for unblocking porn sites are not free, but most do offer free-trial peiods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites like Pornhub without spending anything. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you the opportunity to temporarily retain access to Pornhub before recovering your investment. The situation may have changed before the free-trial period comes to an end.

If you want to retain permanent access to sites like Pornhub, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for bypassing content restrictions is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for Pornhub?

ExpressVPN and ProtonVPN are the top choices for unblocking porn sites like Pornhub, for a number of reasons:

Servers in locations all around the world
Easy-to-use apps available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policies so your data is always secure
Fast streaming speeds free from throttling
Multiple simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantees

Unblock Pornhub for free in Australia with ExpressVPN or ProtonVPN.

Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on June 16

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 02:00:00 +0000

The New Moon has passed, and visibility will slowly be returning over the next few nights.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Tuesday, June 16, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. Tonight, 7% of the moon will be be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Guide.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on June 29.

What are Moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon completes one orbit around Earth in about 29.5 days, moving through eight recognised phases along the way. While the same side of the Moon always faces our planet, the amount of its surface lit by the Sun changes as it travels around Earth. As a result, we see the Moon appear in different shapes over the course of a month, from slender crescents and half moons to a bright Full Moon. This repeating sequence of phases is known as the lunar cycle.

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.

That book idea in your notes app could finally become reality with this $40 tool

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 22:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Get creating with this lifetime subscription to the EbookMagic Starter Plan and make all your book ideas come to life for just $39.99 (reg. $149).

Credit: EbookMagic

EbookMagic Starter Plan: Lifetime Subscription

$39.99
$149 Save $109.01

Some people collect books, but do you collect book ideas? If you’re filled with concepts but short on time, you need EbookMagic. This AI-powered tool turns your book concepts into completed manuscripts in minutes, and right now, you can lock in a lifetime subscription to the EbookMagic Starter Plan for only $39.99.

Finishing a book is an impressive endeavor, one that used to take months, if not years. It also used to involve outsourcing numerous tasks — from designing a cover and editing the manuscript to hiring someone to record the audiobook — but EbookMagic makes the process easier than ever.

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If you have lots of book ideas, EbookMagic is ready to make them a reality. Just provide a title, genre, and a few key details, and let this tool take over. It supports 15 different genres, from fiction and non-fiction to romance, self-help, and more.

Pick from 12 professional writing styles with different tones to vary up your project. If you’re inspired by a certain author’s style, it can even adapt your content to their writing, too.

Once you’ve created your book, it’s time to customize it. Design a custom cover image, turn it into a professional-sounding audiobook powered by AI voices, and export a ready-to-use file for publishing, sharing, or use in a personal project.

Your lifetime subscription lets you create five eBooks every month, with up to 500,000 words per book. You will also get up to 50 cover generations, commercial usage rights, and no watermarks.

Lock in this lifetime subscription to the EbookMagic Starter Plan for only $39.99 today.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Get the full Office Pro 2021 suite for a one-time $33 payment

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 22:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Microsoft Office Professional 2021 is down to $32.97, giving Windows users lifetime access to the essential Office apps for about $187 less than the usual price.

Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License

$32.97
$219.99 Save $187.02

Let’s talk about a rarity in life: software you can pay for once and actually own for life. That’s what you’re getting with Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows — a full productivity suite with no monthly fees, no auto-renewal traps, and no relying on the cloud to get things done.

For just $32.97, you’ll unlock lifetime access to the entire lineup of essential Office apps: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Teams, Publisher, and Access. Whether you’re a student, small business owner, side hustler, or spreadsheet enthusiast, it’s all here — without the bloat and recurring costs of other productivity services.

And yes, you can use these offline.

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rom that charming Airbnb in the woods, your tools are still at your fingertips. The interface is familiar, but optimized — think faster load times, smarter layouts, and an updated ribbon design that actually helps you find what you’re looking for.

There’s no subscription, no “basic” tier, and no nagging alerts reminding you to “upgrade.” Just a one-time license installed on your device that gives you what you need — permanently.

Also worth noting: this version is not linked to your Microsoft account, so everything lives locally on your machine. Translation? Less fuss, more function.

So if you’re tired of renting your software or counting down the days until your trial expires, grab this deal and get back to doing what matters — at home or at work — with tools you actually trust.

Pick up a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Pro 2021 for Windows while it’s just $32.97 (reg. $219.99).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

3 months of ChatGPT costs what ChatOn charges for 3 years of GPT, Claude, and Gemini

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 22:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: ChatOn AI Assistant Premium gives you access to GPT, Claude, Gemini, Sonar, and more in one app for $69.99 (regularly $119.99).

Credit: AIBY

ChatOn Multi-AI Assistant Premium Plan (3-Year Subscription)

$69.99
$119.99 Save $50

Most people paying for AI tools in 2026 have quietly ended up with two or three subscriptions running simultaneously. ChatGPT for one thing, Claude for another, maybe Gemini on top of that. It happens gradually, and then suddenly you’re spending $60 a month just to have the right tool for whatever you’re working on. The ChatOn AI Assistant Premium three-year subscription is $69.99 right now (regularly $119.99) — roughly what you’d spend in a single month across those three subscriptions separately.

To be straight with you about what you’re getting: ChatOn isn’t a direct replacement for a ChatGPT Plus or Claude Pro account. You won’t get day-one access to every lab-specific feature. What you do get is paid-tier access to GPT-5, GPT-4o, Claude 4.5 Sonnet, Gemini 2.5 Pro, and Perplexity Sonar in one app — more capable than the free versions, without the tab switching. Most users report never hitting the daily usage caps in normal use.

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It’s also worth noting how ChatOn differs from other consolidation apps. Unlike credit-based platforms, where unused monthly credits just disappear, ChatOn runs on a flat subscription. Your access doesn’t shrink based on how much you used last Tuesday.

All AI features on a single platform:

Real-time web search with cited sources
AI image generation and video creation
Document summarization and PDF support
OCR text extraction from images
Translation tools and voice input
100+ pre-built prompts for common tasks
Dedicated native iOS and Android app with cross-platform sync
Lovie Award winner for Best User Experience
100 million+ downloads, 4.7 App Store rating across 268K reviews

Three years of confirmed access from an app that 100 million people actually use is a pretty solid guarantee. When something has a 4.7 App Store rating across 268,000 reviews, it’s not because the marketing was good, it’s because the product works and people keep coming back to it.

Get the ChatOn AI Assistant Premium three-year subscription for $69.99 right now (regularly $119.99).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

How to watch Iran vs. New Zealand online for free

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 22:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Live stream Iran vs. New Zealand in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is finally here. We've got weeks of top international football from the best sides in the world to enjoy. What a time to be alive.

Iran face off against New Zealand in Group G. Belgium and Egypt make up the rest of this competitive group, so if Iran and New Zealand want to push towards the knockout rounds, they'll need a positive result in this opening game. Every game in this prestigious tournament is important, but the stakes are particularly high at the SoFi Stadium.

If you want to watch Iran vs. New Zealand in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Iran vs. New Zealand?

Iran vs. New Zealand in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 9 p.m. ET on June 15. This fixture takes place at the SoFi Stadium.

How to watch Iran vs. New Zealand for free

Iran vs. New Zealand in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

Live stream Iran vs. New Zealand for free by following these simple steps:

Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
Visit BBC iPlayer
Watch Iran vs. New Zealand for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Iran vs. New Zealand (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

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

Servers in 105 countries including the UK
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee

Live stream Iran vs. New Zealand in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

Prime Day isnt here yet, but these 3 noise-cancelling headphones are already at record prices

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 21:53:08 +0000

Best Prime Day deals on noise-cancelling headphones:

Best headphones deal

Sony WH-1000XM6

$398 (save $61.99)

Best earbuds deal

Apple AirPods Pro 3

$179 (save $70)

Cheapest option

CMF By Nothing Buds 2

$23.27 (save $25.73)

Amazon Prime Day is (nearly) upon us once more, but the retailer isn't making you wait for savings if noise-cancelling headphones are on your wishlist. In fact, some of our favorite noise-cancelling audio products are already at record prices.

The four-day sale doesn't officially kick off until June 23, but as of June 15, deals on flagship models from Sony, Bose, and Apple are already available. And it's not just the $400+ flagship headphones getting discounts. The mid-range Nothing Headphone (a) are down to $151, while one of our budget-friendly favorites, the JLab JBuds Lux ANC, is just $10 away from its record low price.

