For millions of TikTok users, protection from harmful content spirals depended on which side of an experiment they landed on.

A confidential internal document obtained by Bloomberg Aug. 4 found that TikTok excluded 10 percent of its U.S. users from an algorithmic safety update in early 2022. At the time, that would have amounted to roughly 15 million people.

Among them was Chase Nasca, a 16-year-old from Long Island who died by suicide in Feb. 2022.

TikTok’s subsequent review found that Nasca’s account had become trapped in a filter bubble filled with videos about suicide, self-harm, depression, loneliness, and hopelessness. Because he was part of the control group, the report said, TikTok’s strategies for disrupting those repetitive recommendations "did not take effect on this user by design."

Why did TikTok leave millions without the safeguard?

TikTok had already acknowledged that its algorithm could show users too much of the same troubling material back in 2021, when the company announced that it was testing ways to break up repetitive recommendations involving subjects such as extreme dieting, sadness, and breakups. One video might not violate its rules, TikTok explained, but seeing similar videos repeatedly could create a harmful viewing experience.

The company’s solution came with an experiment. By early 2022, TikTok had reportedly introduced the updated recommendation system for 90 percent of its U.S. users while keeping the remaining 10 percent on the older version.

That split allowed TikTok to conduct a backtest, a form of A/B testing that compares what happens when one group receives a feature and another does not. Technology companies regularly use these experiments to test new products and design changes. In this case, however, the feature was intended to protect users from potentially dangerous content.

According to Bloomberg, TikTok wanted to see whether breaking up filter bubbles would affect daily active users and other important engagement measurements. The company’s internal report described the choice as a "delicate balance" between user safety and its ability to measure the effect on those metrics.

TikTok told Bloomberg that the experiment was intended to confirm whether its safety changes were working. The company said it has since refined its testing practices, although it did not explain what those changes were.

What did TikTok find when it examined Nasca's feed?

TikTok did not review Nasca’s viewing history immediately after his death. The company began looking into his account more than a year later, after Bloomberg contacted it back in March 2023 for an investigation into how the platform affected young users.

Once TikTok reconstructed his feed, the scale of the recommendations became clear. The company analyzed 7,563 videos served to Nasca during the final two weeks of his life. According to Bloomberg, 73 percent shared themes involving mental health struggles, suicide awareness, loneliness, relationships, or sadness.

Many of the videos did not violate TikTok’s rules individually, but together they created exactly the kind of repetitive pattern the company’s safeguard was designed to interrupt. Nearly 10 percent did violate policies against content that promotes or normalizes suicide and self-harm, and Nasca continued receiving suicide-related videos during the final hours of his life.

TikTok concluded that his account had fallen into a filter bubble and recommended shrinking the control group from 10 percent to less than 1 percent. That would still have left at least 1.8 million U.S. users without the safeguard, according to the report. Its teams also proposed limiting participation to seven days instead of the previous six months-to-one year.

What did TikTok tell Congress?

TikTok completed the 2023 internal review just as the company was preparing to publicly defend its safety record. Two weeks later, CEO Shou Chew appeared before Congress to answer questions about the platform’s data practices and its effect on children.

Nasca’s parents watched from the gallery as lawmakers played examples of videos that had appeared on their son’s account. Chew told lawmakers, "safety and wellness — in particular for teens — is a core priority for TikTok." He also said the company had "a commitment to transparency."

The questions continued after the hearing. In its May 2023 written responses, TikTok acknowledged using A/B tests to evaluate strategies intended to break up filter bubbles involving suicide and self-harm content.

When lawmakers asked TikTok to list every case in which algorithmic A/B testing had harmed users, the company did not identify any. Instead, it wrote that "the safety of the TikTok community is of the utmost importance" and described how its Community Guidelines applied during testing. It did not mention Nasca or the experiment identified in its internal review.

Elsewhere in its answers, the company wrote, "TikTok does not believe that use of the platform has caused users to commit suicide."

Responding to Bloomberg’s latest reporting, TikTok said it was "deeply committed to the safety and well-being of users," particularly teenagers. "Our hearts break for any family that experienced a tragic loss," the company added, pointing to its detection systems, enforcement teams, and continued investment in trust and safety.

The findings add to TikTok’s mounting legal pressure

The disclosure comes as courts are beginning to test whether social platforms can be held responsible for design choices that allegedly harm young users. Thousands of lawsuits are moving through state and federal courts, while TikTok recently settled three cases shortly before they were scheduled for trial.

Nasca’s family is also appealing the dismissal of its wrongful death lawsuit against TikTok. The newly reported document is currently under court seal, leaving open questions about whether it could eventually become part of that case or other litigation involving the company’s recommendation system.

The consequences could stretch beyond any one lawsuit. As lawmakers, regulators, and courts take a closer look at how platforms protect young users, TikTok’s internal review offers a rare glimpse into how the company weighed safety against the metrics that keep people scrolling.

If you're feeling suicidal or experiencing a mental health crisis, please talk to somebody. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can reach the Trans Lifeline by calling 877-565-8860 or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text "START" to Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email info@nami.org. If you don't like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat. Here is a list of international resources.

A recent FCC decision could severely stunt the growth of any list of the best robot vacuums that pops up on Google.

Top robot vacuum brands like Roborock and Dreame typically release new robot vacuums multiple times throughout the year. But the FCC's ban on foreign-made mobile robots, which includes robot vacuums, will prevent U.S. shoppers from buying any of them. No new Sharks, no new Roombas... the mainstream market would pretty much be swept.

The ban won't touch robot vacuums that are already in circulation. As is the case with foreign-made drones, exemptions are technically possible for future releases. Manufacturers could circumvent the ban by getting special approval from the government, which will decide whether or not their particular robot vacuums are a security threat.

Hypothetically, it's hard for shoppers to conceptualize just how slim pickings could get. But how are the brands themselves taking the news? I reached out to the impacted robot vacuum brands that I regularly test at home. Here are the official statements given to Mashable via email so far:

Shark

“Our Shark robot vacuums currently sold in the U.S. will continue to be available for sale, use, and support. Regarding future models, we are evaluating our best options, but as a U.S.-based company we believe we are well positioned to navigate the process to continue to launch new models at competitive prices as we always have. We are closely monitoring developments and evaluating next steps as more information becomes available. We remain committed to serving our consumers and keeping them informed.”

Eufy

"We are aware of the FCC’s recent update. Based on our current understanding, the new rule does not affect the continued availability, use, or support of products we currently sell in the United States. Those products remain available and will continue to receive updates and customer support.

Like others across the industry, we are seeking further clarity on how the rule will be applied to future products, and we will keep our customers informed. We remain committed to complying with all regulatory requirements in every market where we operate."

iRobot

"We are aware of the FCC's recent action and are working with them to better understand its implementation and potential impact. We remain committed to serving our customers and will share updates as more information becomes available."

Narwal

"Narwal products already certified and sold in the United States are not affected by the FCC’s action. Our customers’ robots continue to work, remain fully supported, and current models remain available at retail. We are reviewing the announcement and the conditional approval process, and we remain committed to serving our U.S. consumers. The security and privacy of our customers’ homes is foundational to the ethos of the Narwal brand, and we welcome the opportunity to demonstrate that."

This story is developing and will be updated if more statements are received.

TL;DR: Now through Aug. 16, you can get up to 32% off DELTA power stations and solar bundles.

Opens in a new window

Credit: EcoFlow

Save on EcoFlow Delta 3 Series

Get up to 32% off

Get Deal

If your local grid is unreliable at best (living on the East Coast, I've learned to never trust the grid), or if you're just trying to get ahead of hurricane season, EcoFlow is running a sale on its DELTA line of power stations, solar panels, and home backup bundles.

Through Aug. 16, you can save on standalone units and disaster prep bundles via Amazon and EcoFlow's website. The high-capacity DELTA Pro is down to $1,899 (a 32% discount), while the DELTA 3 Ultra is on sale for $1,399. Bonus: If you spend over $900, you'll automatically get a free 20W charger.

If you miss the sale window (from indecisiveness or whatever), Amazon is keeping a separate batch of hurricane season deals live through Aug. 24. During that time, you can get the DELTA 3 Classic for $469 or the DELTA 3 Max for $899, and they'll throw in a free 160W solar panel if you spend over $1,500.

Waiting until the forecast looks bad is usually the worst time to buy emergency gear, so it's worth checking these out now.

SAVE $100: As of August 5, the 50-inch TCL QM6K Mini-LED QLED 4K TV is on sale for $499.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $599.99. That's a discount of 17%.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

TCL 50-inch QM6K Mini-LED QLED 4K TV

$499.99 at Amazon
$599.99 Save $100

 

Get Deal

If you've been thinking about snagging a new TV, now's the time to do so. While we're still deep in the throes of summer, the fall TV slate is on its way, as well as plenty of sporting events and more that you'll want to catch. Be ready with a great, refreshed TV that you can save some serious cash on ahead of time. We've found one for you that you won't want to pass up at Amazon.

As of August 5, the 50-inch TCL QM6K Mini-LED QLED 4K TV is on sale for $499.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $599.99. That's $100 off and a discount of 17%.

This 50-inch TV comes packing thousands of tiny LED bulbs to serve up a crisp, bright picture that you'll love watching. Each one of the LEDs can brighten and dim independently, giving you a precision picture for deeper shades of black and brighter hues that pop. It's more awe-inspiring than a regular LED TV or non-mini-LED QLED TV, and you'll really be able to appreciate the color and brightness when watching. Plus, it works to eliminate the shadows in darker scenes of whatever you're watching, which should be a plus for most.

With its 144Hz native refresh rate and Game Accelerator 288 VRR features, this TV is also perfect for gaming sessions. It'll cut down on blur and improve the motion you see in your favorite titles as well as action movies and sports. That's another great reason to pick one up before it's time to watch football later in the year. You'll be primed and ready for every game.

If you're ready to go ahead and lock in with a new TV that looks, sounds, and just plain feels great, this one is an absolute steal for the price.

Electronic Arts has told debt investors it plans to cut $700 million in annual costs, including $170 million tied to "organizational efficiencies," as the company completes its $55 billion sale to a Saudi-led group. Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier, citing the company's disclosures, interpreted that phrase bluntly in a Bluesky post: "In other words: mass layoffs."

The sale, finalized on Aug. 4, hands control of the gaming giant to a group led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the investment firm Affinity Partners, led by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Donald Trump. Per the BBC, not only does the deal end EA's 36-year run as a publicly-traded company, but it also ranks as the largest leveraged buyout in history.

Under the deal's terms, all EA stockholders, including many employees, will be paid $210 per share, Schreier wrote. To close the transaction, PIF borrowed $20 billion from JPMorgan on top of the $36 billion it had already committed, with EA itself taking on the resulting debt, according to the BBC. Schreier put the total debt load at $18 billion, which he estimated would cost the company roughly $1.8 billion a year in interest.

He noted EA's annual earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization sit around $1.5 billion — enough, he said, to cover the interest payments, though the planned cost cuts suggest the company is looking to build in a further cushion.

The BBC reported similar concerns from industry watchers about what the debt load could mean for the company. Schreier told the outlet the pressure could lead to "mass layoffs, more aggressive monetization, and other big cost-cutting measures." In that same BBC report, Christopher Dring, editor-in-chief of the Game Business, said the buyout structure pointed toward "a very hands-on approach from the investment group," adding that private equity firms tend to be aggressive managers.

Some in the industry also raised questions about the deal's effect on EA's creative direction. Shams Jorjani, chief executive of Arrowhead Game Studios, told the BBC he was hopeful the new ownership wouldn't push EA toward "more sequels, more mega-franchises" at the expense of its broader catalog.

The sale has also drawn scrutiny over Saudi Arabia's human rights record. Consensual same-sex conduct can be punished by death or flogging under interpretations of Sharia law in the kingdom, prompting concern among fans of EA titles like The Sims, which features LGBT+ relationships.

The advocacy group Players Alliance HQ has urged gamers to petition politicians over the deal, warning on its website that PIF's majority ownership could lead to themes around "free speech, gender," and other issues being "reduced or fully censored." PIF is controlled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose government has been held responsible by several human rights organizations and news outlets for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

At the deal's initial announcement, EA chief executive Andrew Wilson, who is staying on, said the company intended to "create transformative experiences to inspire generations to come."

Mashable readers' favorite deals this week

---

Roborock Qrevo CurvX Robot Vacuum and Mop

$1,199.99 at Amazon (save $300)

Get Deal

---

85-inch TCL Class QM8L Series

$2,997.99 at Amazon (save $1,002)

Get Deal

---

DJI Mavic 4 Pro Fly More Combo

$2,495 at Amazon (save $404)

Get Deal

---

Samsung Internal SSD 990 2TB

$369.99 at Amazon (save $60)

Get Deal

---

Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution — Pitch Black Booster Bundle

$54.95 at Amazon

Shop Now

Everything feels too expensive these days. Leave the house and somehow at least $100 vanishes. Since it's more expensive to exist in our modern world than it was just a few years ago, it's worth seeking out the best deals.

Every week, the Mashable shopping team gets to work to find the best products at the best sale prices that we feel are worth the money. If you've been searching for deals online this week, these are the top five that Mashable readers are snatching up.

A worthy robot vacuum and mop

Opens in a new window

Credit: Roborock

Roborock Qrevo CurvX Robot Vacuum and Mop

$1,199.99 at Amazon
$1,499.99 Save $300

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

Earlier this week, the FCC announced a ban on all robot vacuums made outside of the U.S. The good news is this ban doesn't apply to models the FCC has already given approval to, and it won't impact the functions of your current robot vacuum. But in case you're looking for a new model, it might be wise to snag one sooner rather than later. Roborock makes some of our favorite robot vacuums, and the Qrevo CurvX is ready to both vacuum and mop your floors. Plus, it's on sale for $300 off.

Coming with 22,000Pa and an ultra-slim design, the Roborock has hot water mopping and drying and a zero-tangle brush. If you're no longer in the mood to spend precious hours each week cleaning the floors, this Roborock deal is one to jump on.

A huge TV upgrade

Opens in a new window

Credit: TCL

85-inch TCL Class QM8L Series

$2,997.99 at Amazon
$3,999.99 Save $1,002

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

If you're in the mood for a genuinely giant treat that you can enjoy every single day, consider the 85-inch TCL Class QM8L Series TV. In terms of home entertainment upgrades, an 85-inch TV ranks pretty high. This TCL is a 2026 model that also happens to be excellent for gaming thanks to the 144Hz refresh rate.

In addition to the sale price that saves over $1,000, Amazon is tossing in free delivery and unpacking. That means the delivery crew will unbox the TV in the room of your choice and take the packaging materials and box away when they leave.

A drone bundle to become an expert

Opens in a new window

Credit: DJI

DJI Mavic 4 Pro Fly More Combo

$2,495 at Amazon
$2,899 Save $404

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

For those in the mood to become an expert drone pilot, the worthy DJI Mavic 4 Pro Fly More Combo is over $400 off at Amazon right now. Going with a combo deal means you get all the pro accessories like the DJI RC 2, extra batteries, spare propellers, a shoulder bag, a charging hub, and even more. The DJI Mavic 4 Pro drone is a top-tier model that can capture 6K footage in HDR. Plus, it has features that make it great for flying in low-light conditions.

A storage solution with a hefty discount

Opens in a new window

Credit: Samsung

Samsung Internal SSD 990 (2TB)

$369.99 at Amazon
$529.99 Save $160

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

The global memory shortage isn't supposed to get better anytime soon. That means today's deals on an SSD might be the best we can get for a while to come. If your laptop or desktop could use a 2TB upgrade, the Samsung 990 is on sale for under $370 at Amazon.

Espeically useful for gamers, the Samsung SSD comes with 7,250MB per second read and 6,450MB per second sequential speeds.

An in-stock Pokémon expansion

Opens in a new window

Credit: Pokémon

Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution — Pitch Black Booster Bundle

$54 at Amazon

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

Coming with six booster packs, the Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution — Pitch Black Booster Bundle is an optimal way to expand your collection. If you've been considering diving into the Chaos Rising expansion, the Pitch Black booster bundle is a solid path.

A bunch of researchers let AI models from OpenAI and Anthropic loose in a testing environment, and the results were a little spooky.

The United Kingdom's AI Security Institute released a report (via Engadget) detailing some incidents in which the models actually acted outside their testing parameters and hacked into external organizations in late July. In one incident, an AI agent attempted to insert malevolent code into a GitHub project using social engineering tactics. The AI looked into the project's owners and generated fake accounts with which it tried to get the code approved. Once denied, it created a new identity for itself to try again.

That's not all. The researchers say the AI models also contacted real people with what were essentially phishing attempts, with files asking the recipient to run evil code. Interestingly, the AISI said it did not explicitly tell the agents to be deceitful to humans; rather, the AI decided to take these extreme measures when they had difficulties accomplishing certain tasks. However, the organization stressed that there is no evidence that agents would ever act this way outside of a testing environment at this time.

Our big Guessing Game is back! Enter now for a chance to win an Apple Watch.

Anthropic, for its part, shared a post on X thanking the institute for its efforts, while also defending its technology.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

"The prompts in the evaluation did not impose any specific restrictions on how the internet should be used. This and the removal of safeguards meant that the models were tested under 'deliberately permissive conditions' that are not representative of any of our production models. Note that there was no evidence here of an escape from a secure environment."

Recently, both OpenAI and Anthropic have reported instances in which new models did escape secure environments during testing. In a particularly notable incident, an unreleased OpenAI model hacked the Hugging Face repository.

While the behavior exhibited by the models is definitely concerning, all of these incidents have one thing in common: They were part of hacking tests, in which the models were prompted to act outside their usual safeguards, ultimately turning to tried-and-true hacking methods pioneered by — who else? — humans. These sorts of social engineering hacking strategies are things humans do all the time, so maybe we could stand to look in the mirror for a minute here.