Earbuds have an impressive showing too, with the AirPods Pro 3 down to a record-low price ahead of the sale's start, plus markdowns on the newer Sony XM6 buds. You can also pick up the CMF by Nothing Buds 2 for just $23.27, making them the cheapest option on our list.

All this to say, if you're looking to shop early, there are some early Prime Day deals we can genuinely recommend. We'll be updating this guide as we approach the sale, but for now, check out the top deals so far.

Best ANC headphones deal

Credit: Sony

Sony WH-1000XM6

$398 at Amazon
$459.99 Save $61.99

Why we like it

The Sony XM6 headphones aren't a must-upgrade if you already own the XM5s — in fact, we find the two quite similar. That said, the XM6 headphones are a much more palatable upgrade at a sub-$400 price range, and bring the added convenience of folding ear cups, which is especially handy if you anticipate using them for travel often (which their excellent ANC does make them a great candidate for). At the time of writing, this sale price applies to all five of their colorways, including the newly released sandstone.

Read our full review on the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones.

More ANC headphones deals

JLab JBuds Lux ANC — $49.95 ~~$79.95~~ (save $30)
CMF BY Nothing Headphone Pro — $65 ~~$99~~ (save $24)
Sony WH-CH720N — $98 ~~$179.99~~ (save $81.99)
Sony ULT Wear — $144.95 ~~$249.99~~ (save $105.04)
Nothing Headphone (a) — $151.05 ~~$199~~ (save $47.95)
Beats Studio Pro — $169.95 ~~$199.95~~ (save $30)
Nothing Headphone (1) — $213.75 ~~$299~~ (save $85.25)
Sony WH-1000XM5 — $278 ~~$399.99~~ (save $121.99)
Bose QuietComfort Ultra — $329 ~~$429~~ (save $100)
Bose QuietComfort Ultra, 2nd gen — $379 ~~$449~~ (save $70)
Apple AirPods Max 2 — $499 ~~$549~~ (save $50)

Best ANC earbuds deal

Credit: Apple

Apple AirPods Pro 3

$179 at Amazon
$249 Save $70

Why we like it

The AirPods Pro have long been a great choice for any Apple power user, and the third generation of the earbuds is no different. In fact, it fills even more gaps than its predecessors. In addition to its solid sound quality and top notch ANC, these earbuds come in with live translation features, and a built-in heart rate monitor. At their full price, they're already on the cheaper end of premium flagship earbuds, but at $179, they're both at their lowest price ever and a nearly unbeatable value.

Read our full review of the Apple AirPods Pro 3.

More earbuds deals

CMF By Nothing Buds 2 — $23.27 ~~$49~~ (save $25.73)
Nothing Ear (3) — $128.25 ~~$179~~ (save $50.75)
Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 — $199.95 ~~$249.99~~ (save $50.04)
Technics EAH-AZ100 — $232.99 ~~$299.99~~ (save $67)
Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) — $249 ~~$299~~ (save $50)
Sony WF-1000XM6 — $298 ~~$329.99~~ (save $31.99)
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 — $449 ~~$499~~ (save $50)

Xbox executives depart while Compulsion Games shuts down

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 21:07:56 +0000

Corporate leadership changes rarely come without internal shakeups, reorganizations, and layoffs, and Xbox appears to be going through that right now.

Just a few months after longtime Xbox head Phil Spencer left the company and former AI executive Asha Sharma was put in charge, the gaming world received a duet of news stories from Xbox that paint a bleak picture of the internal state of Microsoft's gaming division. To start, news came on Monday morning that Xbox Game Studios head Craig Duncan and chief of staff Louise O'Connor had departed the company, per The Game Business. Then, a few hours later, Kotaku reported that Compulsion Games, developer of 2025 critical darling South of Midnight, was going through the process of being shut down.

It should be noted that this is very much a developing situation. Xbox has not officially confirmed the shutdown of Compulsion, and Kotaku reporter Rebekah Valentine noted on social media that studio leadership is in some sort of "negotations" with Microsoft over the fate of the development team. However, at least one Compulsion employee posted on social media today that they are looking for work.

Still, even with as much as we don't know right now, it doesn't feel like speculation to say things are difficult at Xbox right now, despite company leadership painting a more rosy picture publicly in recent months. For example, Xbox has been teasing its next console, dubbed "Project Helix," since March. The device was first hinted at in an interview with Mashable last year, and more recently, Xbox has sent Project Helix merch to some influencers and content creators. Xbox also recently started walking back its policy of allowing some first-party games to release on competing platforms, which could arguably be seen as a way to win the hearts and minds of longtime Xbox devotees.

Those gestures suggest that Microsoft is serious about the future of the Xbox brand, but more layoffs are also widely expected to come in the near future, per Bloomberg. Broadly speaking, Xbox has had a difficult time maintaining a steady cadence of game releases in recent years, and studio closures and layoffs are unlikely to help with that in the short term. There's also the longer-term question of the company's reputation among consumers; between game cancelations, studio closures, and Xbox's prominent place on the BDS boycott list due to Microsoft's relationship with the Israeli military, anecdotally I can say several people I know have sworn off of Xbox products for the time being.

It will be interesting to see if anything that happens over the next year or two can change that trend.

How to watch Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay online for free

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 20:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Live stream Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Group H in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is likely to be dominated by Spain and Uruguay, but don't count out Saudi Arabia. In this expanded tournament, the eight best third-placed teams will progress to the knockouts rounds. That very much opens the door to Saudi Arabia.

Uruguay will be relying on star names likes Federico Valverde, Manuel Ugarte, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Darwin Nunez. That's the sort of talent that could take Marcelo Bielsa's side into the latter stages.

If you want to watch Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay?

Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 6 p.m. ET on June 15. This fixture takes place at the Hard Rock Stadium.

How to watch Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay for free

Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

Live stream Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay for free by following these simple steps:

Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
Visit ITVX
Watch Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

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

Servers in 105 countries including the UK
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee

Live stream Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

Porn company can sue Meta for torrenting its adult films for AI training, judge rules

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 18:42:39 +0000

A federal judge has denied Meta's attempt to dismiss a lawsuit claiming it violated copyright law by torrenting (illegally downloading) porn to train its AI.

On June 11, U.S. District Judge Eumi K. Lee filed the order, stating that porn holding company, Strike 3 Holdings, and Counterlife Media (in which Strike 3 has a majority ownership interest), "have plausibly alleged that [Meta] is liable for direct, vicarious, and contributatory copyright infringement based on the torrenting of their films."

Strike 3 Holdings, which owns several popular porn sites like Blacked, according to 404 Media, first filed the lawsuit in July 2025. Strike 3 Holdings and Counterlife Media alleged that, between 2018 and 2025, Meta infringed on more than 2,300 copyrighted pornographic movies by downloading them to train its AI models. Meta is alleged to have used the popular torrenting program BitTorrent.

IP addresses that trace back to Meta's corporate offices acted "consistently in non-human patterns," the suit states, "involving mass infringement beyond what a human could consume." The companies are seeking damages up to $359 million.

Meta filed the motion to dismiss against the Strike 3 lawsuit in Oct., denying the claims and stating that they were "nonsensical and unsupported" and that the porn downloads were for "personal use." But in the order denying the motion, Lee remarked on the download patterns, such as the IP addresses torrenting similar files with the same name, all in one day, from cartoons to porn. "It strains credulity to suggest that these correlations are mere coincidence and the product of individual human selections," Lee wrote.

Now, the lawsuit can proceed.

Strike 3 and Counterlife Media became aware of Meta's BitTorrent activity through press coverage of the Jan. 2025 lawsuit against Meta. Discovery in that case revealed that the company pirated books for AI training. In June 2025, Meta won the case. However, as Mashable reported at the time, the judge in that case wrote that the plaintiffs may have been successful if they had made different legal arguments, leaving the door open for suits such as this one.

Mashable has reached out to Meta for comment.

After FIFA covered up Levis logo for the World Cup, the company changed its Instagram profile picture

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 18:35:13 +0000

Levi's, the iconic 153-year-old denim brand, is going viral over a bizarre incident at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. FIFA rules forced a cover-up the Levi's logo, which is part of the name and signage of a California stadium, before a World Cup match.

And now Levi's is covering up its logo on its Instagram profile, too.

Levi's is going all in on the coverup and has covered its logo on its Instagram profile too. Credit: Mashable screenshot

Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, hosted its first World Cup match between Switzerland and Qatar this past Saturday. However, during the World Cup, it's not known as Levi's Stadium. It's temporarily called the "San Francisco Bay Area Stadium." As part of FIFA's requirements for stadiums hosting the 2026 World Cup matches, Levi's was forced to cover the logo on the 68,000-person venue. FIFA required any brands found in the stadiums to be covered up if they aren't official sponsors of the World Cup.

However, unlike the other 11 NFL stadiums that were required to do the same, Levi's got creative with its forced cover-up.

Unlike, say, MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which just put up banners over the MetLife logo, Levi's instead wrapped a tight-fitting white tarp over its logo, which is still recognizable even though the name is obscured.

The brand also poked fun at the move in an Instagram Reel.

"Welcoming the world to the beautiful [redacted] stadium!" Levi's said in a Reel posted to their Instagram account on Sunday. The video shows the covered-up Levi's Stadium logo using the viral TikTok audio, "Nobody's Gonna Know."

But Levi's just took it a step further, too. The company has now also digitally covered the Levi's logo in its Instagram profile picture with a white tarp.

So for now, whether it's on Instagram or at the World Cup stadium in Santa Clara, Levi's will go by [redacted], the iconic denim jeans brand that everyone knows.

How to get AI to love your resume

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 17:26:34 +0000

"Staid." That’s how the Washington Post recently described the job market — not specifically in crisis, but the labor force is shrinking, and hiring is relatively anemic compared to the incredible growth seen after the ebbing of COVID. The unemployment rate in the U.S. ticked up from the 3-4 percent range in 2022-2024 and settled at around 4-5 percent in the last few years, with outside shocks like tariffs, wars, and the AI revolution hammering many industries. Silicon Valley has seen over 123,000 layoffs this year, according to Forbes, with generative AI cited as the main reason behind the cuts.

If AI is one of the problems bedeviling the job market, it's also seen by some as a solution. More than half of jobseekers utilize AI to write their resumes and cover letters, according to a LinkedIn survey. Employers are even more keen on using AI to screen candidates, with nearly 90 percent using it to rank or filter resumes, according to the World Economic Forum.

Making your resume and cover letter attractive to AI is much simpler than trying to slip in hidden words or prompts as some jobseekers have done (many employers now have software that catches those tricks, reports the New York Times).

Mashable connected with a handful of career experts on how to (ethically) get your resume to the top of the algorithms' piles. Our first expert, Jasmine Escalera, PhD, is a career coach who advises recruitment companies like Zety and Bold. Escalera said to keep it simple when it comes to your resume — and don't forget that human eyes will eventually be looking at your CV and cover letter.

So many people assume AI is doing the first pass on resumes. Is that true?

It's likely the case. We know the job market is very flooded. We know it’s a very challenging job market. We’ve seen jobs posted on LinkedIn, and within hours, they have hundreds of applicants.

AI, if it’s used by a company, is a first-round filter — to essentially be able to say, out of these hundreds of applicants, which no HR human could really go through on their own, how can we find the applicants that match the position the best?

So, in the second round, humans, individual eyes, can come onto the best talent within this pool and really see who can move forward with the interview process.

So, yes, and I know that can be very frustrating for job seekers, but we also want to understand the recruitment process. Because of the job market and how challenging it’s become, HR and recruiters are using [AI] to really filter through a very large applicant pool.

Is there an argument to be made that AI levels the playing field? Instead of a human sifting through a pile of resumes and seeing someone who went to their alma mater, it’s a computer without those biases.

Well, I remember when I was a jobseeker back in the day, when these kinds of AI tools didn’t necessarily exist — there were applicant tracking systems, but they didn’t work the way they do now. We were told, “Apply for a job on a Monday morning or even a Sunday night, so your application is at the top of the list." Or, "Don’t apply on these particular days." We were trying to come up with workarounds to get ourselves seen.

Now, the inherent bias sort of gets taken out of the occasion. Because every jobseeker now knows they have to get through the [Applicant Tracking System] and is using AI to help support them in resume building, it’s made it that much more complicated because now everybody knows what a keyword is, everyone knows what skills they need to put on a resume, everybody can use AI to help generate the most stellar bullets to stand out with quantifiable metrics. It’s made it much more challenging, and that’s why AI can be most helpful in filtering through this [for HR professionals].

But, ultimately, it is a filter. When you get to that human who’s looking at your resume, they’re likely going to be looking for something completely different than what the AI was looking for. Baseline, [at that point] they know the applicant pool is going to be stellar, that these applicants likely have all of the experience and skillsets they set [the AI to look] for. Now, what they’re looking for is differentiators. What differentiates resumes A, B, C, D, E, F, and G? And those differentiators are typically the things AI can’t create for you.

Does AI have a bias against resumes created with AI?

It’s very dependent on whatever system the employer is using, and I don’t have enough knowledge to know if these AI systems these employers use have triggers for AI-created resumes. However, there are AI tells.

There are specific ways AI creates resumes that tell whether AI just completely generated this. It’s a lot of amplification of the experience. They have so much jargon there; [the job descriptions make] you sound like you went to the moon. There’s a lot of extra words and verbiage.

So we want to make sure that if you are using AI, and I believe every jobseeker should use AI to support them in resume building — support is the key word — you have to go through and make sure this sounds like a human created it, there’s that human element to it, there’s storytelling involved in it. You can’t create a story-based resume that focuses on why you’re specifically perfect for this mission because, at the age of 10, you were baking cookies and selling them, and now you want to work for the Girl Scouts and sell and market their cookies.

There are so many sites that claim to help jobseekers optimize their resumes for AI. Can those websites be trusted?

It’s really about the research and looking into the different platforms you’re interested in and making sure other jobseekers have used it and had success with it. Just like if you were to purchase any kind of product, you’re going to want to know if that product is going to give you the best bang for your buck. A jobseeker should do the same due diligence when it comes to the platforms that help them build their resumes.

The great things about Claude, ChatGPT, and AI in general, outside of the AI resume builders, are that they can help you create these bullets of experiences and skill sets. Some of these other AI resume builders are really built to help you create the layout, the architecture, the design of the resume. That’s one thing to consider.

Cover letters are even more important now because that’s the opportunity to tell a story.

Any tips for making resumes stand out to the algorithms?

The number one thing is to make sure you’re using the job description as the template for your resume. You want to make sure the job description in your resume matches very closely, meaning the term they’re using, you’re using.

If you’re applying for a client success manager position, but you’re using "customer success manager," even that small keyword switch is going to make a difference. Follow the job description to a T. Typically, whatever bullets they have at the beginning of the job description are usually the most high priority items for this position, in terms of experience, knowledge, and showing you’re capable of doing those tasks.

A great thing to do is to take that job description and put it through a Claude or a ChatGPT and ask it specifically, "What are the key words I should make sure are in the resume? What are the top experiences or work tasks this job is asking me to focus on?"

We’re talking about resumes, but one of the biggest things that people often ask me is, “Do you really need a cover letter?” People hate cover letters. And now, because resumes can be so well-crafted and so well-generated with AI, I believe cover letters are even more important because that’s the opportunity to tell a story. That's the opportunity to say why this organization matters to you so much.

You also want to think about those differentiators — what’s going to make me stand out in the resume? Where can I add specific elements that will really connect with this organization’s mission, and how can I use my cover letter to tell my story as well?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide: Everything we know

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 17:22:33 +0000

Blurry restaurant photos, Amazon case listings, and leaked specs are providing an early look at Samsung’s next foldable phone. While nothing is official yet, the available information is starting to paint a clearer picture of what the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide could bring when it launches.

Ive covered Amazon Prime Day for 7 years. Here are the MacBook deals I think well see this time.

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 17:13:58 +0000

Prime Day 2026 is nearly upon us — and so is one of the best times to get a deal on a MacBook. I've covered Amazon's flagship summer sale for seven years straight now, and I've noticed that Apple's laptops always fall to extra-low prices as part of the festivities. (If they don't hit record-lows, they at least get close.)

Every current MacBook is already on sale ahead of Prime Day, which runs from June 23 to 26, but I wouldn't recommend grabbing one just yet. Amazon likes to save its best deals for Prime Day proper, meaning their discounts will likely increase once the sale starts next week. We could even get our first big discount on the new budget MacBook Neo; this is its first Prime Day ever.

Read on for my predictions for the best Prime Day MacBook deals, from the Neo to the M5 MacBook Air and the M5 MacBook Pros. Now is also a good time to check out my separate MacBook buying guide if you're not sure which model is right for you.