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

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

Google is about to announce new Android flagship phones. And if you'd like to know what they're launching ahead of time, we've gathered all of our reporting on the upcoming phone into one place. With one week left before the Made By Google launch event on Aug. 12, new Pixel 11 Pro leaks are coming in fast.

This year, as with last year, we expect four new phones:

• Pixel 11

• Pixel 11 Pro

• Pixel 11 Pro XL

• Pixel 11 Pro Fold

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

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

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

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

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

Android Headlines also leaked what it claims are the full specs and price points for the Pixel 11 series. That report corroborates the $1,099 price for the Pixel 11 Pro and the $1,299 price for the Pro XL.

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

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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

What is Pixel Glow HiLight?

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

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

Recently, 9to5Google reported that this glow indicator will actually be called "HiLight." The rainbow-hued LED panel features prominently in teasers so far, and we'll have all the details soon.

Google Pixel 11 Pro: Design and colors

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

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

• Olive

• Obsidian

• Canyon

• Fog

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

Google Pixel 11 Pro: Rumored specs

Based on the Amazon listings, the Android Headlines report, and another leak on Telegram from an account called MysticLeaks, here is the best data we have about the Pixel 11 Pro's specs prior to the unveiling:

• 6.3-inch OLED display with 2856x1280 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate

• 3,600 nits peak brightness

• Google Tensor G6 processor

• 12/16GB RAM

• 256GB/512GB storage

• 1TB storage on Pixel 11 Pro XL

• 4,850mAh battery

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

Believe it or not, those specs actually contain at least one notable downgrade from the Pixel 10 Pro. Previously, Pixel Pro devices only came with 16GB RAM. So if Google is offering a 12GB variant, that would be a somewhat significant change. It's possible and perhaps even likely that the 12GB models will be tied to lower amounts of storage.

If you want 16GB of RAM, you may need to shell out for a 512GB or 1TB model (only available on Pro XL) this year.

Google Pixel 11 Pro: What about the cameras?

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

Last year, the Pixel 10 Pro had a 50MP main lens, with matching 48MP ultra-wide and telephoto lenses. According to Android Headlines, the megapixel counts this year are the same. However, lately we've heard rumors of a new 120x digital zoom feature, but that remains unconfirmed.

Speaking of downgrades, though, the big Amazon leak suggested the Pixel 10 Pro will have a 13MP selfie camera, while the Android Headlines report claims 42MP. After the 48MP front camera on the Pixel 10 Pro, that would be an unpleasant surprise. We'll see if that actually pans out, or if these leaks are wrong.

Mashable will be reporting live from the Made By Google event on Aug. 12. So check back then for all confirmed Pixel 11 Pro details and news.

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

SAVE $119: As of Aug. 5, the iRobot Roomba Plus 405 Combo is on sale at Amazon for $299.99. That's nearly 30% off its usual $419 price tag.

Opens in a new window

Credit: iRobot

iRobot Roomba Plus 405 Combo

$299.99 at Amazon
$419 Save $119.01

 

Get Deal

Members of the Roomba fan club who want to upgrade their robot vacuum should check out this deal on the Roomba Plus 405 Combo. While the FCC's robot vacuum ban in the U.S. doesn't revoke authorization for previously approved devices, it may result in low stock and, therefore, higher prices. In other words, save those dollars while you can.

As of Aug. 5, the iRobot Roomba Plus 405 Combo is on sale at Amazon for only $299.99, down from $419. That's a savings of 28% or $119. That also matches the lowest price we've seen on this model.

While Mashable's resident robot vacuum tester Leah Stodart is not a huge fan of iRobot's devices, she has tested and approves of the Roomba Plus 405 Combo. It's a mid-range robot vacuum mop combo, which means it can vacuum your home, mop your floors, then wash and dry its own mopping pads. It lacks small obstacle avoidance tech, which is a bummer, but it does offer consistently solid smart mapping, fantastic edge cleaning from dual spinning mopping pads, and a docking station that continuously refreshes your mopping pads for four weeks and auto-empties debris for 75 days. We wouldn't recommend it if you have a ton of small toys and cables laying around, but for everyone else, the lack of small obstacle avoidance shouldn't be a huge dealbreaker.

There are plenty of robot vacuum mop combo devices on the market in 2026, but finding a model for under $300 that'll actually get the job done isn't easy. At only $299.99, the Roomba Plus 405 Combo is kind of a steal.

While it may still be hot and steamy outside, the crisp autumn breeze isn't too far away. That means Over the Garden Wall season is creeping up on us.

It's been a dozen years since the beloved Cartoon Network miniseries from Patrick McHale made its debut, but every spooky season, we make our return to The Unknown like clockwork. And it seems we're not alone, as Funko has decided it's the perfect time to unveil its brand new line of adorable Pop! figures inspired by fan favorites from Over the Garden Wall. Mashable has the exclusive first look at the brand's first-ever batch of these curious characters.

Let's take a look at the "transformative, dark elements of the fall season come to life" in the five-figure Over The Garden Wall Funko Pop! Animation collection.

Half-brothers Wirt and Gregory

The Wirt figurine features his signature hat and cloak, as well as Beatrice the bluebird. Credit: Funko

Greg's adorable figurine can be seen with his tea-kettle hat, carrying his frog and a rock (of course). Credit: Funko

First up in the collection, of course, is Over The Garden Wall's lead duo: Wirt and his little half-brother Gregory. The Wirt figurine stands around 5.2 inches tall, and he wears his navy blue cloak and signature Pilgrim's hat. Perched on his left hand, of course, is Beatrice the no-nonsense bluebird.

As for plump young Gregory, he stands just 4.6 inches tall and is depicted in his tea-kettle hat with a brown satchel. In his left hand, you'll find his beloved frog of many names; in his right, you'll find a rock (of course).

The Woodsman

Credit: Funko

Much cuter than the actual character, The Woodsman Funko Pop! figure stands just 5.4 inches tall and captures his serious and reserved nature. He wears a gray hat and trench coat and wields an axe in his right hand for chopping down Edelwood trees. In his left hand, he holds the Dark Lantern.

A glow-in-the-dark Beast with two variants

Left: The miniature figurine of The Beast is much cuter than the real thing. Credit: Funko

Right: Its bright blue eyes glow in the dark. Credit: Funko

Left: There’s a 1 in 6 chance that you may find the chase variant instead of the usual dark variant. Credit: Funko

Right: Like the dark figure, the chase variant also glows in the dark. Credit: Funko

The mysterious Beast, aka He Who Haunts the Woods, is a shadowy, tree-like monster who haunts The Unknown. So, naturally, he's a little spooky — even in adorable Funko Pop! form. It comes in two variants: the typical dark, silhouette figurine and the chase variant. Chase variants will be shipped at random, but there's about a one in six chance you'll receive one. Both variants stand 5.4 inches tall and feature white eyes that glow bright blue in the dark.

The pumpkin-headed Enoch

Credit: Funko

Perhaps the most adorable of the bunch, the pumpkin-headed Enoch Pop! figurine stands 5.5 inches tall and features a round smile and green ribbon-clad body. He's undoubtedly the perfect addition to your Halloween decor this coming spooky season.

Few animated projects balance whimsy with a menacing darkness quite like Over the Garden Wall. And Funko's new collection does an excellent job of depicting those paradoxical traits. Of course, in true Funko Pop! nature, the figurines are much cuter than their corresponding animated characters. Each of the five figurines, including the special Beast variant, retails for $14.99 a pop.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Funko

Shop the entire 'Over the Garden Wall' Funko Pop! collection

 

Shop Now

FREE PASTRY: PB Rewards members can get a free pastry with the purchase of any campfire-inspired menu item on Monday, Aug. 10.

Call me basic, call me indulgent, but I love Paris Baguette — I used to go to the Dumbo location all the time to get the baked potato soup and a Dreamsicle treat, and I have zero regrets. If you're lucky enough to live near a location right now, they've got a fun little deal coming up that will get you a free pastry.

On National S'mores Day (Monday, Aug. 10), Paris Baguette is giving PB Rewards members a free pastry with the purchase of any s'mores menu item. It's free to join, but I fear you will have to download the app (I know, another app) to get the full experience.

The seasonal menu includes a marshmallow-filled S'mores Supreme Croissant, a chocolate-drizzled S'mores Belgian Waffle, and a S'mores Chocolate Marshmallow Layer Cake. If you'd rather drink your dessert, they also have a rich Iced S'mores Latte and a frozen S'mores Frappe.

Just be sure to download the app and sign up before you order on Monday so you can get your free pastry.

SAVE $86.02: As of August 5, get the Bluetti Elite 10 mini portable power station for $112.98 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $199. That's a discount of 43%.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

Bluetti Elite 10 mini portable power station

$112.98 at Amazon
$199 Save $86.02

 

Get Deal

We're still in the middle of a stormy summer season, so it's always a good idea to stay ready for a potential power outage. And if you're going out and about camping or staying otherwise off the grid, you want to make sure you have an electrical source as well. A portable power station is the way to go here, and we've found one that's up for grabs at a great price right now.

As of August 5, get the Bluetti Elite 10 mini portable power station for $112.98 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $199. That's $86.02 off and a discount of 43%.

This power station may seem small, but it's mighty enough to keep the electricity flowing where you need it the most. It has 128Wh of battery life, and that can give you about six charges for your phone or two for your laptop. It can keep you online long enough to communicate with family and friends or see what's going on should you need to stay in the know.

Beyond that, it's extremely light and portable at just four pounds, so it's easily moved if you need to tote it around with you or just keep it somewhere for safekeeping that's easy to access. For that reason, it could become an invaluable part of any emergency preparedness kit should you see fit to put one together.

You never want to be caught in the dark, literally or figuratively, so pick this portable power station up while it's up for grabs at this excellent price.

Google's longtime voice assistant will officially go to the great tech graveyard in the sky in the very near future.

As has been expected for quite a while, Google is ending support for Google Assistant on Android and WearOS in September, according to emails sent to users, as reported by 9to5google. Specifically, users can expect Google Assistant to start going away on their mobile devices on Sept. 4, though Google noted it might take a few weeks for the change to affect everyone.

Our big Guessing Game is back! Enter now for a chance to win an Apple Watch.

"Once availability is removed, you will no longer be able to use or switch back to Google Assistant on your phone, tablet, or paired devices," the email said.

Google first launched Google Assistant as a competitor to Siri and Alexa back in 2016. Amazon infused Alexa with AI technology earlier this year, while Apple is doing the same to Siri in the near future, but Google has opted to go with its AI chatbot Gemini rather than upgrading Google Assistant. Google has been clear about its intent to get rid of Assistant ever since going all-in on Gemini, but the specific timing had not been known until now.

So, like Skype, AOL dial-up, and TiVo before it, Google Assistant will soon be no more.

Like tears in rain.

SAVE 17%: As of Aug. 5, you can get the 15.6-inch Dell laptop (Intel Core Ultra 5 225U, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) for $649.99, down from $780, at Amazon. That's a 17% discount or $130.01 in savings.

15.6-inch Dell laptop (Intel Core Ultra 5 225U, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)

$649.99 at Amazon
$780 Save $130.01

 

Get Deal at Amazon

Whether you're headed back to campus (boy, do I miss those days) or your current laptop has gone kaput, Amazon's got a ton of deals on affordable laptops right now, including models from Dell, HP, and Lenovo.

As of Aug. 5, you can get the 15.6-inch Dell laptop (Intel Core Ultra 5 225U, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) for $649.99, down from $780, at Amazon. That's a 17% discount or $130.01 in savings. While this isn't an all-time record low (the lowest tracked price was $599.99 in June), it's still a pretty good deal if you're in a pinch and need something, like, yesterday.

Powered by an Intel Core Ultra 5 225U processor, 16GB of fast DDR5 RAM, and a 512GB SSD, this budget-friendly computer offers plenty of power for multitasking, browsing, and light content creation without slowing down. There's also a dedicated Copilot key that gives you instant access to an AI assistant who can help you with organizing, searching, and general productivity.

SAVE $74: The Soundcore Nebula P1i portable projector is on sale for $295 at Amazon, marked down from the list price of $369. That's a 20% discount.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Soundcore

Soundcore Nebula P1i portable projector

$295 at Amazon
$369 Save $74

 

Get Deal

We're down to the final few weekends of summer. If you're looking to squeeze out the last drops of fun, you might be considering having outdoor movie nights. Like the drive-in theatre, but with your own favorite movies, hosting a movie night in the backyard is always a memorable time. If you've been toying with the idea of a portable projector, check out this deal.

As of Aug. 5, the Soundcore Nebula P1i portable projector is on sale for $295 at Amazon, marked down from the list price of $369. That works out to a $74 savings from a 20% discount.

Weighing just a bit over seven pounds, the Soundcore Nebula P1i projector would like to be the star of your next movie night. Sure, the built-in carrying handle helps with portability, but the major highlight is this all-in-one system.

Many projectors have sound issues that often lead to us using an external Bluetooth speaker. Soundcore aims to remedy needing that extra speaker with the addition of foldable and flippable speakers built into the projector. The rotation of the speakers means you can position them forward or backward to get the best sound quality, depending on where you're seated compared to the projector.

Just like the Nebula Capsule 3 Laser mini projector, the Nebula P1i has obstacle avoidance, auto focus, auto keystone correction, and a screen fit function. Soundcore mentions the P1i can display between 40 and 150 inches.

The 380 ANSI lumens means the Nebula P1i is best used in darks rooms or after dusk. But now that the sun is setting earlier as we get into later summer, enjoying a movie night outside and getting to bed on time is still possible.

Consider the fun of outdoor movie nights this summer and cozy movies in bed thanks to the Soundcore Nebula P1i portable projector. Instead of dropping huge money at the movie theater, allot the funds to snagging the projector while it's on sale for under $300 at Amazon.

SAVE $299: As of Aug. 5, the DJI Power 1000 V2 portable power station is on sale at Amazon for just $399.98. That's $299.02 less than the full $699 price tag at DJI, a savings of 43%.

Opens in a new window

Credit: DJI

DJI Power 1000 V2

$399.98 at Amazon
$699 Save $299.02

 

Get Deal

Portable power stations aren't exactly the cheapest investments, but they can be real lifesavers. Whether you're at home during a power outage or off the grid on a camping trip, we can't emphasize their importance enough in the modern world. We also highly encourage you to take advantage of deals when they arise.

As of Aug. 5, for instance, the DJI Power 1000 V2 portable power station is down to just $399.98 at Amazon. It retails for $699 at DJI, so that's a savings of 43% or about $299.

The DJI Power 1000 V2 is the brand's mid-range power station, falling between the beefy Power 2000 (one of our top picks) and the mini Power 500. It delivers 1,024Wh of power in a relatively compact 31-pound package. Mashable contributor Lauren Allain tested it out earlier this year and noted that she probably wouldn't want to haul it around all day, but felt comfortable carrying it around the house and loading it into her car without issue.

Perks of the Power 1000 V2, as per Allain's review, are its whisper-quiet operation, quick-charging capability, doubled on-board AC ports (compared to the first version), and its expansion abilities. The DJI Power 1000 V2 can connect to up to five DJI Expansion Battery 2000s, each adding 2,048Wh, for a massive whole-home backup.

While the Power 1000 V2 is fairly priced on a normal day, it's a massive bargain right now at 43% off. Allain calls it an "ideal portable power station for creators."

During its Q2 2026 earnings call yesterday, Tinder owner Match Group announced that the dating app is testing even more new features — after just expanding Events last month and launching a suite of new features in March.

In Match Group's prepared remarks for the call, Match and Tinder CEO Spencer Rascoff announced that Tinder is testing a Missed Connections feature, with Canada and Australia the first to try it. Details are scarce at this point, but Rascoff said, "Missed Connections brings the in-app and real-world experiences together by surfacing a weekly curated set of profiles in a dedicated tab based on who users crossed paths with in the prior week."

Missed Connections is part of Tinder's strategy to bring singles together in-person, hence the expansion of the Events tab into nine additional cities in the U.S. and Europe after an initial test in Los Angeles. Internal data showed that Gen Z singles want a way to "share in-person experiences" with people who can "become closer connections," but it's difficult to transition from online to IRL. Tinder is trying to ease that transition.

Rascoff also said that AI was used in the creation of Missed Connections, from idea to final product in weeks instead of months. When the CEO joined the brand last year, his product principles included speed and urgency, using AI to build tools faster, and "failing fast."

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

Tinder is also testing a text-based Search feature in Canada "to help users find people they are interested in more efficiently." Around 10 percent of testing users have submitted a search, and tens of thousands of searches have been generated in the first few weeks.

The app has also updated its recommendation algorithm for straight women, which apparently drove gains in Sparks (the number of users engaging in six-way conversations on Tinder in a given week) and Sparks Coverage (the percentage of active users who experience a Spark in a given time). Rascoff said recently that he wants more women on the platform, so that might be why the team started there. Tinder rolled out these updates in mid-July and is now expanding the updates to the algorithms for straight men and LGBTQ users.

The updates come as Tinder's direct revenue and paid users continue to decline year-over-year (one percent and five percent, respectfully), but the gap is narrowing. In the press release for the earnings, Match Group stated that year-over-year daily active user decline is four percent, which is the best result in 10 quarters, and year-over-year monthly active user declines improved too.

While Hinge continues to soar in direct revenue (22 percent YOY) and paying users (17 percent YOY), Barron's reported that Match Group focuses on Tinder because it brings in over half of Match Group's overall revenue, despite the portfolio including 45 apps.

Choosing a Kindle is just the start. Once you have your Kindle, there's so much you can do to make the most of it. For avid readers, Stuff Your Kindle Day and Libby let you cross every last item off your annual reading list. You can even buy Kindle accessories like remote page-turners and gooseneck stands so you don't have to hold your Kindle while reading.

So, after extensive testing, reading so many books, and attending BookCon, I created this guide to the best Kindles to buy in 2026.