Prime Day MacBook Neo deals to look for

Amazon hasn't been totally resistant to putting the Neo on sale — it's been $9 off for several weeks now — but it doesn't get the same big price cuts as Apple's other laptops. (This is probably because it's already a bargain at full price.) With that in mind, I wouldn't count on Amazon matching Apple's $100 student discount on Prime Day; it's still the best way to buy the Neo if you're eligible. But I could see Amazon dropping the base model to $549, or $50 off, luring back-to-school shoppers who don't quality for Apple's education pricing.

Read our review of the MacBook Neo.

The best early Prime Day MacBook Neo deals for now:

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

$589.99 (save $9.01)

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

$689.99 (save $9.01)

Prime Day MacBook Air deals to look for

Last year's 13- and 15-inch M4 MacBook Airs got $150 discounts for Prime Day 2025, but we've already seen the newer M5 models go on sale for $200 off this spring. While those deals weren't still live at the time of writing. I expect Amazon to revive them once Prime Day begins next week. Look for records low of $899 for the 13-inch configuration and $1,099 for its 15-inch sibling.

Read our review of the M5 MacBook Air.

The best early Prime Day MacBook Air deals for now:

Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)

$949.99 (save $149.01)

Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)

$1,149.99 (save $149.01)

Prime Day MacBook Pro deals to look for

The base 14-inch MacBook Pro features an M5 chip, 16GB of RAM, and a terabyte of storage. Amazon is currently selling it for $1,549, or $150 off, but I wouldn't add it to my cart just yet. It fell to $1,499 earlier this month, and that all-time low will likely return come Prime Day. You might have to be a little patient, though: Last year, an identically configured M4 MacBook Pro didn't get a $200 discount until the fourth (last) day of the sale.

If you need even more power for professional creative or AI work, there's also a 16-inch MacBook Pro that's configurable with the M5 Pro or M5 Max chip. If anything, the starting M5 Max model is a relatively safe buy right now: It's currently on sale at its record-low price of $3,349, or $250 off. (The M5 Pro base model is still $60-ish away from its own record low of $1,983.94, which would save you about $215.) However, its M4 Max counterpart also got much cheaper as Prime Day progressed last year — to the tune of over $400 off. When you're dropping this much cash on a new laptop, I think it's wise to wait and see if prices drop even further.

Read our review of the M5 MacBook Pro.

The best early Prime Day MacBook Pro deals for now:

Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD)

$1,549 (save $150)

Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Pro, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD)

$2,045 (save $154)

Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Max, 36GB RAM, 2TB SSD)

$3,349 (save $250)

Nvidias RTX Spark is big news, but its not for everyone

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 17:13:10 +0000

The RTX Spark laptop platform is a big deal for AI developers and power users working with giant models on Windows, but its impact on the PC market will be longer-term. PCMag's John Burek explains.

Amazon devices are up to 65% off ahead of Prime Day — shop Fire TVs and Blink cameras

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 17:04:42 +0000

Best Early Prime Day Amazon Device Deals

Best Amazon Fire TV Deals

Toshiba 43-inch Class C350 LED 4K Smart TV

$139.98 (Save $160.01)

Best Amazon Home Security Deal

Blink Outdoor 4 XR 6-Camera System

$146.99 (Save $273)

Best Amazon Smart Home Deal

Amazon Eero Pro 6E Mesh WiFi System

$329.99 (Save $120)

The countdown is on for Prime Day. Amazon's annual flagship sale runs June 23 to 26, but deals are here already. We always expect some of the best deals during Prime Day to be on Amazon's very own devices, and that's certainly the case ahead of the sale. Prices have been slashed on Amazon devices with discounts up to 65% off.

Some of the biggest savings are on Amazon Fire TVs. Every size and a variety of brands are all on sale, saving you hundreds of dollars on 4K TVs. But there are also some big savings on home security and smart home devices, too.

So what's not on sale right now? Unfortunately, Kindles. That's not to say they won't be, we just expect those deals to drop once Prime Day actually starts. Echo devices are also not on sale at the moment (besides the Echo Glow) so we're patiently waiting for more.

Here are all the early Prime Day deals on Amazon devices to start shopping now.

Best early Prime Day Amazon Fire TV deals

Credit: Toshiba

Toshiba 43-inch Class C350 LED 4K Smart TV

$139.98 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $160.01

There's nothing better than a smart TV that provides access to all your favorite streaming services, no extraneous streaming sticks or devices needed. Ahead of Prime Day, the Fire TV sales are plentiful. The best deal is on the Toshiba 43-inch Class C350 LED 4K Smart TV, which is down to $139.98, saving you over $160 off. This 4K TV comes equipped with Dolby Vision Atmos for clearer sound and picture for the best possible viewing experience.

TV deals move fast during big sales so if this deal looks good to you, buy it quick before it sells out.

More Amazon Fire TV deals

Insignia 24-inch F40 Series LED Smart Fire TV — $59.99 ~~$79.99~~ (save $20)
Insignia 32-inch F20 Series LED Smart Fire TV — $69.99 ~~$129.99~~ (save $60)
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Best early Prime Day home security deal

Credit: Amazon

Blink Outdoor 4 XR 6-Camera System

$146.99 at Amazon
$419.99 Save $273

Looking to boost your home's security? Well ahead of Prime Day, find major savings on Amazon's Blink security cameras. Right now the Blink Outdoor 4 XR is down to $146.99. That saves you $273 off the six camera system. The XR cameras in this bundle provides a 70% more reliable wireless connection with fewer disconnections to WiFi so you can feel more secure in your security system. Plus, the cameras have a two-year battery life.

More Amazon home security deals

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Best early Prime Day smart home deal

Credit: Amazon

Amazon Eero Pro 6E Mesh WiFi System

$329.99 at Amazon
$449.99 Save $120

If your WiFi isn't cutting it, it might be time to optimize with Amazon Eero system. Ahead of Prime Day the Eero Pro 6E Mesh WiFi system is down to $329.99, saving you $120 off its $449.99 price tag. It supports over 100 devices over 6,000+ square feet. Even if you're not the most technologically savvy, set-up will be a breeze thanks to the step by step guide in Eero's app.

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How to watch Belgium vs. Egypt online for free

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 17:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Live stream Belgium vs. Egypt in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The first round of 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage fixtures has thrown together some really interesting matchups, but Belgium vs. Egypt stands out in the schedule.

These sides are probably favorites to progress from Group G into the knockout rounds, but only one team can finish top. This will be a fascinating battle between two teams stacked with talent, with all eyes on the likes of Mohamed Salah and Jérémy Doku. We've already seen some really intense contests from this competition, and this looks like one of the most difficult games to predict ahead of kick off.

If you want to watch Belgium vs. Egypt in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Belgium vs. Egypt?

Belgium vs. Egypt in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on June 15. This fixture takes place at Lumen Field.

How to watch Belgium vs. Egypt for free

Belgium vs. Egypt in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

Live stream Belgium vs. Egypt for free by following these simple steps:

Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
Visit BBC iPlayer
Watch Belgium vs. Egypt for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Belgium vs. Egypt (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

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

Servers in 105 countries including the UK
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee

Live stream Belgium vs. Egypt in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

World Cup players tease mystery Beats headphones with never-before-seen colorways and unique design

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 16:59:21 +0000

Keeping a close eye on the players of the 2026 FIFA World Cup means you get to watch some excellent soccer, but lately, it also means getting tuned into the latest audio release ahead of everyone else.

As reported by AppleInsider, three players have been spotted wearing a mystery pair of over-ear Beats headphones. The headphones appear different from everything Beats has released before, featuring new colorways, ultra-thick ear cushions, and a slim outer speaker section.

The new headphones didn't come entirely out of left field, with an FCC filing from March showing that Apple had an unreleased pair of Bluetooth over-ear headphones in the works, as reported by MacRumors.

Who's been spotted with the new Beats headphones?

So far, we've seen three World Cup players don the headphones. The first tease came from Spanish player Lamine Yamal, who was spotted stepping off the plane in Tennessee on June 5 with not one, but two pairs of the Beats headphones — one that was entirely light pink, and one that was entirely cream.

The Spanish soccer star stepped out with two pairs of the unreleased Beats headphones. Credit: Getty Images / Coral Scoles-Coburn

He later posted the light pink pair of headphones on June 11, with the cans slung around the handle of his bag once more. This time, the picture was buried deep in an Instagram carousel.

U.S. player Antonee Robinson was the next to post the headphones, posting a picture on June 14 of him wearing a two-toned pair of cans with a white exterior and dark blue ear cups. Zooming into the picture also shows what looks like a glint of metal on the adjustable part of the headband.