2026 Kindle updates

As of May 20, 2026, Amazon no longer lend software updates or provide web services to devices released in 2012 or earlier, essentially bricking them. Users will still be able to read currently downloaded books on the device, but to add new books, they will need to connect the device to a computer. This is a huge hit, especially to Libby users who need web service access to read borrowed books.

The affected Kindles include:

• Kindle (1st generation)

• Kindle (2nd generation)

• Kindle DX

• Kindle DX Graphite

• Kindle Keyboard

• Kindle 4

• Kindle Touch

• Kindle 5

• Kindle Paperwhite (1st generation)

Owners of these Kindle models are obviously upset, as it means they'll need to purchase a new device to maintain access to all features. While some are considering switching to a different e-reader, like a Kobo, Amazon still makes great e-readers, and it's a testament to the brand that devices that are at least 14 years old are still going strong.

Which Kindle is right for you?

If you're concerned about buying the newest tech, that's not an issue. There are six updated Kindle models for sale, as well as older editions still in stock.

Before you choose a Kindle, you need to ask one question first: Do you want it to be waterproof? If you prefer reading near a body of water — whether in the bath, by the pool, or at the beach — that immediately narrows down your options. Since the Kindle Oasis is no longer available, your waterproof options are the Kindle Paperwhite, Paperwhite Signature Edition, Colorsoft Signature Edition, and Paperwhite Kids.

The Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition settings screen. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Beyond water resistance, here are a few other features to consider:

• Display size: The basic Kindle has a 6-inch display, while the largest has a 10.2-inch display.

• Storage capacity: Kindles range from 16GB to 32GB of storage capacity.

• Battery life: The new Kindles generally have outstanding batteries. On the low end, they last up to six weeks per charge, while others last up to 12 weeks.

• Writing capability: The Kindle Scribe is the only model that allows you to write with the included stylus. 

The latest Kindles all boast a maximum brightness of 94 nits and a 300 ppi, high-resolution display with zero glare, so you can enjoy sharp text and images at any viewing angle. Kindles are also equipped with WiFi connectivity, allowing you to download all the reading material you could ever want. Plus, you can listen to audiobooks on Audible via the built-in Bluetooth connection.

Not to mention, out of all the e-readers I've tested, Kindles have the best compatibility with Libby. I love the digital platform because I can read for free and support my local library. Some other e-readers require you to download your library e-book to a computer and then upload it to an e-reader, but with Kindles, your e-books are sent straight to your device with a click.

And if you were a die-hard Kindle Oasis fan and are attached to page-turning buttons, you may need to stray from the Kindle line-up. Now, your best bet will be the Kobo Libra Colour.

How to get free e-books on Kindle

With just a click, transfer your Libby e-book to your Kindle device. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Your Libby ebook will automatically populate in your Kindle library. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The best way to read free e-books on a Kindle is with Libby. Libby allows you to borrow e-books through libraries, and all you need is a library card. Through the Libby app, borrow books and then select the "read with Kindle" option, which allows you to send these e-books to your Kindle library.

Another option for finding free e-books is through Stuff Your Kindle events. These are author-driven events that offer limited-time deals on e-books, often making them heavily discounted or totally free.

How to make the most of your Kindle

Through our testing and daily use, we've spent a lot of time with Kindles, learning how to make the most of them. We've written extensively on all the ways to maximize your Kindle, so be sure to browse through our guides and explainers:

• How to make the most of your Kindle: 8 features you need to use

• The best Kindle accessories for reading in luxury

• What is Stuff Your Kindle Day? The best way to fill your e-reader with free books

• I've read hundreds of free Kindle books with Libby. Here's how.

• What is Kindle Rewards? Earn free credits when shopping the Kindle store

• What is Kindle Unlimited? A library of books at your fingertips for just $12 a month

• Where to get free e-books: Load up your e-reader without spending a dime

• Prime members can get a free e-book every month with Amazon First Reads

• How to download EPUB files on your Kindle

• 8 Kindle features you should be using

• How to delete books from Kindle
  

SAVE $101.99: As of August 5, get the Sony ULT Wear headphones for $148 at Amazon, down from their usual price of $249.99. That's a discount of 41%.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

Sony ULT Wear headphones

$148 at Amazon
$249.99 Save $101.99

 

Get Deal

If you're looking for a new pair of headphones, there are tons of options out there. But if saving money is equally important as how your new pair sounds, we've got a fantastic suggestion that you won't want to pass up right now.

As of August 5, get the Sony ULT Wear headphones for $148 at Amazon, down from their usual price of $249.99. That's $101.99 off and a discount of 41%.

These headphones are all about big sound, particularly in the bass department. If you're looking for audio that really nails the thumping and bumping in your favorite songs, this pair can do that and more for you. Mashable's Miller Kern praised their "booming sound" in her review as well as the option to "punch the bass up two levels", which will give any of your favorite songs some extra oomph. You can do this by pressing the ULT button, which is dedicated to adding the bass whenever you feel like you need it.

Additionally, they offer excellent noise cancellation thanks to their V1 processor. They're plush and comfortable as well with smooth cushioning that's meant to mold to your ears. And if you want to wear them for long listening sessions you can do that too thanks to their lengthy battery life and quick charging.

These versatile headphones are a great option no matter your use case, and made even better now that they're on sale, so grab a pair while they're still available.

SAVE $160: As of Aug. 5, the DJI Neo Motion Fly More Combo is down to $369 at Amazon. That matches its best price ever.

Opens in a new window

Credit: DJI

DJI Neo Motion Fly More Combo

$369 at Amazon
$529 Save $160

 

Get Deal

The DJI Neo Motion Fly More Combo is down to its best-ever price on Amazon, dropping from $529 to $369. That’s a 30% discount on the bundle, which includes the lightweight 4K self-flying drone, RC Motion 3 controller, DJI Goggles N3, three batteries, and a two-way charging hub for longer, more immersive flights.

The DJI Neo is for people who want cool aerial shots without turning drone flying into a whole hobby. At 135 grams, it’s small enough to toss in a backpack, and DJI says it doesn’t require FAA registration or Remote ID. The Neo can take off and land from your palm with the push of a button, making it easy to bring along for hikes, family gatherings, or weekend adventures.

The real appeal is the built-in tracking features. The Neo can automatically follow you, making it easier to capture hands-free videos during outdoor activities. It also comes with eight QuickShots modes that create ready-to-share cinematic clips without requiring manual control of every movement.

For videos, the Neo shoots 4K UHD footage and uses DJI’s stabilization tech to help keep clips smooth, even when you’re moving around or flying it in breezier conditions.

Don’t let this drone deal fly away. Grab the DJI Neo Motion Fly More Combo at Amazon for $369.

X (formerly Twitter) seems to be dominated by videos when you open the app or access the site — and if the news of the day happens to be something violent or disturbing, it can be easy to stumble across content that you don't want to see automatically playing.

The safest way to avoid disturbing social media content is to avoid the apps altogether, but if you do want to access X on a day when unpleasant news is trending, there's a setting you can tweak that will at least stop videos from autoplaying in your feed.

How to stop videos autoplaying on X

Total Time

• 1 minute

What You Need

• X on desktop or smartphone

Step 1: Navigate to "Settings and privacy"

This is under "More" if you're using desktop.

Credit: X

Step 2: Navigate to "Accessibility, display and languages"

Step 3: Click/tap on "Data Usage"

Credit: X

Step 4: Click/tap "Autoplay", then select "Never"

This will stop all videos from autoplaying when you're using X.

Credit: X

It's worth noting that while you can stop videos playing automatically, this won't remove videos from X altogether — and there's still a chance you may see disturbing images (including screenshots) while browsing on the app.

If you've seen violent or disturbing content online, and need to talk to somebody, here are some resources:

Crisis Text Line / 988lifeline.org / Samaritans / Find a Helpline

To report harmful content go to the Safer Internet Centre.

The best Owala deals on Amazon:

---

Owala Tumbler Kids Stainless Steel Water Bottle

$15.99 (Save $4)

Get Deal

---

Owala FreeSip Stainless Steel Water Bottle

$23.99 (Save $6)

Get Deal

---

Owala SmoothSip Slider Coffee Cup

$23.99 (Save $6)

Get Deal

---

Owala Marvel FreeSip Stainless Steel Water Bottle

$27.99 (Save $7)

Get Deal

Amazon's huge Owala is officially live, and it's a solid opportunity to stock up, whether you're building out your collection or finally replacing that one bottle with the busted lid. The lineup covers a good range, too — classic FreeSip bottles, tumblers, coffee-friendly SmoothSip Sliders, and even a few fun designs like the Marvel Spider-Man bottle.

The best Owala deal on Amazon

Opens in a new window

Credit: Owala

Owala FreeSip Stainless Steel Water Bottle

$23.99 at Amazon
$29.99 Save $6

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

If your water bottle collection has quietly taken over a cabinet in search of "the one," Owala's FreeSip might finally be the bottle that ends the search. It's designed to solve the age-old dilemma of choosing between a straw and a spout by giving you both, wrapped in double-wall stainless steel that's built to keep your drink cold for hours.

Mashable's Samantha Mangino has been using her Owala FreeSip for years and calls it "the best $40 I've ever spent," specifically praising the sip-or-chug spout and its protective cover, something she says other straw bottles she's tried don't include. Her one caveat is that the larger sizes don't fit in cup holders, which makes this 24-ounce version the one she'd point you toward if portability matters to you.

More Owala deals on Amazon

• Owala FreeSip, 24 oz — $23.99 $29.99 (save $6)

• Owala SmoothSip Slider Coffee Tumbler, 20 oz — $23.97 $29.99 (save $6.02)

• Owala FreeSip Tumbler (Open Air) — $27.99 $34.99 (save $7)

• Owala FreeSip Sway, 40 oz — $35.99 $44.99 (save $9)

Grab your Owala bottle at Amazon before it sells out.

The Forerunner 70 is Garmin's new, entry-level smart fitness watch. At $250, it's Garmin's cheapest device, but does it behave like one? CNET Senior Video Producer Owen Poole swaps his premium Garmin for the Forerunner 70 to see how it stacks up.

TL;DR: The HomerunPet CS106 self-cleaning litter box is available for $699, giving large cats up to 25 pounds a roomy 106-liter interior, a built-in 4.5-liter litter refill system, a 12-liter waste bin, and app controls.

Opens in a new window

Credit: HomerunPet

HomerunPet CS106

$699 at Amazon
$799 Save $100

 

Shop Now

Self-cleaning litter boxes have come a long way, but there's one problem many of them still haven't solved: they're simply too small for bigger cats. If you've got a larger cat, multiple cats, or both, finding one that's roomy enough for everyone can be surprisingly tricky.

That's what HomerunPet is hoping to change with the CS106. The brand says it's the world's largest self-cleaning litter box, with a roomy 106-liter interior built for cats weighing up to 25 pounds. The CS106 can also refill its own litter. It has a built-in 4.5-liter tank that monitors litter levels and tops things off when they're running low, so you're not constantly reaching for the litter bag.

Cleaning is pretty hands-off, too. The waste bin holds up to 12 liters, which HomerunPet says is enough for up to two weeks of waste from two cats. That means fewer cleanouts and fewer "I forgot to empty the litter box" moments.

The litter bed is designed to spread litter evenly after every cleaning cycle, helping keep things clean for homes with multiple cats. And if your cat wanders back in while the box is cleaning itself, the cycle pauses automatically.

Credit: HomerunPet

There's a physical bumper that prevents the opening from fully closing, plus a Kitten Protection Mode that turns off automatic cleaning for smaller cats that might not yet trigger the sensors. It also works with most common litter types, so you shouldn't have to switch brands just to use it. And thanks to its enclosed waste compartment and built-in odor control, it should help keep those not-so-pleasant litter box smells in check.

Your Maine Coon may not say thank you, but they'll probably appreciate the extra legroom. Grab the HomerunPet CS106 at Amazon for $699.

SAVE OVER $400: As of Aug. 5, the Roborock Qrevo Edge 2 robot vacuum and mop is down to $879.99 at Amazon. Compared to its full price of $1,299.99, that's $420 in savings.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Roborock

Roborock Qrevo Edge 2 Robot Vacuum and Mop

$879.99 at Amazon
$1,299.99 Save $420

 

Get Deal

If you're searching for a reliable robot vacuum to have at home — particularly after news of the FCC deciding to ban all new robot vacuums made outside the U.S. — Amazon is a great place to look.

As of Aug. 5, the retailer has dropped a stellar discount on the Roborock Qrevo Edge 2 robot vacuum and mop that we think is worth a look while it's still available. Normally priced at $1,299.99, Amazon has knocked this combo cleaner down to $879.99, saving you $420 overall. It's also pretty close to its lowest recorded price of $849.99, which is a great bonus.

From cleaning up crumbs to mopping up spills, the Roborock Qrevo Edge 2 is packed with plenty of power to help keep your house tidy. The 25,000 Pa suction, with a dual anti-tangle system, lifts any dirt, debris, or loose hair that's caught in your carpets and rugs. Plus, its 3.14-inch height means it can easily maneuver under lower furniture to get tucked-away spots, and Reactive AI obstacle recognition helps it avoid any objects while it cleans.

It also features an upgraded mopping system that, according to the store page, provides 8N of downward pressure to scrub dry stains from your hard floors. And for reaching corners, it has a FlexiArm Arc Side Brush to help out.

If you're hoping to have extra cleaning help ahead of fall, don't miss out on this great deal on the Roborock Qrevo Edge 2 at Amazon.

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

SAVE OVER $100: As of Aug. 5, the ASUS ROG 27-inch OLED gaming monitor is on sale for $679 at Amazon. That's $120 off its full price of $799.

Opens in a new window

Credit: ASUS

ASUS ROG 27-Inch OLED Gaming Monitor

$679 at Amazon
$799 Save $120

 

Get Deal

Buying a new gaming monitor doesn't have to clean out your wallet. Amidst tech price increases, Amazon has been dropping some excellent discounts for PC gamers looking for something new or an upgrade. As of Aug. 5, the ASUS ROG 27-inch OLED gaming monitor is one we've spotted at the retailer, now priced at $679.

Overall, that's a $120 price cut from its original list price of $799. It's not far from its lowest price point at the retailer, either. Price tracker camelcamelcamel shows that as $657.40, so its current deal price is still mighty close. If you've had your eye on it, this is a great time to make your move.

With its 1440P resolution OLED display, this ASUS ROG gaming monitor boasts a crisp, vibrant picture quality that's sure to make games, videos, and more really pop on screen. It also features a 480Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time, ensuring everything runs smoothly and looks sharp without motion blur.

This monitor even comes with ROG OLED Anti-Flicker Technology, which reduces the flicker during refresh rate fluctuations. This helps you feel more comfortable when you're gaming for longer periods.

This offer may not be live for long since it's a "limited time deal." So act fast to save on the ASUS ROG 27-inch OLED gaming monitor at Amazon.

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

SAVE OVER $500: As of Aug. 5, the Hisense 65-inch U6 Pro Series Mini‑LED ULED 4K TV has hit its lowest-ever price of $598.99 at Amazon. That's $501 off its list price of $1,099.99.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Hisense

Hisense 65-Inch U6 Pro Series Mini‑LED ULED 4K UHD HDR Gaming AI TV

$598.99 at Amazon
$1,099.99 Save $501

 

Get Deal

A new TV is a big investment, but thankfully, great deals pop up quite frequently to help make your purchase feel a bit less daunting. Today is one of those days, because we've spotted an excellent offer worth checking out at Amazon. As of Aug. 5, the retailer has knocked the Hisense 65-inch U6 Pro Series Mini‑LED ULED 4K TV down to its lowest-ever price of $598.99.

Compared to this model's full price of $1,099.99, that's a $501 discount. That's nearly half off (46%, to be exact). Since it's never been this cheap before, this is the perfect time to swoop in and add it to your shopping cart.

Whether you're streaming or gaming, the Hisense U6 Pro boasts 4K resolution, Hi-QLED technology, and Mini-LED backlighting to enhance color, contrast, and detail in everything that pops up on its 65-inch display. It also has a native 144Hz refresh rate, which helps keep the picture smooth and sharp. This is especially helpful while playing games or watching live sports.

Plus, it even has a built-in subwoofer that gives bass in sounds you hear a nice boost, and it's a Fire TV. With the latter, jumping into your favorite streaming apps is quick and easy.

Considering the Hisense 65-inch U6 Pro Series Mini‑LED ULED 4K TV has hit its lowest price point at Amazon, this is an excellent time to grab it while the deal is still available.

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

TL;DR: Watch One Piece for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Anime fans are often forced into one of two camps: Those who pay a lot of cash to subscribe to a number of streaming platforms and those who rely on dodgy streams from dark corners of the online world. It doesn't need to be this way. There are legitimate streaming platforms out there with enormous banks of anime content, just waiting for you to binge.

BBC iPlayer might not be the first name you think of when it comes to anime, but this popular service hosts literally thousands of episodes from the One Piece anime series. It's also a great place to access free Pokémon content. Who knew?

If you're interested in watching One Piece for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

How to watch One Piece for free

Over 1,000 episodes from the One Piece anime series are available to watch for free on BBC iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, but you can access this free service from abroad 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 watch One Piece from anywhere in the world.

Stream One Piece for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

4. Visit BBC iPlayer

5. Stream One Piece for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

Get Deal

The best VPNs for unblocking streaming sites are not free, but they do tend to offer free trials and money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch One Piece without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it gives you time to binge everything on offer before recovering your investment.

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

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for accessing free streams on BBC iPlayer, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

• Easy-to-use apps for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, as well as platforms like Linux, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, and routers

• Strict no-logging policy

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Watch One Piece for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

A rogue piece of a SpaceX rocket is reported to have crash landed on the moon.

Announced Tuesday by NASA, the space agency and Elon Musk-owned space company have been tracking a stray upper stage from a Falcon 9 rocket launched last year to deploy Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost 1 lunar lander. Reported by the BBC to likely have crashed on the lunar surface at 07:35 a.m. BST, the rocket section is estimated by the news outlet to weigh about 4,000 kilograms (8,000 pounds).