Robinson wore the Beats headphones ahead of the June 12 match up between the US and Paraguay. Credit: Getty Images / Credit: John Dorton/USSF

Finally, South Korean player Kang-in Lee also included two photos of himself wearing the headphones around his neck in a June 14 Instagram post. This time, the headphones had the same white exterior as Robinson's pair but featured neon yellow-green ear cushions. Once again, zooming in on the photo shows a glint of a metal-like adjustable arm of the headband.

Discerning eyes can spot the bright ear cushions of Lee's headphones under his hood as he heads to the June 11 match up of South Korea and Czechia. Credit: Getty Images / Credit: Julian Finney/ FIFA

Everything we know about the headphones so far

It's unclear so far whether these headphones are an updated design or limited-edition of an existing Beats product, or entirely new headphones. What we do know is that the brand's only pair of over-ear headphones, the Beats Studio Pro, were released in 2023, so an update isn't out of the question.

That said, it remains possible that Beats expands its lineup, possibly with a more premium pair of cans. It's a move Sony just pulled with their Collexion headphones. Plus, with the Studio Pros being $349.99, Beats has the room to grow — noise cancelling flagships from Sony, Bose, and Apple all sit in the $450 and up range.

As for the design of these headphones, there's some speculation as to whether the two-tone colorways spotted on Lee and Robinson indicate some kind of customizability for the headphones (which we have seen before). The headphones also feature USB-C charging and at least one on-ear tactile button. The possible metal section of the headband might suggest these headphones aren't foldable, which would be a deviation from the design of the Beats Studio Pro.

Beats loves to cater to a more athletic crowd (hence the venue for the tease out of these headphones), so it's also possible we'll see some built-in health features like the heart-rate monitoring included on last year's Beats Powerbeats Pro 2.

We've reached out to a Beats representative for comment and will update this article if we recieve more information.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is already $60 off before Prime Day

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 16:46:24 +0000

SAVE $60: The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (44mm, LTE) is on sale at Amazon for $369.99, down from the list price of $429.99. That's a 14% discount.

Credit: Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (44mm, LTE)

$369.99 at Amazon
$429.99 Save $60

A smartwatch has become part of our daily tech arsenal. We use them to track fitness, sleep, keep an eye on the time, and write quick replies to text messages. Apple Watches have become a standard among iPhone users, but for those who have Android devices, there's the lineup of Samsung Galaxy Watches. Before the Galaxy Watch 9 launches, the Galaxy 8 is seeing significant discounts.

As of June 15, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (44mm, LTE) is on sale at Amazon for $369.99, marked down from the list price of $429.99. That takes $60 off the price thanks to the 14% discount.

Mashable's review of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 praised its bright display, attractive looks, and smart health features. Reviewer Adam Doud mentioned one of the only negatives is its battery life, which lands somewhere in the 33 to 35 hour range.

Otherwise, Doud left impressed by the watch and wrote, "I really like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, despite the battery life. I love the classy look, the software is really tight, and the Google Gemini integration is a big perk."

The Galaxy Watch 8 has a slimmer profile compared to previous models, meaning it'll lie flatter on your wrist. This is the first Samsung Watch to have Google Gemini on the watch face. It also runs Samsung Health which can help out with fitness goals, sleep, energy, BMI, and more.

For those hoping to have an active summer, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 has a built-in running coach that can give you real-time feedback and help with analyzing performance.

For anyone looking for a new smartwatch, consider today's sale price on the worthwhile Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (44mm, LTE). It's down to under $370 at Amazon in both silver and graphite colorways.

Why a toothy monster named Labubu is taking over the World Cup (and where to buy one)

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 16:05:01 +0000

TL;DR: Pop Mart's Labubu World Cup 2026 collection is available on Amazon and through select retailers. You can grab the "Catch the Win" plush and keychains right now with Prime shipping.

Where to buy Labubu World Cup 2026 collectibles:

Pop Mart The Monsters × FIFA Series "Catch the Win" Vinyl Plush Doll

$149.99

Pop Mart The Monsters × FIFA Series Vinyl Plush Keychain

$32.99

Pop Mart The Monsters X FIFA Series Bottle Opener Fridge Magnet

$15.99

If you tuned into the FIFA World Cup 2026 opening ceremony in Mexico City last week, you probably noticed giant, pointy-eared plush figures running around and stealing the spotlight. That's Labubu — the mischievous, cult-favorite character from Pop Mart's "The Monsters" series. Pop Mart and FIFA collaborated on a limited-edition "The Monsters x FIFA Series" to celebrate the tournament.

Between the viral World Cup cameo and making history as the very first Chinese IP to make an appearance at the event, fans and collectors are currently clearing out inventory wherever they can find it.

If you want to get your hands on one before they sell out, your best bet right now is Amazon. Pop Mart recently opened an official storefront on the site, so you can grab the "Catch the Win" Vinyl Plush Doll for $149.99, plus a handful of themed World Cup keychains.

Word of caution: If Amazon sells out and you end up buying from an authorized third-party retailer (like BoxLunch, Hot Topic, or Walmart), make sure to check the box when it arrives. Every legit Labubu comes with a holographic security sticker and a QR code that links directly to Pop Mart's database for verification. You can also just count the teeth — a real Labubu has nine.

Trump threatens 100% tariffs on wine if France wont drop tech tax

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:53:39 +0000

President Donald Trump is threatening to impose 100 percent tariffs on French wines and champagne unless France eliminates its digital services tax on American tech companies, according to an exclusive interview published Sunday by the New York Post, a conservative-leaning outlet.

Trump told the Post he delivered the ultimatum personally to outgoing French President Emmanuel Macron, giving him a straightforward choice: scrap the tech tax or lose access to the U.S. market, which the Post reports accounts for roughly a fifth of the French wine industry's global sales.

France's digital services tax — known as the GAFAM tax — has been in place since 2019, applying a 3 percent levy on local revenues generated by companies like Google, Amazon, Meta, and Apple. According to the French finance ministry, it generated roughly $700 million last year.

The threat lands ahead of Monday's G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, and directly contradicts claims from Macron's office last week that the dispute had been quietly resolved. A U.S. official reportedly dismissed that characterization as inaccurate, according to the Post.

France appears increasingly isolated on the issue. Canada dropped its own digital tax in 2025 under U.S. pressure, and Italy is reportedly weighing a similar retreat with the Italian digital services tax.

Before Prime Day, the Aiper Scuba V3 robot pool cleaner is down to a record-low price

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:45:33 +0000

SAVE $550.02: The Aiper Scuba V3 robot pool cleaner is on sale at Amazon for $849.97, down from the normal price of $1,399.99. That's a 39% discount and the lowest we've seen at Amazon.

Credit: Aiper

Aiper Scuba V3

$849.97 at Amazon
$1,399.99 Save $550.02

It's time to enjoy pool season. A morning dip, an afternoon cool-off, or an all-day pool party are all on the schedule for the summer. There's just one thing sitting in the way — cleaning the pool. If you dread the wind that bring leaves, sand, and dirt into the pool because it means extra cleaning, check out this deal.

For a limited time only on June 15, the Aiper Scuba V3 robot pool cleaner is on sale at Amazon for $849.97, marked down from the normal price of $1,399.99. That's a 39% discount and the lowest we've seen at Amazon. Plus, it comes with free Aiper micron ultra-fine replacement filters which usually sell for $59.99.

The Aiper Scuba V3 would like to take over the chore of cleaning the pool this summer. It uses AI vision to navigate the pool while scrubbing and filtering. The multi-layer filtration is designed to capture large items like leaves, twigs, and insects. But it's also capable of ridding your pool of sand, hair, algae, and even microorganisms.

From the Aiper app, you'll be able to schedule a cleaning calendar for the Scuba V3. Tell it to clean the floor every other day and tackle the walls twice a week. There's also the option for it to clean up the waterline. After its cleaning session, the Aiper will park on the waterline, making for easy retrieval. Place it on the included wireless charging dock, and it'll be ready for the next cleaning session.

Aiper equipped the Scuba V3 with dual LED lights so the AI vision system can clean at any time, even in the dark of night. That same AI vision is designed with obstacle avoidance, so the robot pool cleaner will navigate around toys, bricks, and even frogs.

Plus, the Aiper is designed to clean all pool shapes, from rectangular to customized. It's capable of cleaning pools made of concrete, fiberglass, tiles, and vinyl liners.