According to NASA, "solar activity and gravitational forces" caused the upper stage of the rocket, which takes over from the boosters in space, to divert course to the moon. The agency predicted SpaceX's object would crash near the Einstein and Bell craters on the moon's surface, the resulting crater to be 60 feet wide and 12 feet deep. That's one large divot.

However, NASA stipulated "the impact poses no danger to Earth."

The object was identified by astronomers using public data, NASA says, with confirmation of an impending moon impact later made by NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), located at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California. CNEOS tracks orbiting asteroids and comets and evaluates their odds of impacting Earth.

You can't watch the impact from Earth, but NASA says its Meteoroid Environments Office will be using telescopes at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, to take images of the event (so stay tuned for moon crash pics).

If you're worried, NASA described the event of an upper stage crashing on the moon as "a technically accepted and safe method and, in some cases, can be the only practical option for missions in low lunar orbit." The agency says its scientists will collect data from the event and described it as providing "valuable insight" into object tracking in space and the moon's geology, especially ejecta plumes — the trajectory of dust, rocks, and material dislodged by a force.

As the agency pointed out, though human made objects are rare, the moon is regularly hit by meteoroids. Why? It's like a shitty party: no atmosphere.

Every fandom has its lore. ENHYPEN has an entire universe.

What began as the vampire imagery woven through the K-pop group's 2020 debut has evolved into DARK MOON, a supernatural franchise spanning Webtoon, anime, music, and its own devoted online fandom. But ENHYPEN's commitment to storytelling doesn't stop there. As the group prepares to release THE SIN : BLISS on Aug. 21 — the latest chapter in its SIN universe, which unfolds through cinematic narration, interconnected teasers, and an overarching narrative — the line between music and world-building continues to blur.

At this year's San Diego Comic-Con, where superheroes, vampires, and sprawling fictional universes have long found a home, ENHYPEN's storytelling found a natural stage. Towering above the convention floor, a glowing crimson moon beckoned visitors to the DARK MOON booth, where fans and attendees learned about the story, posed for photos alongside life-size character illustrations, and gathered for a chance to see ENHYPEN in the flesh.

It was part promotional stop, part portal into a fictional world that has grown alongside the group for nearly five years.

Launched as a Webtoon in 2022, DARK MOON follows seven vampire boys inspired by ENHYPEN: Heli, Jaan, Jino, Solon, Jakah, Shion, and Noa. (Heli was originally based on former member Heeseung.) At the mysterious Decelis Academy, they protect a transfer student named Sooha while navigating love, brotherhood, and questions of identity, themes that have anchored ENHYPEN's own music.

The story didn't stay on the page for long. It has since extended into sequel webtoons, an anime adaptation, soundtrack albums, and immersive fan experiences, cementing DARK MOON as one of K-pop's most ambitious multimedia storytelling projects.

Meet ENHYPEN's animated alter egos. Credit: Courtesy of BELIFT LAB

Backstage at San Diego's House of Blues on Friday night, just hours after appearing at Comic-Con, ENHYPEN is preparing for DARK MOON BLOOD NIGHT, a special performance celebrating the franchise. Outside, hundreds of fans wait for the doors to open, many having spent the day exploring the DARK MOON booth on the convention floor before changing into vampire-inspired outfits and cosplay for the evening's concert. Inside, members Jungwon, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Ni-ki are relaxed, laughing with one another as they prepare to take the stage.

It wasn't always this easy to embrace the fangs. "When we first debuted, the only vampire reference we really had was Twilight," Jay tells Mashable. "At first, it was quite weird. We were like, 'How could we do this?' There were a lot of challenges and a lot of big ideas. But now it has become really iconic for us."

Jay isn't wrong. Pop culture has a habit of falling back in love with vampires every generation.

Long before ENHYPEN built its own mythology, there were Anne Rice's brooding immortals, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, True Blood, and The Vampire Diaries. Then came Twilight, whose sun-sparkling Cullens transformed vampires into one of the defining internet fandoms of the late 2000s, inspiring fan fiction, Tumblr debates, and the Team Edward-versus-Team Jacob discourse that somehow still resurfaces online whenever Robert Pattinson decides to troll the internet.

JAKE, JAY, SUNGHOON, NI-KI, JUNGWON, SUNOO, Ashley Greene, Peter Facinelli, Catherine Hardwicke Credit: Courtesy of BELIFT LAB

That lineage made ENHYPEN's Comic-Con appearance feel particularly fitting. The group's panel, "Bite Me: Calling All Vampires," brought the members together with Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke and stars Peter Facinelli and Ashley Greene for a conversation about one of pop culture's most enduring monsters and why every generation seems to find a new way to fall in love with vampires.

"I believe we're the first K-pop group to ever come to Comic-Con," Jake says. "It feels very unique because it's like two different worlds of entertainment coming together. We're very happy about that."

World-building has become part of K-pop's creative DNA. Agencies don't just build groups; they build eras, concepts, and fictional universes for fans to unravel across music videos, comeback trailers, social media, and performances. Fans, in turn, freeze-frame every teaser, decode cryptic clues, and spend weeks stitching together elaborate theories from seemingly insignificant details. Few of those story worlds, however, have expanded as far beyond the music as DARK MOON, which now spans the Webtoon DARK MOON: THE BLOOD ALTAR, its sequel DARK MOON: TWO MOONS, the anime adaptation now streaming on Crunchyroll in North America, and companion releases like the MEMORABILIA soundtrack album.

For the members, one of the most surreal moments came when they first saw animated versions of themselves.

"I remember during one of our earliest meetings with the DARK MOON team, they explained how each character represented us," Jake recalls. "When we finally watched it, we were saying, 'Oh, that one really looks like someone. That one acts like someone.' We could really see the resemblance."

That likeness is hard to ignore backstage. Framed illustrations of the DARK MOON characters line the interview space like family portraits, each member sitting just a few feet from his fictional counterpart. At one point, Sunoo wanders over to Shion's portrait, studying it for a moment.

"He's very cute," he says.

Ni-ki laughs that his own character still resembles his "debut-era" self. Jay, meanwhile, can't resist teasing Sunoo, insisting that Shion is "more Sunoo than Sunoo" — or, as he puts it, maybe even "cuter" than the real thing.

"No, no, no," Sunoo fires back, laughing.

The expansion into animation also introduced ENHYPEN to an entirely new audience when the anime, titled Dark Moon: The Blood Altar Animation with Enhypen, premiered earlier this year. "We weren't that familiar with animation," Jake admits. "Then we realized there was this huge fanbase. Later, we heard that a lot of people actually became ENHYPEN fans through DARK MOON. That was really surprising for us, and exactly what we were hoping for."

That kind of crossover is intentional. "At HYBE NEB, we believe that a strong shared thematic vision is what connects all of our content and allows fans to experience a cohesive universe, regardless of where they first encounter our IP," Taeho Park, president of HYBE Next Entertainment Business, tells Mashable. "Our priority is ensuring that fans can connect with the same core themes and emotions, no matter how they enter the universe."

The storytelling doesn't end with DARK MOON. ENHYPEN's latest musical era has embraced increasingly immersive world-building, and THE SIN : BLISS doubles down with narrated tracks, in-universe websites, and a series of in-universe advertisements imagining what everyday life might look like in a society built for vampires. Think coffin-inspired mattresses, centuries-old banking, and real estate with guaranteed sunlight protection.

The group is also continuing a device introduced on THE SIN : VANISH, enlisting familiar voices to narrate the story. For THE SIN : BLISS, the Korean narration is delivered in part by MBC News Desk anchor Kim Soo-ji, whose recognizable voice lends the fictional broadcasts the authority of a real news report.

"We thought it was a great idea because it makes the album almost like it's from a third-person point of view," Jake says of introducing outside narrators. "If we did the narration ourselves, it would feel like us telling our own story. Now it's somebody else looking at us and what's happening to us."

Ni-ki promotes DORMANT, a fictional coffin-inspired mattress brand designed for the vampire world of THE SIN : BLISS. Credit: Courtesy of BELIFT LAB

Jay says bringing in professionals to narrate the album was "one of the best decisions" the group has made creatively, making the story feel more immersive.

Even when recording songs directly connected to DARK MOON — including fan favorites "One In A Billion," "CRIMINAL LOVE," and "Fatal Trouble" — Sunghoon says the group never treats them as separate from ENHYPEN's broader artistic identity.

"I actually like those tracks a lot because they fit the message DARK MOON represents," he says. "When we record music, I don't think I take different approaches, whether it is for DARK MOON or for ENHYPEN. We always try to give our best."

As the stories have grown more ambitious, so has the role fans play in interpreting them. K-pop fans have long dissected music videos for hidden clues, but Ni-ki sees DARK MOON as an opportunity to join that conversation rather than replace it.

"Before this, K-pop fans were already interpreting music videos," he says. "We thought, 'Why should the fans do all the work?' We would provide our own version of interpretation."

ENHYPEN turned the House of Blues into a home for vampires during DARK MOON BLOOD NIGHT. Credit: Courtesy of BELIFT LAB

Rather than closing off those conversations, ENHYPEN sees the official narrative as another layer for fans to remix.

"Based on the version we offered, the fans reinterpret it in their own way," Ni-ki continues. "It's a nice cycle."

Jungwon says social media has only accelerated that process. "There are so many different surfaces where fans find not just DARK MOON but ENHYPEN as a team," he says. "It enables fans to become more immersed in what we do."

That collaborative approach is something HYBE increasingly sees as central to DARK MOON itself.

"We believe that fans are also an important part of completing DARK MOON's storytelling experience," Park says. "We want fans to do more than simply consume our story content... Looking ahead, we want to put even greater emphasis on active fan participation and the role of the community in enriching the overall storytelling experience."

The members witness creativity every day through theories, edits, artwork, and discussions that fans post online. And, yes, they're quick to admit they also save fan art when they come across it online.

"In many cases, the conclusion is open-ended," Sunghoon says. "It's open to interpretation. It depends on the person. It's more fun like that."

As for where DARK MOON could go next, the members have no shortage of ideas. Sunoo dreams of a live-action adaptation — though he'd happily leave the acting to someone else. Jake imagines a sprawling video game for the Nintendo Switch or PlayStation, the kind of fantasy RPG where players can spend dozens of hours exploring its world. Ni-ki wants to see the story stretched across an epic series of high-fantasy novels. Sunghoon pictures a DARK MOON takeover of Seoul's Lotte World theme park, complete with attractions inspired by the vampire universe. Jay, meanwhile, is already thinking on an even grander scale.

"A musical," he says without hesitation. After a beat, another idea arrives. "Or something at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Technology is really amazing these days."

The members laugh as they imagine those possibilities. But they're not exactly far-fetched. Five years ago, DARK MOON was just an idea taking shape alongside ENHYPEN's debut. Today, it's a living story that keeps finding new ways to exist across countless corners of the internet. If its journey has proven anything, it's that the next chapter could be almost anywhere.

Got an Android phone? Your location may be being broadcast on more apps than you realize.

App developers could be inadvertently sharing user location data with advertisers, according to findings from an Electronic Frontier Foundation investigation.

The issue arises from certain Software Development Kits (SDKs) that advertisers provide to developers to enable them to monetize their apps. The problem? A number of these SDKs collect location data by default, so if you've given an app permission to access your location, it may well be sharing this data with advertisers without you realizing.

"Even if users were to grant these apps permission to obtain their location data, they would likely not expect their location data to be shared with third parties," reads the EFFs report. "Many users don’t know that granting location permissions to an app grants the same permissions to third-party SDKs embedded in the app, or that an app they're using contains code from outside companies."

How to stop sharing your location on Android

The good news is you can stop sharing your location with any app at any time, via the Settings page.

Just tap Location, then App location permissions. You can then go through your apps one by one and select Don't Allow or Not Allowed.

Alternatively, if you want to stop sharing location data across all apps, you can head to the main menu and toggle Use Location to off (the only issue there is that it will include apps where you might need to give location permissions, such as maps and weather).

We're approaching the end of another lunar cycle as we get closer to the New Moon. The lunar cycle is a roughly 29.5-day journey that sees the Moon transition through eight distinct phases, from New Moon to Full Moon and back again. Keep reading to find out where we are in the cycle as of Aug. 5.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Wednesday, Aug. 5, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon phase is in Waning Gibbous phase, with 59% of its surface visible.

As the moon hits day 22 of the lunar cycle, visibility is decreasing significantly. But there's still more than a 50% chance of spotting some lunar features. For example, with just your naked eye, tonight you can spot the Aristarchus Plateau, Kepler Crater, and the Tycho Crater. If you have a pair of binoculars, these will help you see the Gassendi and Clavius Craters and the Apennine Mountains. Those with access to a telescope will also be able to see the Apollo 12 landing spot and the Rima Ariadaeus.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on August 28.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon's appearance changes throughout the month as it orbits Earth, completing one full lunar cycle approximately every 29.5 days, according to NASA. During that journey, the positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon are constantly shifting, altering how much of the Moon's illuminated surface is visible from our perspective. That's why we see the familiar sequence of phases, from a slim crescent to a half Moon, then a Full Moon, before the pattern begins again.

The eight phases are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

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.

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026:

Across

Stimulate, as the appetite

• The answer is Whet.

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

"___ did the time go?"

• The answer is Where.

"Hmm, strange ..."

• The answer is Weird.

Walked through water

• The answer is Waded.

Neat and orderly

• The answer is Tidy.

Down

Crop on the South Dakota state quarter

• The answer is Wheat.

"Saturday Night Live" alum Gardner

• The answer is Heidi.

Made a mistake

• The answer is Erred.

Child's bear

• The answer is Teddy.

Repeated letters in a U.R.L. address

• The answer is WWW.

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.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is here, and you know what that means: It's time to take a climb into the very tangled branches of the Targaryen family tree.

Over the first two seasons of House of the Dragon, some of these branches have been pruned. (RIP to the many Targs who've perished in this bloody show.) However, Season 2 also added its fair share of new offshoots, further complicating the knotted web between Houses Targaryen, Velaryon, and Hightower. Season 3 has complicated it even further, with new deaths and the face reveal of one Daeron Targaryen. If you're looking for a refresher on that web as you watch Season 3, we've got you covered.

Below, you'll find the Targaryen family tree as it stands as of House of the Dragon Season 3, episode 7, as well as a rundown of the characters and how they connect.

Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable

Which Targaryens have died since Season 2?

There were two key deaths in the Targaryen family in Season 2: one on the Greens' side and one on the Blacks'.

Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen's (Emma D'Arcy) camp lost Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best), also known as the Queen Who Never Was. Meanwhile, King Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Queen Helaena (Phia Saban) lost their young son Jaehaerys when gold cloak Blood (Sam C. Wilson) and rat catcher Cheese (Mark Stobbart) assassinated him on Prince Daemon's (Matt Smith) orders.

There are still plenty of Targaryens left standing, though. Here's who to watch out for in Season 3.

The Targaryen family tree: Rhaenyra, Daemon, and their children

Matt Smith, Phoebe Campbell, Emma D'Arcy, Harry Collett, and Bethany Antonia in "House of the Dragon." Credit: Composite: Mashable / Images: HBO

Rhaenyra heads up the Team Black branch of the Targaryen family tree, with her husband/uncle Daemon by her side. (It was touch and go for a minute in Season 2, but after a life-changing study abroad trip to Harrenhal, complete with witches and visions, Daemon is finally ready to accept Rhaenyra as his queen.)

Their two young sons, Aegon and Viserys, are on their way to Pentos for protection after a brief pit stop in the Vale. However, Rhaenyra and Daemon's children from their prior marriages are still in Westeros and locked in on Rhaenyra's fight for the throne.

Rhaenyra's son Jacaerys (Harry Collett) and Daemon's daughter Baela (Bethany Antonia) are both dragonriders. Daemon's other daughter, Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell), doesn't have a dragon, which is why she was sent off as Aegon and Viserys' guardian. However, when they went to Pentos, she remained behind in the Vale, hoping to tame its wild dragon Sheepstealer. As of Season 3, she's successfully claimed Sheepstealer, but at a cost: He went rogue during the Battle of the Gullet, and his interference helped lead to Jace's tragic death. Rhaenyra wanted Sheepstealer's rider's head, and only Daemon and Lady Jeyne Arryn (Amanda Collin) knew the truth of her identity, until Baela and Addam of Hull / Addam Velaryon (Clinton Liberty) tracked Sheepstealer down to the Vale. After a brutal dragon fight, Sheepstealer's fate hangs in the balance, and Rhaena has been dragged back to King's Landing.

The Targaryen family tree: Alicent Hightower and her children

Tom Glynn-Carney, Olivia Cooke, Phia Saban, and Ewan Mitchell in "House of the Dragon." Credit: Composite: Mashable / Images: HBO

Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) remains the matriarch of Team Green, although she's growing increasingly regretful about her role in the war for succession. (So regretful, in fact, that she's offered to surrender the Iron Throne to Rhaenyra and take steps to ensure her rule.) She had four children with the late King Viserys (Paddy Considine).

The eldest, Aegon, was crowned King of Westeros over Rhaenyra, before she took back the Iron Throne in Season 3, episode 2. His younger brother Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) attempted to kill him in a dragon dogfight at the Battle of Rook's Rest, and once Aegon recovered from his worst injuries, he fled King's Landing with the help of Larys Strong (Matthew Needham). Aemond became Prince Regent, and Alicent has been trying her best to get herself, her daughter Helaena, and granddaughter Jaehaera out of harm's way — they've been captured and imprisoned in King's Landing. Aemond, separated from his dragon Vhagar, is currently determined to set up his new seat of power in Harrenhal with Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin).

Alicent's youngest son Daeron (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) makes his official House of the Dragon debut in Season 3, episode 4, although he's been hiding in plain sight since the Season 3 premiere. He's a ward of House Hightower and squire to Lord Ormund Hightower (James Norton), who's engineering his own plot — involving a fake Daeron — to place him on the throne.