While it's still at the lowest price we've seen, upgrade the summer with the Aiper Scuba V3. But move quickly because the sale price is set to expire today.

FIFA World Cup schedule today: Games, kickoff times, livestream info for June 15

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:36:20 +0000

The 2026 World Cup is very much up and running. The group stage has only just started, but it already feels like we've been treated to some epic clashes between star-studded teams. And the atmosphere in the stadiums has been great, despite the heat.

Today, June 15, is another huge day with four matchups in the U.S.. The action starts at 12 p.m. ET. The schedule is hectic and it can feel overwhelming, so we've broken down the details for you below. Here's what you need to know to tune in live today.

FIFA World Cup schedule today: June 15

Group H: Spain vs. Cape Verde (Atlanta Stadium) — kickoff at 12 p.m. ET
Group G: Belgium vs. Egypt (Seattle Stadium) — kickoff at 3 p.m. ET
Group H: Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay (Miami Stadium) — kickoff at 6 p.m. ET
Group G: Iran vs. New Zealand (Los Angeles Stadium) — kickoff at 9 p.m. ET

How to livestream FIFA World Cup games today

Watch Spain vs. Cape Verde

Spain are one of the favorites to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They will be expected to progress from Group H with ease, but they'll be anxious to start well against a Cape Verde side. Kickoff is at 12 p.m. ET, and live coverage will be on Fox and Fox One. Peacock will carry the live Spanish-language coverage.

Watch Belgium vs. Egypt

These sides are probably favorites to progress from Group G, but only one team can finish top. We're expecting a real battle. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET, and coverage will be on Fox and Fox One, with Spanish-language coverage on Peacock.

Watch Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay

Uruguay will be favorites to win this one, but don't count out Saudi Arabia just yet. This matchup kicks off at 6 p.m. ET and live coverage will be on FS1 and Fox One. Spanish-language coverage will be streaming on Peacock.

Watch Iran vs. New Zealand

OK, this isn't the most exciting matchup on paper, but this game is vital. Belgium and Egypt are favorites in this group, so a defeat here would be disastrous for these teams. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m ET, and live coverage is on FS1 and Fox One, with Spanish-language coverage on Peacock.

Credit: Fox One

Fox One (3-Month Subscription)

$39.98
$59.97 Save $19.99

Credit: Peacock

Peacock (Spanish Language)

Starting at $10.99/month

More live streaming options

Live TV cable replacement

Not interested in signing up for a standalone streaming service like Fox One or Peacock? You can sign up for a live TV cable replacement service, like YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV.

These services carry over 100 live channels, but run off a WiFi connection. You'll get live access to Fox and FS1, plus a whole lot more. Here are some options to consider:

YouTube TV — 10-day trial, then $67.99/month for 3 months
Fubo Sports — 1-day trial, then $45.99/month for 1 month
Hulu + Live TV — 3-day trial, then $89.99/month

Watch the World Cup for free with a VPN

It's possible to watch the World Cup for free on international services like ITVX, BBC iPlayer, NOS, or RTÉ. You just need a VPN.

We recommend ExpressVPN — a Mashable-tested service and an Official Tournament Supporter of the FIFA World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Europe — as our VPN of choice for sport. It offers servers in 105 countries, a user-friendly app available on all major devices, a speedy connection, up to 10 simultaneous connections, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Our global World Cup watch guide can walk you through the process.

Credit: ExpresVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

IShowSpeed had no idea he was sitting next to NYC Mayor Mamdani at the World Cup

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:29:40 +0000

Between the New York Knicks winning the NBA championship to FIFA World Cup fever currently running rampant in New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has been all over the place lately. It's hard to imagine that there's someone who doesn't know who he is.

Well, apparently, there is at least one person who wouldn't recognize Mayor Mamdani if he was, say, sitting right next to him at a World Cup game.

YouTube megastar IShowSpeed attended the first World Cup 2026 game at NYNJ stadium, aka MetLife Stadium, between Brazil and Morocco on Saturday. Naturally, Speed livestreamed from the match for 2 and a half hours.

At around the 2-hour and 11-minute mark, Speed moves to a new section and takes a seat. His viewers in the livestream chat immediately erupt as they realize that Mayor Mamdani could be seen in the background, sitting just two seats away in the same aisle as Speed.

"Mayor? You the Mayor?" Speed says as he checks his livestream chat two minutes after taking his new seat.

In a now viral video clipped from the livestream, Speed turns to Mamdani and asks if he's the Mayor. Mamdani confirms that he is indeed the Mayor of New York City and Speed shakes his hand.

This wasn't a case of Speed not realizing he was sitting next to Mamdani. Incredibly, Speed did not seem to know who Mamdani even was once he saw him.

But it did make for yet another amazing moment at the 2026 World Cup.

Early Prime Day gaming monitor deal: This dazzling ASUS ROG Strix OLED pick is down to its best price ever

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:14:27 +0000

SAVE $350: As of June 15, the ASUS 34-inch ROG Strix Ultrawide QD-OLED gaming monitor is on sale for just $649 instead of $999 at Amazon ahead of Prime Day. That's 35% in savings and its best price ever.

Credit: ASUS

ASUS 34-inch ROG Strix Ultrawide QD-OLED gaming monitor (XG34WCDG)

$649 at Amazon
$999 Save $350

Upgrading your gaming monitor to an OLED model can completely transform your experience. With extremely high contrast, true blacks, and a wide color gamut, an OLED monitor is basically like eye candy. The market is wide and varied, but we're here to offer a little advice: grab this ASUS 34-inch ultrawide OLED monitor while it's the cheapest it's ever been.

As of June 15, the ASUS 34-inch ROG Strix Ultrawide QD-OLED gaming monitor (XG34WCDG) is only $649 at Amazon ahead of Prime Day. That's a massive $350 or 35% discount and beats its previous record-low price by about $50. If you want to upgrade without emptying your wallet, this is a hard deal to pass up.

This monitor features a 3440x1440 OLED display with a subtle 1800R curvature and 21:9 aspect ratio. Unlike a more aggressive curved display, it won't take a lot of time to get used to. It will subtly wrap the action around you and make your games feel more immersive while actually increasing your eye comfort.

Other perks are a 175Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms response time, Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro compatibility, and ROG gaming AI tech, all of which enhance your gaming experience. Plus, as I mentioned, the OLED panel has an extremely high contrast ratio that'll make your gaming visuals pop.

If your gaming setup is feeling a little lackluster, the ASUS XG34WCDG monitor will give you the ol' razzle-dazzle. And if you snag it ahead of Prime Day, it'll cost you significantly less than usual.

Fox to buy Roku in $22 billion streaming deal

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:08:56 +0000

The world of streaming just got a big corporate makeover.

In a press release on Monday, Roku, a major streaming company, announced it would be acquired by Fox for $22 billion. The idea, per the press release, is to combine Fox's extensive media empire (which includes lots of live sports and news content) with Roku's enormous reach as a streaming platform and hardware provider.

Fox and Roku said that Roku's streaming platform, whether it's through built-in operating systems on smart TVs or external hardware, reaches 100 million households globally.

This deal will give Fox the third-largest share of the U.S. television market, per the release.

This acquisition makes a lot of sense for Fox, as the media giant has a huge audience across live sports and news, but aside from Tubi (which it acquired in 2020), Fox's streaming footprint hasn't been especially large to this point. Many people use Roku's operating system and devices, and Fox might be able to drive viewership to things like baseball games, NASCAR races, or live news coverage using its newfound streaming reach.

However, between this deal and the still-in-flux merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, it does increasingly feel like everything is owned by a total of three or four companies.

House of the Dragon review: Season 3 atones for the sins of Season 2

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Let's face it: Season 2 of House of the Dragon promised fire and blood, but its baffling finale felt more like a puff of smoke.

The season fizzled to an ending with zero catharsis, forced Game of Thrones references, and a highlight reel of what was to come. In some ways, that structure mirrored the season's core conflict. For all of Season 2, Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) and Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) tried everything they could to prevent all-out war. But while their stalling to prevent the inevitable was rooted deeply in the story, the show's own reluctance to leap into the next phase of George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood felt more like it was spinning its wheels until Season 3.

Now, the third season of House of the Dragon is finally here, and its first four episodes manage to make up for Season 2's finale and then some, delivering jaw-dropping spectacle and somber truths about the cost of war.

House of the Dragon's Battle of the Gullet is spectacular.