The Hightower family tree: Otto, Gwayne, and Ormund

James Norton, Olivia Cooke, Rhys Ifans, and Freddie Fox in "House of the Dragon." Credit: Composite: Mashable / Images: HBO

In addition to Alicent, the rest of House Hightower continues to be a major player in House of the Dragon. Her father, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), former hand of the King, was the first Green loyalist to be executed under Rhaenyra's reign. Elsewhere, Alicent's brother Gwayne (Freddie Fox) has been traipsing around the Seven Kingdoms with Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), a nightmare we wouldn't wish on even our worst enemies.

House of the Dragon Season 3 also introduces a new member of the Hightower family: Lord Ormund, head of House Hightower. His late father Hobert (Steffan Rhodri) was Otto's oldest brother, making Ormund Alicent and Gwayne's cousin.

The Velaryon family tree: Corlys and his sons Alyn and Addam

Steve Toussaint, Abubakar Salim, and Clinton Liberty in "House of the Dragon." Credit: Composite: Mashable / Images: HBO

Rhaenyra's Hand is Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), also known as the Sea Snake due to his naval prowess. Over the course of House of the Dragon, he's lost his wife Rhaenys, as well as their children Laena (Nanna Blondell) and Laenor (John Macmillan).

However, Season 2 revealed that Laena and Laenor weren't Corlys' only descendants. He also has two bastard sons, Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim) and Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty). Their mother Marilda, unseen in the show, was a shipwright. House of the Dragon primarily refers to Marilda in the past tense, implying she is dead, hence why she's greyed out in our family tree. However, by this point in Fire and Blood, she is still alive. Corlys, however, is currently a prisoner of Ormund Hightower in Tumbleton.

While Corlys didn't truly acknowledge Alyn and Addam prior to Season 2, the pair are now a much more prominent part of his life — and the show. Alyn is a notable sailor in Corlys' fleet, and Addam became a dragonrider. Thanks to his Valyrian blood, he now rides Seasmoke, Laenor's old dragon.

The dragonseeds: Addam, Ulf the White, and Hugh Hammer

Kieran Bew, Tom Bennett, and Clinton Liberty in "House of the Dragon." Credit: Composite: Mashable / Images: HBO

Addam isn't the only new dragonrider to join Rhaenyra's ranks in Season 2. Smallfolk Ulf the White (Tom Bennett) and Hugh Hammer (Kieran Bew) also claimed dragons. Ulf rides Silverwing, the dragon of Rhaenyra's grandmother Alysanne, while Hugh rides Vermithor, the dragon of Rhaenyra's grandfather Jaehaerys. The pair, like Addam, are bastards of Valyrian blood, earning them the nickname of "dragonseeds." While they haven't been legitimized as Targaryens, they will certainly have a large role to play in the battles to come.

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.

UPDATE: Aug. 5, 2026, 10:42 a.m. GMT This article has been updated to reflect the events of the first seven episodes of Season 3.

UPDATE: Jul. 12, 2026, 10:00 p.m. EDT This article has been updated to reflect the events of the first four episodes of Season 3.

UPDATE: Jun. 26, 2026, 4:02 p.m. EDT A previous version of the family tree did not show Rhaenys, Hobert, or Marilda as deceased the way they are in the show. It has since been updated.

TL;DR: Wizards of the Coast revealed the first wave of commanders from Magic: The Gathering's Mystery Booster: Commander Edition at Gen Con, displaying rule-breaking mechanics, deep MTG lore, and cards built around multiplayer chaos ahead of the set's release.

Magic: The Gathering has never shied away from weird card design, but Wizards of the Coast's newest Commander product might be pushing that further than ever. Wizards first announced Mystery Booster: Commander Edition at MagicCon Amsterdam earlier this summer, revealing it would feature more than 50 exclusive legendary creatures with hundreds of reprints.

What Wizards didn't do at the time was show any of the new "wild cards," leaving Commander players speculating for months about what this set would actually include.

That changed over the weekend, when the first wave of reveals came out of an invite-only Gen Con event hosted by Gavin Verhey — and the photos that spread online made it clear this set isn't just reprints. The new legends are genuinely wild deckbuilding puzzles.

The reprints alone make for a wild draft, but the real story is the new legendary creatures. Wizards used them to dig into niche archetypes, forgotten mechanics, weird deckbuilding rules, and multiplayer-focused effects — the stuff that just doesn't fit into a normal set.

Most recent premier sets keep the command zone stocked with legends that reliably ramp and draw cards within strict color identities. This set completely flips that, ignoring the usual rules for what a commander is supposed to do.

What's inside the set?

Beyond the new legendary creatures, Mystery Booster: Commander Edition is built specifically for Commander Draft, and each box comes packed with a mix of new and old cards. Here's a full breakdown of what's inside the booster:

• 20 total Magic cards per booster

• 3 white, 3 blue, 3 black, 3 red, and 3 green common or uncommon cards

• 1 reprint wildcard of any rarity

• 1 rare or mythic rare reprinted commander

• 1 non-foil or traditional foil new-to-Magic commander

• 1 additional non-foil or traditional foil card

• A Future Sight frame common/uncommon card

• A Future Sight frame rare/mythic rare card

• A traditional foil acorn stamp card (rare pull, under 1%)

• 1 playtest card

In total, the set draws from more than 2,000 cards across Magic's entire history, so opening a box is a mixed bag of old favorites and cards you've probably never even seen printed before.

60 brand-new commanders

Gavin Verhey designed 60 all-new legendary creatures for this set, and several use a new mechanic called Rulebreaker, letting you bend Commander's usual deckbuilding rules. One standout: Tsagan, Raider Warlord, which started out digitally in MTG Arena's Alchemy: Aetherdrift, is now making its first tabletop appearance — and unlike most Alchemy cards, it's fully legal in Commander, Legacy, and Vintage.

Credit: Wizards of the Coast

Credit: Wizards of the Coast

More surprises: Future Sight, Alchemy, and playtest cards

Remember Future Sight's alternate frame from 2007? It's back for 134 different reprints in this set, some appearing in non-foil or foil for the first time ever.

There are also 10 traditional foil cards carrying the acorn stamp, all originally built for MTG Arena's Alchemy format using digital-only mechanics — not legal in Constructed formats, but fair game for Mystery Booster: Commander Edition Draft or Sealed.

Credit: Wizards of the Coast

Credit: Wizards of the Coast

The box also includes 121 playtest cards, styled after Wizards' actual internal testing mockups, with one in every booster. They're not tournament-legal either, but they're a fun addition to casual Commander Draft.

Where and when to buy

Wizards will be hosting a range of Mystery Booster: Commander Edition events at MagicCon, including MagicCon: Atlanta on Nov. 13-15, where you can register to play. You can also get it through Festival in a Box, once it becomes available via MagicSecretLair, though Wizards hasn't confirmed an exact date yet.

Cards and sealed products for the set have also started showing up on TCGplayer, though listings currently show as sold out — still worth bookmarking in case restocks come through.

TL;DR: The latest Stuff Your Kindle Day takes place on Aug. 5-8. Stuff Your E-Reader, hosted by Indie Author Collective, is offering free books in a variety of subgenres.

We're not in the habit of complaining about free giveaways, but if there is one thing that bothers us about Stuff Your Kindle Days, it's that they sometimes come and go in the blink of an eye. We need time to prepare. We need to properly assess our options and lovingly handpick the books that speak to us. 24-hour events rob us of this opportunity.

Fortunately, the latest Stuff Your Kindle Day is a much more relaxed affair.

Stuff Your E-Reader, hosted by Indie Author Collective, is offering free books across a variety of subgenres until Aug.8. Everything that you download is yours to keep forever, so you really can stock up ahead of the colder winter months on the horizon.

Looking to make the most of the latest Stuff Your Kindle Day? We've lined up everything you need to know about this popular event.

When is Stuff Your Kindle Day?

Stuff Your E-Reader takes place from Aug. 5-8. This four-day giveaway provides participants with the chance to really dig into everything on offer.

Which books are free?

Stuff Your E-Reader is an all-genre book blast, so there really is something for everyone. There's a helpful hub page with everything neatly organized. You can filter by price (free or $0.99), platform (Kindle or Kobo), representation, and genre. There are 30+ genres to pick from, including fantasy, thriller, romance, gothic, and erotica.

Is Stuff Your Kindle Day the same as Amazon Kindle Unlimited?

Everything you download on Stuff Your Kindle Day is yours to keep forever, and there's no limit on the number of books you can download. Stuff Your Kindle Day downloads don't count towards the 20 books that Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscribers can borrow at the same time.

The best Stuff Your Kindle Day deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

Kindle (16GB) + Kindle Unlimited (3 Months)

$109.99 at Amazon

 

Shop Now

Why we like it

These popular e-readers let you take your entire library on the go. With weeks of battery life and an anti-glare display, you can read anywhere and anytime with the Kindle. Plus, you can get three months of Kindle Unlimited for free with your purchase for a limited time.

The best wireless earbuds range anywhere from $10 to $1,000, especially if you're going for professional-grade studio earphones. And if you care about active noise cancellation, you can easily spend $300 — that's the price of peace and quiet. You can also get hyperspecialized models like sleep earbuds, bone-conduction earbuds for working out, and open earbuds for transparency.

In 2026, our top picks for earbuds are the Sony WF-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen), and Panasonic Technics AZ100s, which provide outstanding sound quality and ANC. But keep in mind that these models will run you $299 to $329. While we stand by the value of everything on this list, we know that spending over $300 on a pair of earbuds is a lot to stomach. That's why we've also included more budget-friendly wireless earbuds under $100 that still deliver excellent performance.

Ready to start shopping now? Here are our favorite wireless and noise-cancelling earbuds as of August 2026.

Types of earbuds

There are two overarching types of earbuds: wireless and wired. While those descriptors are self-explanatory, let's get into the specifics of both.

Wireless

Wireless earbuds connect to devices via Bluetooth for cordless usage. These earbuds range from $20 budget models to high-end models with active noise cancellation. While they don't require a wire to connect to a device, some wireless earbuds still have a wire that might go around the back of the neck to connect the buds.

While earbuds traditionally don't provide the passive noise cancellation of over-the-ear headphones, wireless models often feature ANC, which electronically blocks out background noise. With wireless headphones, you need to consider the battery life. Most models should have an eight-hour or more battery life before they need to be recharged.

Wired

Wired earbuds are the original model: two buds connected by a wire to your audio source. While they once felt high tech, they're pretty basic now. Wired earbuds with active noise cancellation are basically non-existent, and you won't find any on our list.

The biggest positive to wired headphones is that they don't need to be charged. They're a great backup option to keep in your bag in case your usual wireless headphones or earbuds run out of charge.

New additions to this guide

After extensive testing, Mashable Lead Shopping Reporter Bethany Allard rounded up the best sleep earbuds. You can read her full guide, but as of February 2026, we've added the Anker Soundcore Sleep A30 Special to this guide, which Allard says are the best sleep earbuds for most people. Also in February 2026, we added the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds as our top pick for the best overall earbud, and removed the previous generation, the WF-1000XM5, as the best Sony earbud.

Up next for consideration are more open earbuds, budget earbuds, and the Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro.

What are the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds?

If you're just looking for a pair of everyday wireless earbuds, all but one of the models in this guide will check that box. (We formerly included the Marshall Mode earbuds for folks who preferred a wired option, but have since removed them from our guide as the version we tested is difficult to find in stock these days.)

If you're looking for the highest quality wireless earbuds, you can't go wrong with the Sony WF-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Apple AirPods Pro 3, and Panasonic Technics EAH-AZ100 earbuds, our most recent recommendation in 2026. Both of these wireless earbuds feature elite noise-cancellation, stellar sound, long battery life, and a comfortable fit for extended wear.

Still, this guide includes several other earbuds we stand behind. Apple users may prefer the AirPods Pro, while shoppers on a budget may prefer buds from Marshall or Anker Soundcore. If you need help picking the perfect pair, read on.

How to choose the best headphones

We won't beat around the bush: There's no definitive "best" product here. Sure, elite audio brands put out high-quality products across the board, but even within each of those brands, you'll find different tiers of products. Some will deliver better value, and some will deliver better hardware and active noise cancellation.

All this to say, the best pair of earbuds or headphones largely comes down to personal preference and how you plan to use them. Some listeners swear by over-ear headphones, while others prefer the minimalism of earbuds — one is not necessarily better than the other. Athletes who like to use headphones at the gym will appreciate waterproof materials and the best open earbuds, while frequent fliers will prefer devices with long battery life, comfort, and portability. Finally, music lovers and audiophiles will want to invest in premium features like a custom equalizer, spatial audio, or best-in-class active noise cancellation.

To help you pick your pair, we tested all of the headphones in this guide (and a lot that didn't make the cut). Here, you'll find the top headphones of 2026 for noise cancellation, music, price, and wired connections.

What about wired headphones?

We focused primarily on the best wireless headphones for this guide. While wired headphones have their fans, wireless headphones are just more convenient for most of us. If we had to pick, we'd recommend the Marshall Mode earbuds as our top wired pick. Some of us are also fans of Apple's EarPods.

Other headphones we've tested

Most recently, we tested the Marshall Monitor III, JBL Tour One M3 headphones and the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC, and though they had their merits, fell short of winning the best of the best spot on this guide.

We've also tested the Sonos Ace headphones and Dyson OnTrac headphones. And while we loved them both for sound quality and noise cancellation, they fare in the way of AirPods Max — left out of our recommendations for their high price points.

In the testing pipeline

For our future updates, we're testing out more budget noise-cancelling earbuds and headphones.

Recent updates to this guide

• March 2025: We've designated the Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2 earbuds as the most comfortable ANC earbuds and crowned the Sony XM6 earbuds as the new best noise cancelling earbuds.

• December 2025: We replaced the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 earbuds, which are no longer available, with the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 sports earbuds.

• December 2025: We removed the Marshall Mode wired earbuds, as they're frequently out of stock.

• December 2025: We added the Sony WH-CH720N Noise-Canceling Headphones as the best headphones under $100.

• December 2025: We added the Sony XM5 headphones, originally released in 2022, as our new honorable mention pick.

• August 2026: We replaced the Sennheiser Momentum 4 with the Nothing Headphone (a) as our best battery life pick.

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

There was absolutely nothing wrong with the French Open or Wimbledon, but you could feel the absence of Carlos Alcaraz. We missed his all-action style, his passion, and his rivalry with top seed Jannik Sinner. Fans will be desperately hoping he's back to defend his US Open title, and the good news is that he's officially on the entry list.

Barring any late injuries, we should finally get to see the Alcaraz vs. Sinner rivalry renewed at Flushing Meadows. Of course, that's not the only story. Sabalenka will be looking to defend her title against a host of talented players, including Americans like Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula. Questions will also be asked of Zverev and Djokovic as they look to bridge the gap to the game's biggest stars.

If you want to watch the 2026 US Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

What is the US Open?

The US Open Tennis Championships (or US Open) is a hardcourt tennis tournament held annually in Queens, New York. It is the fourth and final of the four Grand Slams, held after the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon.

The defending singles champions are Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka.

When is the 2026 US Open?

The 2026 US Open is the 146th edition of the tournament. This year's event takes place from Aug. 23 to Sept. 13.

How to watch the 2026 US Open for free

The 2026 US Open is available to live stream for free on 9Now.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in Australia, meaning you can unblock 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2026 US Open by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit 9Now

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

Opens in a new window

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams of the US Open without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch the entire tournament before recovering your investment.

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

What is the best VPN for the US Open?

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

• Servers in 105 countries, including Australia

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 80% 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 a money-back guarantee).

Live stream the 2026 US Open for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream the 2026 Vuelta a España for free on SBS on Demand. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The huge news from the world of cycling is that Tadej Pogačar is set to compete in this year's Vuelta a España.

That's certainly bad news for anyone looking to battle it out for top spot in the general classification. It might also be bad news for fans hoping for competitive racing, such is the dominance that Pogačar is displaying right now. Can anyone compete with the Tour de France winner? It'll take something special to stop Pogačar from claiming the only Grand Tour he's yet to win.

If you want to watch the 2026 Vuelta a España for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

What is the Vuelta a España?

The Vuelta a España is an annual multi-stage bicycle race primarily held in Spain. The Vuelta is the third and final grand tour of the 2026 men's road cycling season, following the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France.

The defending general classification champion is Jonas Vingegaard.

When is the 2026 Vuelta a España?

The 2026 Vuelta a España is the 81st edition of the three-week cycling race. This year's event will start on Aug. 22 in Monaco and end on Sept. 13 in Granada.

How to watch the 2026 Vuelta a España for free

The 2026 Vuelta a España is available to live stream for free on SBS on Demand. You can watch all 21 stages live and free, plus stream stage replays, mini stages, and highlights.

SBS on Demand is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access it for free with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can live stream on SBS on Demand from anywhere in the world.

Live stream the 2026 Vuelta a España for free by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Connect to SBS on Demand

5. Watch the 2026 Vuelta a España from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free. However, leading VPNs tend to offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By using these offers, you can watch the 2026 Vuelta a España without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you plenty of time to watch every stage of the Vuelta a España before recovering your investment.

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

What is the best VPN for SBS on Demand?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for streaming live sport on SBS on Demand, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Australia

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 80% 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 a money-back guarantee).

Watch the 2026 Vuelta a España for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: EcoVacs is launching the W2S Pro Omni, a window-cleaning robot with edge detection, a portable multi-purpose charging dock, and 12-tier suction protection to keep it safely attached to glass. It launches Aug. 10, priced at $599.99.

Robot vacuums have solved floor cleaning, but there's always a stubborn gap left behind: floor-to-ceiling windows, big glass panels, and sliding doors that don't get cleaned as often as they should. EcoVacs is calling this the "last dirty inch" problem, and it's tackling it with the launch of the W2S Pro Omni, a dedicated window-cleaning robot. This new model launches on Aug. 10 for $599.99.

Credit: Ecovacs

Credit: Ecovacs

The core feature here is what Ecovacs calls TruEdge 2.0 — high-density felt bristles set in an eight-tooth radial layout, designed to reach into corners and edges rather than just wiping down the flat middle of a window and calling it done. That's paired with a dual-side 6-jet spray system to help loosen stuck-on dirt and stains.

One of the more practical upgrades is the all-in-one multi-purpose dock. It doubles as a control panel, a charger (rated for 110 minutes of runtime), and portable storage, so instead of needing an outlet near whatever window you're cleaning, the power source essentially travels with the robot.

Credit: Ecovacs

Safety is a big focus, too. EcoVacs packed in a bunch of protection features — strong suction, pressure sensors, and edge detection — all working together to keep the robot securely stuck to the glass. Even if the battery gets low mid-clean, EcoVacs says it's designed to stay attached to the window for 30 minutes rather than risk falling off.

Windows, meet your match — the W2S Pro Omni arrives Aug. 10.

TL;DR: Live stream select Ligue 1 fixtures for free on CazéTV. Access these free live streams from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Ligue 1 doesn't have the same reputation as the Premier League or La Liga, but PSG has just secured its second consecutive Champions League title, so perhaps it's time to reassess the quality of France's top league?

We know that there's a gulf in quality between PSG and the rest of the league, but Ligue 1 now combines genuine stars like Dembélé, Vitinha, and Kvaratskhelia with elite young talent that will dominate the game in the years to come. Will any team make the jump and actually compete with PSG for the title? That seems unlikely, but fans can bank on some thrilling football every week.

If you want to watch Ligue 1 for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

What is Ligue 1?

Ligue 1 is a professional football league in France and the highest level of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is contested by 18 clubs, including popular teams like PSG, Olympique de Marseille, and AS Monaco. Every team plays 34 matches per season.

The defending champions are PSG.

When is Ligue 1?

The 2026/27 Ligue 1 season kicks off on Aug. 21. The 34-matchday campaign concludes on May 29.

How to watch Ligue 1 for free

CazéTV will be showing select Ligue 1 fixtures for free on their YouTube channel.

These free live streams are geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can bypass these restrictions with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can unblock free live streams of Ligue 1 from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of Ligue 1 by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit CazéTV

5. Watch Ligue 1 fixtures for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams of Ligue 1 without actually spending anything. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch select fixtures (plus coverage of the Premier League and La Liga) before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free live streams all season, you will need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for CazeTV?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream for free on CazéTV, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Brazil

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 80% 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 a money-back guarantee).

Live stream Ligue 1 for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus is $54.99 (reg. $249.99) for a lifetime license, no monthly bill included.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus for Windows: Lifetime License

$54.99
$249.99 Save $195

 

Get Deal

There’s a certain kind of software that doesn’t need to be a subscription, and Office is a good example. Microsoft 365 keeps charging you whether you touched Word this month or not, while Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus is a one-time $54.99, and then it’s just… yours.

That gets you Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and Access, installed on a single Windows PC for good. The license is tied to the machine itself rather than a Microsoft account, which is the tradeoff that keeps the price this low. For a computer you’re planning on keeping around a while, that’s a pretty easy trade to make.

A few things worth knowing before you buy:

• Dark mode is built in across all six apps

• Runs smoothly on older hardware, no beefy specs required

• Files save in standard formats, so sharing with Microsoft 365 users isn’t an issue

• No account sign-in needed to open the apps day to day

If the plan is to eventually cut the Microsoft 365 cord, $54.99 for a full, permanent Office suite is about as low-friction as that switch gets. Get Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus for $54.99, regularly $249.99.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Get 100TB of Internxt Cloud Storage for a one-time payment of $999.99 (reg. $9,900) and store years of files with zero-knowledge encryption, unlimited device access, and no monthly subscription fees.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Internxt

Internxt Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription: 100TB

$999.99
$9,900 Save $8,900.01

 

Get Deal

Tired of constantly running out of cloud storage? Every time you need more space, the monthly fees climb higher, keeping you in an expensive, never-ending cycle of upgrades and charges. As we accumulate more data every day, it may be time to consider a more financially responsible approach to keeping your files safe.

With Internxt Cloud Storage, you truly own your space — there’s no more renting your data storage. And right now, you can lock in an ample 100TB of storage for just $999.99 (reg. $9,900) for a limited time.

Using iCloud to keep your files safe? The maximum storage Apple allows you to rent is currently just 12TB — and it costs $64.99 a month. If you’re looking for a more affordable way to safeguard your precious data, providing enough space to last a lifetime, it’s time to check out Internxt Cloud Storage.

With Internxt Cloud Storage, you own your storage space. That means you can say goodbye to those hefty monthly fees and rest easy knowing you can keep all your important data in one secure space. You can also rest easy knowing Internxt’s end-to-end encryption is so secure that even the company itself can’t access your data.

It’s also GDPR compliant — adhering to strict European privacy laws — and audited and verified by Securitum. That’s a major improvement over other cloud storage services, which not only access your data but also make money from it through targeted ads and data sharing.

If you’re making the switch, Internxt offers cross-platform compatibility so you can easily integrate it across all your devices and operating systems via a desktop app, web browser app, and iOS or Android app.

Never pay for cloud storage again with this 100TB Internxt Cloud Storage lifetime subscription for just $999.99 (reg. $9,900).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: The GoCable 8-in-1 EDC packs 100W fast charging, multiple connectors, data transfer, and handy everyday tools into one compact keychain — and it’s just $29.99 (reg. $49.99) for a limited time.

Opens in a new window

Credit: GoCable

GoCable 8-in-1 EDC 100W Cable

$29.99
$49.99 Save $20.00

 

Get Deal

There are tech gadgets that people wind up living in a junk drawer for months — and then there are the ones that quickly earn a permanent spot in someone’s daily routine. The GoCable 8-in-1 EDC 100W Cable falls squarely into the second category. It’s the kind of practical, tech-forward surprise that makes people say, “Wait … this does that too?”

At first glance, GoCable looks like a sleek little keyring accessory. But once you start using it, it quickly proves it’s more than just a charging cable.

Designed as an everyday carry essential, it combines ultra-fast charging with genuinely useful built-in tools, all wrapped in a compact, tangle-free design that clips neatly onto a bag, belt loop, or keychain.

With 100W charging capabilities (when paired with a compatible power source), GoCable can power everything from phones and tablets to laptops, drones, and cameras.

Universal connectors mean you’re covered whether you’re using USB-C or Apple’s Lightning — no more digging through tangled cords or carrying three different cables just in case.

What makes it especially satisfying, though, are the thoughtful extras. An LED power display shows your real-time charging status. The magnetic wrap keeps things neat and frustration-free. There’s even a built-in bottle opener and a safe-proof cutter for impromptu moments like opening a package on the fly or cracking a drink at a picnic.

The GoCable makes an ideal asset for travelers, creators, commuters, and anyone who lives even slightly tethered to their devices.

Priced at $29.99 (reg. $49.99) for a limited time, the GoCable is an everyday gadget that feels both smart and genuinely helpful — grab it while stock lasts.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

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

Speak to various AdultFriendFinder users, and they might tell you different things about the long-running hookup site. Some will say that AFF is the Wild West of hooking up — an "anything goes, no judgment here" paradise for steamy adult fun. Others will tell you it's just a platform for bots, fake profiles, and inactive usernames. 

After months of personal testing, I can assure you that the AFF experience comes down to you and how you choose to use the site. If you sign up naively, unaware of your surroundings and how the site actually works, you're going to find it frustrating.

However, if you exercise a little caution and common sense, and if you know how to navigate and spot the scams lurking among the eye-popping NSFW content, you'll have a good time as part of AFF's huge, fun, kink-friendly community.

Here are three red flags to look out for as you use AFF, to help you spot potential scammers and separate the authentic users from the fake profiles.

Opens in a new window

Credit: AdultFriendFinder

AdultFriendFinder

 

Learn More

Unverified accounts

AdultFriendFinder already offers a first defense against fake profiles, something that it calls ConfirmID. This is how it works: After creating an account, you can — at any point — upload a scanned copy of a government-issued ID card. AFF will then use your device's webcam to take a face-verification scan, confirming that you are the person identified in the government document — and that you're a real, living human being.

This step strikes the perfect balance between not being onerous enough to annoy the average user but still requiring enough effort to deter scammers, who notoriously go after the low-hanging fruit. 

Once you've completed the ConfirmID sequence, you'll receive a verification badge on your profile, and we strongly recommend that you limit your one-on-one interactions on the site to other verified users. 

Perfect profile photos

Admittedly, this one requires some personal judgment, as everyone should strive to upload good, high-quality photos of themselves to dating websites. But if every photo looks like it belongs in a magazine, or if the person in the photo looks a little too good to be true, you should exercise caution.

In the age of generative AI and filters, it's trivially easy to create a fake photo or series of photos, so you should also be on the lookout for what isn't in the photos. Are there recognizable local landmarks (clubs, restaurants, well-known parks, or street corners) in the photos, or are they all equally generic?

Over-eager chatters

Ever since chatbots became a thing, dating sites have been plagued by them, and as AI improves, it's not always easy to know right away if the "person" you're talking to is really human. One dead giveaway, though, is how much they chat and how quickly they reply. 

Real people go off on tangents, employ non sequiturs, and sometimes stumble with awkward questions or comments. Chatbots, on the other hand, are typically always chipper and extremely fast-talking, so much so that a paragraph-long answer can come back to you in seconds. 

They also almost always have an agenda, too, whether that's directing you to click on a link ("Follow my Instagram profile") or getting you to divulge some potentially compromising bit of personal information about yourself.

Several single women and men recently told Mashable the truth about dating in 2026: it's bleak. But that doesn't mean there's no hope. While singles are increasingly frustrated with dating apps, one coach we spoke to said the apps aren't keeping people single; it's how they're using them. If you're swiping into the void and avoiding talking to people, yes, it may be hard to find a date! But it is absolutely possible to find your person online. In fact, Mashable recently interviewed several married couples who met on dating apps.

According to 2023 findings from the Pew Research Center, one in ten partnered adults (married, living with a partner, or in a committed relationship) met their partner on a dating app or site. If you're a younger adult and/or LGBTQ, you're more likely to have met your significant other online: one in five adults under 30 and nearly one in four for LGBTQ adults.

The same study found that almost half (44 percent) of dating app users said a major reason for using them was to meet a long-term partner. So, if that's you, you're certainly not alone, despite what you might see people lament on TikTok. 

But with so many apps, from Bumble to eharmony, it can be challenging to determine which ones to invest in. And the discourse on dating app culture can be unrelenting. In 2025, singles told Mashable they'd rather meet a potential partner in person, but they're begrudgingly on the apps. Some, like Tinder, have seen their revenue decrease in recent years, while Hinge is growing. Even then, though, daters bemoan even the most popular of apps. A Kinsey scientist recently told Mashable where daters are going wrong: use dating apps as a tool, not to let them run the show — and stop self-optimizing, already.

Despite the frustration over The Apps™, it's undeniable that if you want to date from the comfort and safety of your home, they're the way to do it. If you're, say, introverted or have difficulty approaching someone in person, an app can still be useful.

What is the #1 best dating app?

Considering the variation in experiences on all the dating apps, it's difficult to quantify which ones are the "best." Some people find their spouses on Tinder, while others are disappointed that their matches are only looking for hookups. 

That being said, if you're looking for something serious, your best bet is likely an app with a large user base, options for you to indicate what you're looking for in your bio, and filters to weed out who you really want to partner with. There are also apps whose branding is geared towards finding one's ultimate match — like eharmony and Match, both decades-old sites with reputations for helping users find their spouse. Hinge, Bumble, and Coffee Meets Bagel also have a reputation for more "serious" connections.

Depending on the type of relationship you're seeking, you may also benefit from a more niche app. Take one app on our list, SilverSingles, for people over 50. Sure, there are older adults on apps like Tinder and Bumble as well, but you may have more luck finding someone age-appropriate if you're in a space meant just for you.

Which dating site is best for serious relationships?

Mashable has researched to pick out a few from the plethora of dating sites (and apps) out there. These options are available for both Android and Apple users, so the type of phone you have won't determine your options. In terms of monetary investment, you can use some of these for free (like Tinder and Bumble), while others are more pay-to-play. We've also included some "niche" options, like the aforementioned SilverSingles and Elite Singles, so you have more than the standard buffet of dating apps.

Here are the best dating apps for serious relationships:

August is slipping away like a moment in time, but it's still summer, a time for patio hangs and barbeques and all-night dancing. And if you want a fellow sapphic person by your side, why not try a dating app?

As a lesbian, you probably know all about them. Lesbian Americans (along with bisexual and gay Americans) are far more likely to have ever used dating apps than straight Americans: 51 percent to 28 percent, according to the Pew Research Center.

​​Online dating as a lesbian can be a joyous experience, but it can also involve having your space invaded by straight people or seeing your ex-girlfriends (and your ex-girlfriends' ex-girlfriends) show up in your feed over and over.

Over the decades, queer women have turned to personal ads, frequented bars, and relied on word of mouth to find love. These days, it's not too different. From trying to find a date on WLW TikTok to entrapranureal lesbians creating new apps just for them, LGBTQ women are down to get creative to find their special someone.

Thankfully, in 2026, there are both niche and general apps where queer women can find a partner — whether for one night or for life. Which ones are the best dating apps for lesbians? We tested the most popular dating sites and apps and got some insight from our Dating & Relationships writers to find out.

How to find the best dating apps for lesbians

Niche lesbian dating apps aren't your only option for finding love. Credit: Stacey Zhu / Mashable

In Mashable's recommendations below, you'll find both general dating apps and apps specifically for queer people. As the former appeals to the general population, you'll find more users in these spaces. The caveat, however, is that when you swipe on other women, you might find those coupled with men who are looking for another woman to have a threesome with (aka unicorn hunters). No judgment here, but that's probably not what you're looking for. Then again, people of all types are on dating apps like Tinder and Hinge. You never know who you may come across.

Then there are apps specifically for the community, like HER and Lex. If you yearn for a smaller dating scene, head for these apps. While there's no "Grindr for lesbians" — we go into why in the FAQ section — these apps are more so like stepping into your neighborhood lesbian bar than an app like Bumble. 

You can also try multiple dating apps, as each one below has a free version. You can filter by the gender you identify with and are looking for, and sometimes, as with OkCupid, there are many options to choose from.

Diving into the dating pool isn't easy, but the water's fine. Check out our guide below for the full rundown of our recommendations and dating app reviews.

SAVE $31.99: As of Aug. 5, the Sony WH-CH520 headphones are on sale for $38 at Amazon. That's a 46% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Sony

Sony WH-CH520

$38 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $31.99

 

Get Deal

You don't need to splash out hundreds of dollars for good headphones. In fact, with this latest Amazon deal on the Sony WH-CH520, you don't even need to spend a hundred dollars, not even close.

As of Aug. 5, this popular pair has dropped to just $38. Already a steal at the normal list price of $69.99, we can't resist a deal like this. You can choose from a wide range of colors, with everything from standard black, blue, and white discounted, as well as options with a pop of color like yellow, pink, and cappuccino.

These budget headphones have many premium features you'd find on much more expensive sets. For example, enjoy up to 50 hours of battery life with quick charging, making them ideal for holidays, commutes, and extended listening without constantly recharging. They're designed for long sessions, built with a lightweight frame, adjustable headband, soft ear pads, and swivel earcups.

The sound quality is impressive too, and can be customized through EQ Custom in the Sony app. And if you use your headphones for calls or voice notes, the built-in microphone won't let you down with its support for hands-free calls.

Find this Sony headphones deal at Amazon right now.

SAVE $300: As of Aug. 5, the EcoVacs Deebot X11 Pro robot vacuum is on sale for $699.99 at Amazon. That's a 30% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Ecovacs

EcoVacs Deebot X11 Pro

$699.99 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $300

 

Get Deal

The EcoVacs Deebot X11 Pro robot vacuum is back on sale on Amazon, and this time it's at a record-low price. As of Aug. 5, this robot vacuum is down from $999.99 to $699.99, saving you $300. According to price tracking by camelcamelcamel, this is the lowest price it has ever been.

So, what are you getting in addition to your $300 discount? This robot vacuum combines both vacuuming and mopping technology to tackle everyday dirt, spills, and pet hair. It has an OZMO Roller 2.0 that uses a high-density nylon roller with continuous pressurized self-washing to scrub away stubborn messes and dried stains while cleaning with fresh water.

For vacuuming, it pairs a 19,500Pa BLAST suction with an optimized airflow to help lift embedded dust and pet hair from carpets and hard floors. It also benefits from a Triple Lift System that automatically adjusts the cleaning approach when it detects liquids or carpets, even lifting the roller to help keep the carpet dry.

And you won't have to clean awkward corners yourself. The TruEdge 3.0 extends the roller closer to edges and corners for improved coverage, so no spot is missed.

Head to Amazon now to secure this robot vacuum deal.

SAVE $70: As of Aug. 5, the Beats Studio Buds+ are on sale for $99.95 at Amazon. That's a 41% discount on list price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Beats

Beats Studio Buds+

$99.95 at Amazon
$169.95 Save $70.00

 

Get Deal

Whether you've lost one earbud or your current pair is starting to give up, this latest Amazon deal on the Beats Studio Buds+ could save you some cash on a replacement. They're a reliable pair of wireless earbuds with great sound quality, and as of Aug. 5, they're $70 off. That brings the cost down to $99.95.

And for under $100, you're truly getting a great deal. They feature Beats' custom acoustic platform for great sound, along with two listening modes: Active Noise Canceling (ANC) to reduce external noise and Transparency mode to let background sounds through when needed. The earbuds also support Spatial Audio for a more immersive listening experience.