Steve Toussaint in "House of the Dragon." Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO

Remember how barely an episode of House of the Dragon Season 2 went by without a mention of Corlys Velaryon's (Steve Toussaint) naval blockade in the Gullet? We finally get the payoff for that blockade at the top of Season 3, as the Triarchy's fleet bears down on the Sea Snake's forces. The ensuing clash, known as the Battle of the Gullet, is one of the defining fights of the Dance of the Dragons — the royal succession civil war between Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) and Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney).

Given that so much of Season 2 was building to this point — hence the fan frustration that it wasn't included — the pressure on House of the Dragon to pull off this battle is immense. Thankfully, the series more than delivers, with a sequence that had me yelling and pacing around my living room while also thinking, "We're so back."

A dazzling set piece involving ships, human soldiers, and multiple dragons, the Battle of the Gullet sets a new bar for Westerosi action. Every element is honed for maximum impact, from long takes of sailors boarding enemy ships to sweeping shots of dragons dive bombing the fleet. The battle, directed by Loni Peristere, wrings epic terror and awe from those big moments, but it also strikes gold in quieter moments, like a suspenseful boat chase that quickly becomes a stealth highlight of the episode.

Oh, and did I mention that this all takes place during the day, so you can make out every ounce of action taking place onscreen? For a franchise whose biggest battles have often been marred by darkness (looking at you, Battle of Winterfell), the Battle of the Gullet is a welcome adjustment. And, based on the first four episodes sent to critics for review, it's only the beginning for House of the Dragon Season 3's big action sequences.

House of the Dragon Season 3 pushes Rhaenyra to the brink.

Emma D'Arcy in "House of the Dragon." Credit: HBO

The Battle of the Gullet isn't just an emphatic statement to open Season 3. It's also a major turning point for the Dance of the Dragons, and for Rhaenyra in particular. All throughout House of the Dragon, she has balked at violence, worried at the havoc dragon warfare would wreak on the wider realm. By Season 3, though, Rhaenyra has lost so much to this conflict that she needs to do whatever she can to see it through. Only by taking the Iron Throne can she justify the pain she's experienced. That means making impossible choices and committing to violence she once would have shunned, sometimes carrying it out with her own hands. As she does, House of the Dragon asks, even after all this, will victory be worth it?

It's a haunting question, one that House of the Dragon teases out with tinges of psychological horror in the aftermath of the Battle of the Gullet. D'Arcy has always been magnificent as Rhaenyra, but here, they reach new heights with their raw portrayal of the queen's grief and rage. Their trembling hands and wracking sobs were just as wrenching as some of the Battle of the Gullet's most devastating moments, proving that House of the Dragon can match its biggest set pieces with pure human drama.

While the first half of House of the Dragon Season 3 manages to atone for Season 2's ending, it still commits its share of familiar sins. Threats of sexual violence towards women abound unnecessarily in these episodes, a trend that harkens back to Game of Thrones' worst moments. (Although thankfully nothing here is nearly as graphic.) Elsewhere, several plot threads feel stagnant, with once major players like Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) getting so little to do they may as well be set dressing. Their decreased roles may wind up paying off down the road, though, just like the many, many changes the show makes from Fire and Blood. While the latter reportedly strained the relationship between Martin and showrunner Ryan Condal, these changes do muddy the Targaryens' already very complicated relationships in intriguing ways, to the point that I'm more fascinated at how the writers came to these new arcs than mad at not getting a precise adaptation.

Despite the occasional low point and my misgivings following Season 2, House of the Dragon Season 3 flies high. Instead of spinning its wheels, it roars into the Targaryens' bloody future with action and creeping dread to spare, and that assurance and forward momentum turns out to be exactly what the show needs.

House of the Dragon Season 3 premieres June 21 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max, with a new episode every Sunday.

Samsungs 49-inch Odyssey G9 monitor just hit its lowest price ever

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 14:53:30 +0000

SAVE 34%: As of June 15, you can get the Samsung 49-inch Odyssey G9 (G95C) series curved gaming monitor for $664.99, down from $999.99, at Amazon. That's a 34% discount or $335 savings.

Samsung 49-inch Odyssey G9 (G95C) series curved gaming monitor

$664.99 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $335

Prime Day is still a week away, but Amazon's been discounting random tech since the beginning of June. (We're definitely excited to see just how low they're willing to go once the sale begins.) And, if you're looking for a new gaming monitor, now might be the time to get one.

As of June 15, you can get the Samsung 49-inch Odyssey G9 (G95C) curved gaming monitor at Amazon for $664.99, down from $999.99. That's a 34% discount or $335 savings. It's also the lowest price we've tracked on this model to date.

If you've never used a 49-inch monitor before, it essentially replaces a dual-screen setup without the plastic bezel cutting down the middle. This model has a 32:9 aspect ratio and a 1000R curve, which means the screen curves to match your field of view so you don't have to crane your neck to look at the edges.

Spec-wise, it offers a 240Hz refresh rate and a 1ms response time to reduce lag, and it uses AMD FreeSync Premium Pro to help prevent screen tearing. Just make sure you already have an HDMI cable lying around; this specific discounted listing only includes a DisplayPort cable. (If you select the bundle that includes both the DP and HDMI cables, the price jumps to $1,234.99.)

How to watch Spain vs. Cape Verde online for free

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 14:23:46 +0000

TL;DR: Live stream Spain vs. Cape Verde in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Spain are one of the favorites to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They will be expected to progress from Group H with ease. Sure, Uruguay are tough opposition, but Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde will need to do something special to get anything from the Euro 2024 winners.

Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams are not likely to feature at this stage, with both returning from injuries recently. It's not like Spain are short of top-quality replacements. It's going to be an exceptionally tough matchup for Cape Verde, but anything is possible in the World Cup.

If you want to watch Spain vs. Cape Verde in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Spain vs. Cape Verde?

Spain vs. Cape Verde in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 12 p.m. ET on June 15. This fixture takes place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

How to watch Spain vs. Cape Verde for free

Spain vs. Cape Verde in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

Live stream Spain vs. Cape Verde for free by following these simple steps:

Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
Visit ITVX
Watch Spain vs. Cape Verde for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Spain vs. Cape Verde (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

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

Servers in 105 countries including the UK
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee

Live stream Spain vs. Cape Verde in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

The best deals this week, according to Mashables team of shopping experts

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 14:23:32 +0000

We're always looking for new and inventive ways to hit you with big savings on popular items. We cover hundreds of deals every month. You can find these deals on site, on socials, and on our newsletter. We've also launched a Mashable Deals text group. The daily deals that we send to this group are researched and assessed by the team with the same level of care that we dedicate to the rest of our shopping content.

You can find a live hub for those deals right here.

The CMF Watch 3 Pro is the cheapest its ever been pre-Prime Day — get it for under $65

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 14:18:00 +0000

SAVE $37.25: As of June 15, the Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro is on sale for just $61.75 at Amazon ahead of Prime Day. That's a savings of 38% and its lowest price ever.

Credit: Nothing

Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro

$61.75 at Amazon
$99 Save $37.25

It's hard to believe there's a smartwatch on the market that costs less than $100, let alone one that performs as well as the CMF Watch 3 Pro. It's the best smartwatch you've probably never heard of and one of Mashable's favorites from last year. And now it's down to its lowest price ever ahead of Prime Day, making it an absolute steal.

As of June 15, Nothing's CMF Watch 3 Pro is just $61.75 in every color. That's a 38% or $37.25 discount and the first time every color option has dropped to a price this low. To put that in perspective, you could buy 3.5 of these CMF smartwatches for the cost of one Apple Watch SE 3 (Apple's cheapest smartwatch).

Mashable's reviewer Lauren Allain said the CMF Watch 3 Pro "looks, feels, and functions like a smartwatch that costs hundreds more." She tested the watch last fall and still wears it daily. It offers a surprising amount of features for the price, including stress tracking, blood oxygen monitoring, precise heart-rate monitoring, dual-band GPS tracing, and in-depth sleep tracking. But where it really beats its competitors is in battery life. As Allain writes, "it just would not die." She had to toggle on some extra features just to wear it down in testing; it finally died after 16 days. Thats 15 more days than the Apple Watch lasts per charge.

If you're in the market for a new smartwatch and don't want to empty your bank account, the CMF Watch 3 Pro is a revelation. And ahead of Prime Day, you can get it for under $65. No need to wait.

The Sunseeker S4 robot lawn mower has never been this cheap at Amazon — save over $815

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 14:12:06 +0000

SAVE $815.99: The Sunseeker S4 robot lawn mower is on sale at Amazon for $984, down from the list price of $1,799.99. That's a 45% discount and the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon.

Credit: Sunseeker

Sunseeker S4 robot lawn mower

$984 at Amazon
$1,799.99 Save $815.99

Prime Day is over a week away, but that doesn't mean the deals are dry this week. We're spotting record-low prices on some excellent options at Amazon, and that includes some ideas that could be great for Father's Day. If you're considering a robot lawn mower, check out today's deal.

As of June 15, the Sunseeker S4 robot lawn mower is on sale at Amazon for $984, marked down from the list price of $1,799.99. That's a 45% discount that shaves $815.99 off the price. It's also the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon.

Early Amazon Prime Day deals include some great options if you're looking for a last-minute Father's Day gift. If the Dad in your life doesn't love mowing the lawn but enjoys a well-manicured yard, a robot lawn mower could be fantastic. The Sunseeker S4 is designed to mow lawns that measure up to 0.25 acres and can handle slopes of up to 42%.

Using LiDAR navigation, the Sunseeker robot will take off to mow the grass to your preferred height between 1.6 and 3.2 inches. It also uses a floating cut deck, so it'll keep the cut even when the ground isn't. You can also customize yard zones, setting up to 100 zones and five maps.

A robot lawn mower might also be much quieter compared to a traditional mower. Sunseeker says the S4 robot lawn mower operates at about 60 decibels. At that level, you should be able to have a conversation nearby without needing to speak louder than normal.

For those who don't enjoy mowing, deal with allergies, or have to beg the neighbor to come mow, considering upgrading to a robot lawn mower. The Sunseeker S4 is on sale at Amazon for the lowest price we've ever seen which means this is a great time to make the move.

This 1 cable has 8 uses, and right now it only has a $22 price tag

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 13:46:17 +0000

TL;DR: Stay powered up with a GoCable 8-in-1 EDC 100W Cable, on sale now for just $21.97 (reg. $49.99) now through June 28.

Credit: GoCable

GoCable 8-in-1 EDC 100W Cable

$21.97
$49.99 Save $28.02

Want to make your bag a little lighter? The GoCable 8-in-1 EDC 100W Cable replaces eight different gadgets, so you have a whole lot less to toss in your bag. Right now, this handy tool is even on sale for only $21.97 until June 28.

Whether you’re jetting off on an exotic vacation or just heading to work, you likely need multiple chargers to keep your go-to gadgets powered up. The GoCable 8-in-1 EDC 100W Cable lets you keep a Type-C, a Type-C+, and an Apple Lightning connector handy at all times.

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The GoCable fits right on your keyring, so you never have to leave home without it. Magnetic cables make sure you aren’t left with a mess of cords in your bag, and all you need to do is add a power bank or wall adapter and power up your devices.

Not only are these cords organized, but they also offer 100W ultra-fast charging and high-speed file transfers. You’ll also be able to see the real-time charging status thanks to an LED power display.

This gadget doesn’t just keep your devices powered up; it’s also equipped with some other handy tools. You’ll have a bottle opener and a safe-proofed hidden cutter to open packages. A carabiner clip can attach to anything to make sure it’s always within arm’s length.

Snag this GoCable 8-in-1 EDC 100W Cable for only $21.97 until June 28.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

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

The Last House trailer traps Greta Lee and Wagner Moura in their home

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Netflix loves a twisty sci-fi in which regular folks get suddenly trapped inside their home with no means of escape. Brick blew our minds, and now another mysterious sci-fi snare is set to to arrive in The Last House, with a tense new trailer out today.

Greta Lee and Wagner Moura star in this thriller from director Louis Leterrier (Now You See Me), with the Past Lives and The Secret Agent stars playing couple Ann and Jason, who find themselves and their kids sealed inside their house. Like the Ultrahouse 3000 from The Simpsons, the house appears to have a mind of its own, pushing its inhabitants into survival mode within their own home.

Gabriel Barbosa, Emma Ho, Noah Alexander Sosnowski, and Riley Chung also star.

The Last House is streaming on Netflix on Aug. 7.

Want more of the latest entertainment news, reviews, trailers, and interviews? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter.

Amazon drops a record-low price on the Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Jumpstart Booster Box — save over $50 on preorders

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 12:33:30 +0000

TL;DR: Amazon has cut the price of preorders on the Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Jumpstart Booster Box to $114.94, a $50+ cut from $167.76.

Credit: Magic: The Gathering

Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Jumpstart Booster Box (24 Packs)

$114.94 at Amazon
$167.76 Save $52.82

Marvel Super Heroes is shaping up to be one of Magic: The Gathering’s biggest crossovers in a packed year for the trading card game, and Amazon has now made one of its easiest boxes to play even cheaper before launch.

As of June 15, the Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Jumpstart Booster Box is available to pre-order at Amazon for $114.94. This listing is shipped and sold by Amazon directly, with free delivery and the retailer’s preorder price guarantee included — so if the price dips again before release, you should pay the lowest Amazon price offered between checkout and launch.

This is a 31% discount from Amazon’s $167.76 list price, and is also the cheapest Amazon has listed the box so far — confirmed via price tracker camelcamelcamel.

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Amazon is even undercutting the Jumpstart Box’s market price of $116.13 determined by TCGplayer. Furthermore, it’s beating listings from the dedicated trading card marketplace — with listings only as low as $115.19 with shipping included.

Inside the box, you’ll get 24 Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Jumpstart Boosters, each containing 20 cards. Every pack comes built around one of 51 possible Marvel Super Heroes themes, and because the Land cards are already included, you can just open two packs, mash them together, shuffle, and play.

If you’re catching up on other recent MTG crossover expansions, the 24-pack Avatar: The Last Airbender Jumpstart Booster Box is also on sale for just under $75. Plus, Magic: The Gathering’s 30-pack Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Play Booster Box is now $11 at Amazon.

The Pokémon TCG Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box is back under $90 on Amazon — save nearly $10

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 12:25:09 +0000

TL;DR: Amazon has the Pokémon TCG Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box on sale for $86.95, down from its usual $93.99 list price.

Credit: The Pokémon Company

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box

$86.95 at Amazon
$93.99 Save $7.04

Perfect Order Booster Bundles and ETBs have been some of the most reliable when it comes to protecting your budget compared to other Pokemon TCG expansions, and Amazon has just delivered more price cuts.

As of June 15, Amazon has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box listed from $86.95, cutting $7.04 off the $93.99 list price. Sold and shipped by San Diego Cards, price tracker camelcamelcamel has confirmed this is the lowest price the Perfect Order ETB has seen from a third-party seller on Amazon.

Walmart is slightly cheaper at $78.30 — sold by DealDudes and fulfilled by Walmart. Against the Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box’s market price of $73.68, TCGplayer is going even lower with one listing available for $71.99, and other listings available for $73.98 and upwards.

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Inside the Perfect Order ETB, you’re getting nine Pokémon TCG booster packs from the Mega Evolution expansion, one full-art foil promo card featuring Tyrunt, 65 card sleeves, 40 Energy cards, a player’s guide, six damage-counter dice, one competition-legal coin-flip die, a plastic coin, a collector’s box with six dividers, and a code card for Pokémon TCG Live.

Among the well-designed singles available in the Mega Evolution mechanic-focused expansion, you can still pull plenty of valuable chase cards (available to buy individually on TCGplayer) including SIR Meowth ex, Mega Hyper Rare Zygarde ex, SIR Mega Clefable ex, SIR Rose’s Encouragment, and SIR Mega Starmie ex.

To get even more from this expansion, you can still buy the Pokemon TCG’s six-pack Perfect Order Booster Bundle on Amazon for under $50. Plus, you can grab the new Chaos Rising Booster Bundle below $50.

Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on June 15

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 12:15:10 +0000

It’s the New Moon, so the Moon is basically invisible from Earth. With no light reflecting back, the sky is at its darkest right now, with no chance of doing any Moon gazing.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Monday, June 15, the Moon phase is New Moon. Tonight, 0% of the moon will be be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Guide.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on June 29.

What are Moon phases?

NASA notes that the Moon takes roughly 29.5 days to orbit Earth once, and throughout that time it passes through eight distinct phases. Although we always see the same face of the Moon, the portion illuminated by the Sun changes as it moves along its orbit. This variation in sunlight is what creates the familiar progression of lunar shapes, from thin crescents to half-lit phases and the fully illuminated Full Moon. Together, these stages form what’s known as the lunar cycle.