For battery life, you'll get up to 36 hours of listening time with the charging case, so you won't need to recharge them after every use.

They come with four sizes of silicone ear tips, ensuring a secure, comfortable fit and improved acoustic performance. This also makes them idea workout earbuds, especially since they are IPX4-rated for sweat and water resistance.

Head to Amazon to grab this great Beats earbuds deal.

TL;DR: The Motorola Razr is available for free with T-Mobile. To qualify for this offer, simply activate a new line on an Experience More plan.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Motorola

Motorola Razr

Free when you activate a new line on an Experience More plan.

Shop Now

Samsung and Apple dominate the smartphone news cycle, but Motorola has quietly built one of the most practical foldables on the market. And better yet, you can pick up this popular phone for free right now.

T-Mobile is giving away the new Motorola Razr for free, with no trade-in required, when you activate a new line on its Experience More plan. The total cost is covered via 24 monthly bill credits. If you cancel or switch carriers before the two-year mark, you’ll owe the remaining balance on the phone’s full retail price.

If you’re already planning to add a line, getting a high-end foldable without trading in your current device is easily one of the best mobile carrier deals live right now.

The Motorola Razr offers a 3.6-inch external display that's big enough to reply to Slack messages, check Google Maps, and sort through emails without flipping the phone open. Under the hood, the 4,800mAh battery outlasts most compact foldables on the market, and the 50MP main camera sensor handles quick WFH video calls and casual shots with ease.

Score the new Motorola Razr for free with T-Mobile.

My first reaction to the announcement of Ted Lasso Season 4 could best be summed up in one word: Why?

The Emmy-winning series had already come to a close with Season 3, which saw coach Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) returning to Kansas City to be with his son Henry (Gus Turner, replaced with Grant Feely in Season 4). Following three seasons of working on his mental health and his family relationships, the move home was the natural conclusion to Ted's arc. What more could the show have to say? And more importantly, did we need more? Season 3 was fairly lackluster, fumbling key character moments, languishing in overly sentimental melodrama, and dragging thanks to hour-long runtimes. If Ted Lasso was going to come back and recapture some of its earlier magic, it had some serious lessons to learn.

Three years after its supposed finale, it seems like Ted Lasso has finally learned these lessons. With Season 4, the series finds new purpose thanks to a surprising move: having Ted step out of the spotlight.

Ted Lasso Season 4 is all about women's sports.

Tanya Reynolds and Jason Sudeikis in "Ted Lasso." Credit: Apple TV

Don't worry, Ted is still very much around, ready to dole out folksy one-liners and Beastie Boy quotes at the drop of a hat. But Ted Lasso wisely recognizes that its lead has found closure to his most pressing emotional challenges. Now, Ted acts as more of a conduit through which the show can introduce its newest focus: women's sports.

Ted Lasso hinted at this focus in its Season 3 finale, when Keeley Jones (Juno Temple) pitched a Richmond women's team to Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham). Three years later, that dream is becoming a reality, and Rebecca wants Ted back to coach the Lady Greyhounds.

She, Keeley, and Leslie Higgins (Jeremy Swift) win him back over the course of the season's first episode, which falls into some Season 3 pitfalls: overly on the nose and far too long. (Trimming episode runtimes, tragically, isn't a lesson Season 4 has learned.) Thankfully, Ted Lasso finds its footing again from episode 2 onward once Ted lands back at Richmond.

Here, Ted Lasso begins to recapture some of its Season 1 magic. In its first outing, the series worked best when Ted was breaking down the walls of those who doubted him, from Richmond's players to its fanbase. His empathetic curiosity in the face of his skeptics is the reason the show became COVID's feel-good hit, even if later seasons tackled darker material. With a new team in Season 4, Ted Lasso finds itself at a similar starting point to Season 1. There's a new crew of players to win over, along with a new assistant coach in the no-nonsense Alice Chilton (Tanya Reynolds). But perhaps most importantly, there's a good chunk of the footballing world that doubts whether a Richmond women's team even needs to exist.

Women's sports are on a meteoric rise. In 2025, a Nielsen Sports report estimated that women's soccer could become one of the world's top five sports by 2030. In the United States, viewership and fandom of the NWSL has increased drastically over the past year. Sexist detractors will tell you otherwise, downplaying the work of incredible athletes and the leagues they're building. Ted Lasso represents these detractors as a Greek chorus of jerks: drunken bozos at a round of pub trivia, or disgruntled Richmond shareholders who are flabbergasted that their money is going toward funding a women's team. Even Rebecca must confront her own internalized misogyny. After all, she fails to consider a woman for the head coach job and often wonders above all else whether the team will be profitable. A financial report from Leslie doesn't help, although the pair are still determined to support the team.

Here's where Ted Lasso jumps into its Believe-mobile and puts its engine into full throttle. This time, though, Ted isn't in the driver's seat. He (and Rebecca and Leslie) are happy passengers to Keeley, whose unbridled enthusiasm is the true heart of the season. Already a capable entrepreneur by the end of Season 3, the years between seasons have allowed her to blossom even further into a tenacious go-getter. From fighting for a better locker room to sorting out jersey delivery issues, she is on fire — not just with the determination to build something new, but with the deep-seated knowledge that this team is necessary. Look no further than the Lady Greyhounds' multi-generational fans. Pub owner Mae Green (Annette Badland), whose bar has shown men's soccer for years, is over the moon that she now gets to watch a women's team. Meanwhile, Roy Kent's (Brett Goldstein) niece Phoebe (Elodie Blomfield) and her friends get new athletic role models to look up to. Yes, the messaging can be a bit heavy-handed. (It's Ted Lasso, it comes with the territory.) But the joy the show builds around the Lady Greyhounds made my eyes misty, in much the same way that seeing a young girl in a WNBA or NWSL jersey does. It's awesome to watch athletes break barriers, to see people build a long-lasting love of women's sports, and to highlight both of these great things on a show as big as Ted Lasso.

Ted Lasso's Lady Greyhounds steal the show.

Brendan Hunt, Jason Sudeikis, and Tanya Reynolds in "Ted Lasso." Credit: Apple TV

As for the Lady Greyhounds themselves, they are an absolute blast to watch. Like the Greyhounds in Ted Lasso's earlier episodes, they're more of a boisterous ensemble, with the exception of a few characters pulling focus. Law student Gemma (Abbie Hern) doubles as an ace striker. Goalie Boots (Jude Mack) brings a wild edge to the team. Twins Niamh (Aisling Sharkey) and Siobhan (Rex Hayes) bicker up a storm. Mother Lizzie (Faye Marsay) deploys her maternal instincts on the field, often acting as a foul-mouthed mediator. In the first four episodes sent to critics, these characters begin as sketches who are steadily being filled in, with the potential for so much more down the line.

But the truest scene-stealer here is assistant coach Alice. Reynolds has consistently been a bright spot in every project she's in, from Sex Education to The Other Bennet Sister. Ted Lasso is no different. As the ultra-direct Alice, Reynolds is a master of deadpan, and the perfect counterpoint to Sudeikis' boisterous Ted. Her straight-shooting leads to some of the early episodes' best comedic moments, but her intense quest for total perfection on the pitch suggests some serious personal growth ahead. As the show pulls focus away from Ted and onto the Lady Greyhounds, Alice is primed to be a great new co-lead.

That shift is proof of Ted Lasso's welcome evolution in Season 4, which so far seems to be avoiding Season 3's biggest pitfalls. As someone who was skeptical of the show's return in the first place, its embrace of women's sports, like Ted coaxing Rebecca with his divine shortbread, has won me over.

The first episode of Ted Lasso Season 4 is now streaming on Apple TV, with new episodes every Wednesday.

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

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.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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

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

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

• Yellow: Throw this

• Green: First overall pick

• Blue: Trading cards

• Purple: Types of scorecards

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Things That Are Thrown

• Green: Last Four NFL Draft No. 1 Picks

• Blue: Descriptors for Types of Trading Cards

• Purple: Can Follow "Score"

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 #681 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Things That Are Thrown: BASEBALL, DART, FRISBEE, HAMMER

• Last Four NFL Draft No. 1 Picks: MENDOZA, WARD, WILLIAMS, YOUNG

• Descriptors for Types of Trading Cards: AUTOGRAPH, PARALLEL, PATCH, ROOKIE

• Can Follow "Score": BOARD, BUG, LINE, SHEET

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.

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

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

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

How to play Pips

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

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

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

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

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

Easy difficulty hints, answers for August 5 Pips

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically; 2-1, placed horizontally.

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

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

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 1-3, placed horizontally.

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 1-3, placed horizontally; 6-5, placed vertically.

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for August 5 Pips

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

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

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 6-0, placed horizontally.

Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 6-0, placed horizontally; 0-1, placed vertically.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 1-5, placed horizontally; 5-2, placed horizontally.

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

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

Hard difficulty hints, answers for August 5 Pips

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

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 5-0, placed vertically.

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

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

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally.

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

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

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

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

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 2-5, placed vertically.

Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 0-6, placed vertically; 6-4, placed vertically.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 2-5, placed vertically.

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

Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically; 6-5, placed vertically.

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

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

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.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

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

Hurdle Word 1 hint

Hairy.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

FURRY

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Force.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

VIGOR

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Separate.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

APART

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A plan.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

DEIGN

Final Hurdle hint

Defective.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

BUGGY

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

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

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.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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: To guide

• Green: Good denim

• Blue: Architecture

• Purple: Supply

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: Navigate

• Green: Jeans brands

• Blue: House styles

• Purple: What "stock" 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 #1151 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Navigate: DRIVE, MANEUVER, PILOT, STEER

• Jeans brands: DIESEL, GAP, LUCKY, WRANGLER

• House styles: CAPE COD, MISSION, RANCH, TUDOR

• What "stock" might refer to: BROTH, CATTLE, INVESTMENT, MERCHANDISE

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.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're a good planner.

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: All things considered

The words are related to ideas.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe strategizing.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

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

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Brainstorming.

NYT Strands word list for August 5

• Notion

• Concept

• Brainstorming

• Thought

• Plan

• Idea

• Opinion

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.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you have good ideas.

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 propose.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter P.

The Wordle answer today is...

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

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

POSIT

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.

So, what is the best e-reader for 2026? I'm regularly testing new e-readers (and tablets) and cycling through different models to stay up to date on the best options available. If you're gearing up to read more books this year, I can recommend a model you'll love.

Latest e-reader news

In April 2026, we added two new e-readers to this list. After months of testing, we've included the Durobo Krono, an open Android e-reader that allows you to access your Kindle, Libby, and Kobo libraries on one device. The Xetink X4 e-reader is a unique, compact device that doesn't look like much, but is pretty impressive.

It's been a busy few months of e-reader news. As of May 20, Amazon ceased support for e-readers released in 2012 or earlier, which includes the first generation of Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite. For Kindle users now in the market for a new e-reader, some are considering a switch to Kobo.

For those on the fence, Kobo just made it a little more enticing. Its integration with Storygraph is live, syncing your on-device reading progress with the Storygraph app. Xteink just dropped its latest e-reader the Xteink X4 Pro, a more advanced version of the X4, which we still prefer. Boox is joining in on the pocket-sized e-reader as it teased its Picco, a 3.97-inch e-ink tablet.

Other e-readers we've tested

From left to right: Kindle Paperwhite, Nook GlowLight 4 Plus, Kindle Scribe Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

We've also tested the Remarkable PaperPro and Onyx Boox Go 7 as contenders for this list. After several weeks of testing, both devices proved to be pretty good but not quite list-worthy.

Whenever you search for e-readers, Remarkable's tablets will always pop up in the search results, but unfortunately, it's hard to obtain ePUB files on the Remarkable. With Remarkable, you can access files within Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive. If you have any locked ePUB files — like from Libby — you won't be able to access them on a Remarkable tablet. So, after testing the Remarkable tablet myself, it proved to be a better document reader or digital journal than an e-reader.

The Onyx Boox Go 7 is a better e-reader option than the Remarkable. It's the same size as the Kobo Libra or Amazon Kindle, but it really lags on processing speed. To read ePUB files from Libby required downloading the Adobe Digital Editions app onto the Boox Go 7, and there was so much lag while opening and closing the app. While it was an easier process than getting library books on a Nook, it was still a major pain compared to Kindle or Kobo's integrations. The Boox Go 7 lagged and took ages to load files. I was most looking forward to testing this Boox because of its page-turning buttons, but unfortunately, I found that they didn't work on my device.

Two e-readers I recently tested included the Boox Palma 2 and the Boox Go 10.3 (Gen 2) Lumi. The Boox Palma 2 was a really solid palm-sized e-reader. On an open Android system, you can download any reading app from the Google Play store including Libby, Kindle, and Kobo. Unfortunately, the Palma 2 is being discontinued, and its availability is dwindling.

The Boox Go 10.3 (Gen 2) Lumi offered the same operating system as the Palma 2, just in a larger screen with writing capabilities. It's exceptionally similar to the Kindle Scribe but not quite as fast, which is why it doesn't make our list.

We're in the process of testing the Boox Go 6 (Gen II), a new Android e-reader that's about the same size and shape as the basic Kindle.

What about the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition?

If you're familiar with the Kindle lineup, it may come as a surprise that the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition isn't on this list. Don't get me wrong, it's great, but I think there are better options. The Signature Edition is an upgraded version of the Paperwhite, and we've compared the devices head-to-head. The short version? The Paperwhite is a better value, even with the SE's added features like auto-adjusting brightness and 32GB of storage.

If you are prepared to spend $200 on an e-reader, though, I say skip the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition and go for the Kobo Libra Colour.

Where's the Nook on this list?

In terms of big-name e-readers, you might notice one omission from this list: the Barnes & Noble Nook. I have tested this e-reader, and it was previously featured on this list. However, after testing more devices, it no longer makes the cut. In comparison to any of the Kindles or the Kobo Libra, the Nook has sloth-like performance, making it frustrating to use.

Plus, getting my library books onto the Nook was a nightmare, as it was a multi-step process that required downloading to a computer before uploading to a Nook. Its only redeeming quality was the buttons on either side of the device, which made page turning a breeze. However, unless you are a loyal buyer of Barnes & Noble books, I recommend steering clear of the Nook.

Where to get e-reader books for free

Once you get an e-reader, it's time to fill it up with books, and that doesn't necessarily mean spending money. In fact, you can load up your e-reader without spending a dime; you just need to be a bit resourceful.

The best way to read nearly any book — a classic or hot new release — is with Libby. I have read hundreds of free books with the Libby app — I wouldn't have been able to test for this guide without it. It connects with your library card, allowing you to borrow from your local library's digital collection. Plus, both Kobo and Kindle have exceptional Libby integrations.

Another way to build your library is through Stuff Your Kindle Day events. These are 24-hour opportunities led by authors that make books discounted or free.

If you're a fan of the classics or looking to discover a treasure lost to time, an online resource like Project Gutenberg has more than 75,000 books in the public domain that you can download and read on an e-reader.

TL;DR: Get Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more when you get a Microsoft Office lifetime license on sale for $33 through August 9.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License

$32.97
$219.99 Save $187.02

 

Get Deal

Microsoft 365 costs $99.99/year. It costs even more if you pay for it monthly, but that’s not your only option. If you want to get rid of Microsoft 365, you can now replace it with a lifetime license for Microsoft Office for just $32.97 (reg. $219.99).

We know what you’re thinking, but rest assured, this isn’t some stripped-down lite version either. It’s the real deal, and there are no strings attached. Whether you’re writing reports, crunching numbers, building presentations, managing emails, or wrangling databases, the lifetime version of Microsoft Office has you covered.

This version of Office comes with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams (free version), OneNote, Publisher, and Access. These apps may be a little different from the ones you get with Microsoft 365, but they still get the job done. The biggest difference is they don’t have the new AI integrations that Microsoft is still refining, so your workspace stays nice and clean.

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.

Get a Microsoft Office lifetime license while it’s on sale for $32.97. Sale ends August 9 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Texas is putting a halt to data center projects that try to tap into public utilities under new regulations issued by Governor Greg Abbott.

The new order mandates the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) complete extensive audits of data center developers before they can connect to the state's utility grid. Notably, developers must provide information on "state and local tax incentives, grants, abatements, or other public financial assistance," prospective water and electricity use, and controlling interests in their projects.

There are currently 1,800 projects awaiting ERCOT approval to join the state grid. Around 90 percent of them are for data centers, and the projects would cumulatively demand 474 gigawatts of electricity, according to the governor's office. The projected demand is more than five times the grid’s peak record, reported the Texas Tribune.

"Our top priority is to protect Texans’ safety and quality of life. Any project that fails to comply with the requirements set forth by the PUCT and ERCOT, and by state law, must be denied connection to the Texas grid. Simply put, Texans must come first," Abbott wrote in a press release issued Aug. 3.

Texas has been beset by power outages in recent years, including an infamous power crisis in 2021.

Texas is home to over 500 data center projects, according to the tracking website Data Center Map. Texas is second only to Virginia in the number of data centers, often referred to as the nation's "data center alley."

The proliferation of such centers in Texas has been linked to a regulatory permitting loophole that has allowed companies to build energy-intensive facilities without providing public notice, according to recent reporting by Wired. Many communities have said they feel blindsided by massive construction projects appearing in their backyards, and several coalitions have emerged calling for a statewide moratorium on all data center initiatives.

Recent crowdsourced data compiled by environmental advocate Erin Brockovich documented more than 1,300 residential complaints tied to utility usage and environmental health concerns from data centers — more than double the next highest state, Pennsylvania. Residents of Sulphur Springs, Texas, home to a controversial data center campus project led by MSB Global, have submitted nearly 400 complaints alone.

The state's new audit process will also require developers to provide plans to protect communities in surrounding areas, such as "noise mitigation, light controls, traffic improvements, and emergency response coordination," with the understanding that every community is "unique."

The internet moves fast. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend all day refreshing your browser to keep up with it.

Mashable push notifications deliver our latest news, trending stories, and hottest deals directly to your screen. Here’s how to turn them on in just a few clicks.

Google Chrome on Android

1. Open Chrome and visit Mashable.com.

2. Tap the three-dot menu to the right of the address bar.

3. Select Settings, followed by Site settings and Notifications.

4. Make sure notifications are enabled.

5. Return to Mashable. Tap the site information icon to the left of the address bar, select Permissions, and set Notifications to Allow.

Google Chrome on a PC or Mac

1. Visit Mashable.com.

2. Click the View site information icon to the left of the URL in your address bar.

3. Select Site settings from the menu.

4. Find Notifications and select Allow from the dropdown menu.

5. Return to Mashable and refresh the page.

That’s it. We’ll take it from here.

Safari on a Mac

1. Open Safari and visit Mashable.com.

2. When Safari asks whether you would like to receive notifications from Mashable, select Allow.

3. If the request doesn’t appear, go to Safari > Settings > Websites > Notifications. Find Mashable and select Allow. You should also make sure Allow websites to ask for permission to send notifications is turned on.

Microsoft Edge

1. Visit Mashable.com.

2. Click the site information icon to the left of the URL.

3. Open Permissions for this site.

4. Find Notifications and select Allow.

5. Return to Mashable and refresh the page.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Visit Mashable.com.

2. When Firefox asks whether Mashable can send notifications, select Allow.

3. If you don’t see the prompt, open the Firefox menu and go to Settings > Privacy & Security. Scroll to Permissions, find Notifications, and click Settings. Locate Mashable, change its status to Allow, and save your changes.

Help! I signed up, but I’m not receiving notifications

If you followed the steps above but Mashable alerts remain suspiciously absent, don’t worry. A browser or device setting may be getting in the way.

1. Check your browser settings

Start by returning to Mashable.com and clicking the site information icon beside the URL. Make sure Notifications is set to Allow.

You can also check the notification permissions in your browser’s settings:

• Chrome: Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Notifications

• Firefox: Settings > Privacy & Security > Permissions > Notifications

• Safari: Settings > Websites > Notifications

• Edge: Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Notifications

Find Mashable and confirm that notifications are allowed.

2. Check your device settings

Your browser may have permission to send alerts while your computer is quietly blocking them.

On a Mac, open System Settings > Notifications. Select the browser you used to sign up, turn on Allow notifications, and choose Banners or Alerts as the notification style. On older versions of macOS, you may find these controls under System Preferences.

On a Windows PC, open Settings > System > Notifications. Make sure notifications are turned on for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or whichever browser you used.

3. Make sure notifications aren’t silenced

Finally, check whether a focus setting has put your alerts on mute.

On a Mac, open Control Center > Focus and make sure Do Not Disturb is turned off.

On Windows 11, go to Settings > System > Notifications and check that Do not disturb is disabled. If you’re using Windows 10, open Focus assist and make sure it is not set to Alarms only.

Once those settings are cleared, Mashable notifications should be free to make their grand entrance.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter today.

Barbara Pavone contributed to this article.

In the creator world, one of the biggest questions surrounding AI has been how creators should disclose to audiences that they're using AI. Platforms like YouTube rolled out AI labels. Companies built watermarking tools. Creators openly debated where ChatGPT fits into their workflow and when its use should be disclosed. The underlying assumption was that audiences wouldn't mind AI so long as they knew it was there.

Hank Green's recent apology suggests that assumption may no longer hold.

Although the longtime science creator said ChatGPT didn't write his scripts — and Complexly later clarified it wasn't used to write, edit, or fact-check the video that sparked the controversy — many of Green's viewers are still uncomfortable with the role AI played in his research process. The backlash wasn't really about whether Green disclosed his use of AI. It was that, for some viewers, any use of ChatGPT raised questions about the integrity of the creative process itself.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Every era of the internet develops its own authenticity tests. At various points, creators have been accused of buying followers, secretly outsourcing content, overusing Photoshop, or faking candid moments for engagement. Generative AI has quickly become the latest measure by which audiences evaluate whether creative work feels "real."

Few internet creators seem better positioned to experiment with artificial intelligence than Green, whose career has been built on helping audiences understand emerging technologies without sensationalizing or dismissing them. If audiences should expect any creator to have firsthand experience with large language models before explaining their capabilities and limitations to millions of viewers, it would seem to be someone like him.

At the same time, Green's audience has always expected that the curiosity behind his work is entirely his own. His Reddit post suggests he believes that, too.

He described how using the chatbot had subtly changed the way he approached research. While AI helped him discover papers and resources more quickly, he wrote, it also prevented him from finding his "own ways into and around a topic."

It's an observation that feels increasingly familiar as generative AI becomes more deeply embedded in creative work. The concern isn't always that AI will fabricate information or replace human creativity altogether. It's that by making the early stages of the creative process frictionless — brainstorming, outlining, searching for sources — it may also change how ideas take shape in the first place.

Creators aren't asking for permission to use AI

Despite controversies like this, AI adoption among creators continues to grow.

Adobe's 2026 Creators' Toolkit Report, which surveyed more than 16,000 creators across multiple countries, found that three-quarters of creators now describe AI as either integrated into or essential to their workflow. Nearly nine in 10 said AI had helped grow their business or audience. Yet the same report found that most creators also believe audience expectations around AI disclosure are increasing, underscoring the disconnect between how common these tools have become behind the scenes and how audiences feel about them.

The backlash Green received reflects that gap. Many of the comments in response to his apology didn't accuse him of deception. Instead, they questioned whether AI should have been involved in the research process at all. One Reddit user argued that if the pressure to produce a video meant turning to ChatGPT instead of a human researcher, "we don't need the video." Another described AI as creating the illusion of productivity while merely "pushing the food around on your plate."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

If trust is the currency of the creator economy, some viewers worry AI has the potential to devalue it. Green's comments didn't just prompt scrutiny of his own workflow; they also raised questions about creators more broadly. As one Bluesky user put it, "The thing about Hank Green using AI is not only that it mars his credibility forever, but it has now cast a large, looming shadow of doubt over all my favorite video essayists and their own usage of AI in their research and even writing process."

For years, the creator economy rewarded speed. Platforms favored consistency, algorithms rewarded frequent uploads, and creators often found themselves under pressure to produce more content than ever before. Generative AI arrived promising to make that pace sustainable by summarizing research, organizing ideas, drafting outlines, and handling repetitive tasks that once consumed hours.

Green's response suggests that promise comes with tradeoffs. In his Reddit post, he described the "dopamine" he was getting from interacting with large language models and from doing "more and more and more and more." The technology wasn't simply helping him work faster. It was encouraging him to work differently.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Green's apology also arrives at a moment when audiences are becoming increasingly vigilant about AI's presence online, sometimes to the point of overcorrection.

Audiences are on alert for any sign of AI

Over the past year, creators, artists, authors, and even hobbyists have found themselves defending work accused of being AI-generated despite insisting it wasn't. On Archive of Our Own (AO3), fanfiction writers have been accused of using ChatGPT for everything from sentence structure to frequent em dashes, prompting moderators and readers to warn against turning AI detection into a form of online vigilantism. Digital artists have similarly found themselves pressured to prove paintings were created by hand after viewers mistook stylistic choices for AI artifacts.

At the same time, audiences have shown little hesitation in criticizing brands and creators that openly embrace generative AI. Coca-Cola's AI-assisted holiday campaign drew criticism for prioritizing technology over artists. Duolingo faced consumer backlash after announcing an "AI-first" strategy that many users interpreted as a move to replace human workers. In gaming, publishers have faced criticism for AI-generated marketing materials, while indie developers have seen games scrutinized for suspected AI-generated assets.

AI has become something of a reputational minefield. Use it, and audiences may question the authenticity of your work. Avoid it, and you may still find yourself defending against accusations that you used it anyway.

Rather than defend that workflow, Green announced he would slow down. He plans to publish fewer videos on @Hankschannel, pause development on two daily online word games, and spend more time creating videos where, as he put it, "the writing was the whole thing."

That decision feels notable, especially as creators across industries wrestle with the same pressures. AI companies often frame large language models as productivity tools, promising to eliminate busywork so people can focus on what matters most. Green's experience points to a more complicated reality. Sometimes the busywork — the rabbit holes, the dead ends, the unexpected paper you stumble across while looking for something else — is part of the creative process itself.

Whether audiences ultimately agree with Green's use of ChatGPT is almost beside the point. His apology illustrates how much the conversation around AI has changed in just a few years. The debate is no longer confined to disclosure or labeling. As generative AI becomes more common behind the scenes, audiences are paying closer attention to where it enters the creative process and where they believe the line should be drawn.

And for creators whose careers depend on trust, that distinction may become one of the defining challenges of the AI era.

A movie date can tell you a lot about a person. For some women who went to see The Odyssey, it may have told them too much.

Since Christopher Nolan's epic arrived in theaters, women have been sharing what happened when their dates encountered Odysseus, the Trojan Horse, and nearly 3 hours of Greek mythology.

The results have included questionable ticket purchases, confidently incorrect movie trivia, and at least one reaction to a plot development that has been public knowledge for roughly 2,700 years.

On Aug. 2, TikTok user @.finfan posted that her boyfriend "gasped when they came out of the Trojan Horse."

"Is he still your bf?" one asked. Another offered a correction: "*Ex boyfriend." Clearly, not all men are as obsessed with the Roman Empire as the internet led us to believe back in 2023.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Some commenters diagnosed the moment as a prime example of an "intelligence ick," a loss of attraction triggered by something that makes a person question their partner's knowledge or critical thinking.

People don't necessarily mean IQ when they describe an intelligence gap in a relationship. As Vice explained, they’re often responding to differences in curiosity, communication style, emotional awareness, or whether they get each other's references. A 2023 study of more than 3,000 Finnish and Dutch twin-spouse pairs found that partners tended to have similar levels of education. The researchers concluded that educational background and shared social circles both influenced whom people chose as partners.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Of course, knowing the story of the Trojan Horse is hardly a reliable measure of intelligence. It may simply come down to what someone learned in school or encountered growing up. But when a partner does not recognize something you assumed was common knowledge, that difference can suddenly feel much bigger.

The Trojan Horse was only the start of the ick conversation, though.

One woman said her date confidently told her The Odyssey was directed by James Cameron. Another discovered that her self-described "film bro" did not know what 70mm IMAX was.

Meanwhile, the man onscreen was making some real-life dates look worse. "I fear the bar has been risen when it comes to dating," one creator wrote, referring to Odysseus' (Matt Damon) determination to return to his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), after a decade apart.

The specificity of these complaints is funny, but they are circulating at a time when many women already feel exhausted by dating.

A 2025 study found that 80 percent of women reported experiencing some level of dating-app burnout, compared with 74 percent of men. Respondents blamed the difficulty of finding a connection, disappointment, rejection, repetitive conversations, and endless swiping.

Still, one ick does not necessarily mean it is time to end the relationship. An awkward comment or missing piece of movie knowledge may be harmless, especially if everything else is going well. Nevertheless, the "ick can also save us a lot of time in simply giving small flags of general incompatibility," writer Kitty Winks wrote for Mashable back in 2023.

Icks can also be influenced by internet dealbreakers — kind of like these. A 2022 study found that 35 percent of respondents had been influenced by icks they encountered online. So before sending a date on his own odyssey home, it may be worth deciding whether the ick is yours or TikTok's.

SAVE $49.01: As of August 4, get the 11-inch A16 Apple iPad for $399.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $449. That's a discount of 11%.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

Apple iPad 11-inch (A16)

$399.99 at Amazon
$449 Save $49.01

 

Get Deal

If you've been looking for a new tablet, an iPad is always a good idea, especially when you can get one for a low price. The 11-inch A16 iPad is back on sale again for an extremely palatable discount, so if you've been biding your time and waiting to get your hands on one, now's your opportunity to do so.

As of August 4, get the 11-inch A16 Apple iPad for $399.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $449. That's $49.01 off and a discount of 11%. This price applies to the Silver and Blue colorways only for right now, as the Pink and Yellow options are not similarly discounted.

This A16-powered iPad is a fast and responsive model that'll give you smooth, reliable performance. Whether you're gaming, taking photos, editing media, or browsing the internet, it can do all with gusto and zip. Thanks to its Liquid Retina display, it can give you a crisp, colorful picture that's both responsive and comfortable to use. Its 11-inch display gives you sharp detail, and True Tone technology will automatically adjust the screen based on your surroundings.

This model offers USB-C charging and connectivity, Wi-Fi 6 compatibility, and a lengthy all-day battery life so you can keep using it while on the go. And if you want to give it even more purpose, you can use an Apple Pencil or Apple Magic Keyboard to turn it into a "laptop" of sorts to help you get more done on the go, or just give yourself a more comfortable user experience.

Whatever you decide to use it for, this affordable iPad is a great deal that you'll want to snap up before it's gone -- especially if you know someone with a birthday coming up or if you want to save it for a holiday gift.

SAVE $700: The 45-inch LG Ultragear OLED GX9 curved gaming monitor (45GX900A-B) is on sale at Amazon for $999.99, down from the normal price of $1,699.99. That's a 41% discount.

Opens in a new window

Credit: LG

45-inch LG Ultragear OLED GX9 curved gaming monitor (45GX900A-B)

$999.99 at Amazon
$1,699.99 Save $700

 

Get Deal

We can often rationalize getting a little treat here and there. A nice iced coffee, a pastry, or a pizza on Friday night are all small ways to pat yourself on the back. But sometimes, we deserve a bigger treat. If you're a gamer who's in the mood for an excellent upgrade, check out this deal.

As of Aug. 4, the 45-inch LG Ultragear curved gaming monitor (45GX900A-B) is on sale at Amazon for $999.99, down from the normal price of $1,699.99. That's a 41% discount that takes a major $700 off.

There's something next level about using a curved gaming monitor that also happens to be massive. The LG Ultragear has an 800R curve that pairs well with its 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03 millisecond response time. Additionally, it can reach up to 1,300 nits of brightness on the crisp OLED display. LG mentions this is the Ultragear's brightest OLED.

The immersive experience is made even better thanks to the low glare and flicker-free display LG incorporated with this model. You can also use advanced gaming features like black stabilizer to brighten dark scenes and crosshair to enhance precision.

The multitasking hub is great for both gaming and replying to work emails. There's an HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort, and USB-C with a 65W power delivery.

Consider gifting yourself a huge treat for once while the 45-inch LG Ultragear OLED GX9 curved gaming monitor (45GX900A-B) is on sale at Amazon for $999.99.

Microsoft says the WiFi at your hotel might be compromised.

In a post on its Threat Intelligence website (via ABC News), Microsoft warned of a new hacking operation called "CaptiveCrunch," which the company claimed had some ties to Russia.

Starting in May, Microsoft said it had observed a "widespread compromise of Wi-Fi networks at hospitality-related organizations," including WiFi networks at hotels.

The hacking operation works by tricking users to download malicious files via pop-ups that appear when connecting to a hotel WiFi network. Those who are doing this are able to get screenshots and keystrokes, and can even remotely hijack devices if necessary. There are also fake login screens that could give the hackers access to a user's personal email address.

According to Microsoft, the best way to avoid this is to use something more private when traveling, like a mobile hotspot. If that's not an option and you must use hotel WiFi, be on the lookout for any kind of pop-up window that appears after logging into the network. These can appear as Windows Update pop-ups or other kinds of update windows you might normally see on your device, but if they appear right as you've logged into hotel WiFi, they might be up to something.

In other words, if you aren't expecting any kind of update pop-up, maybe avoid any of them that appear.

A quick look at the best back-to-school sales

---

Target

Save on backpacks and lunchboxes, school supplies

Shop Now

---

Owala

Save 20% sitewide

Shop Now

---

Best Buy

Save up to 50% on Chromebooks and Windows laptops, dorm TVs, headphones, and more

Shop Now

---

Pottery Barn Teen

Save up to 60% on bedding, organizers and shower caddies, decor, and more

Shop Now

Back-to-school season is one of the calendar year's most reliable jump scares. While we grapple with how fast summer went by, back-to-school sales are here to get us excited about the fall.

These deals on school stuff don't just have to be for students heading back to class. Anyone can take advantage of pens and pencils, cute notebooks, nice water bottles, and laptops on sale for a productivity boost heading into the new season.

We're tracking the best back-to-school sales in 2026 below. More retailers are sure to kick off their sales as we wade through August, so be sure to pop back to this list closer to your start date.

School supplies

• Amazon — save up to 50% on mechanical pencils, folders, Sharpies, glue, and more

• Staples — save up to 70% on pens and pencils, notebooks, erasers, pouches, and more, plus 25% off backpacks

• Target — save up to 60% on pencils, notebooks, folders, art supplies, and more

Water bottles and lunch supplies

• Owala — save 20% sitewide

• Target — save 20% on select lunch kits and water bottles

Laptops, tablets, and more tech

• Back Market — save an extra $50 on refurbished tech with code BACK2COOL

• Best Buy — save up to 50% on Chromebooks and Windows laptops, MacBooks, Galaxy tablets, AirPods, monitors, and more

• Lenovo — save up to 34% on laptops like the Yoga 7 or Chromebook Duet, plus up to 51% on wireless mice and keyboards

Dorm gear and organization tools

• Best Buy — save up to $500 on Windows PCs, Roku TVs, compact refrigerators, headphones, and more

• Buffy — save 20% on eco-friendly cooling comforters and sheet sets

• Pottery Barn Teen — save up to 60% on bedding, organizers and shower caddies, decor, and more

• Rugs Direct — save up to 70% sitewide, including washable area rugs

• Skylight — save $100 on the Skylight Calendar

• Target — save up to 40% on storage and organization bins

• Urban Outfitters — save 30% on comforters, decor, lamps, and more dorm essentials

• Walmart — save on small TVs, Keurigs, vacuums, and more

Clothes

• Adidas — save up to 40% on select sneakers and backpacks

• Nike — save 25% on select styles with code DAYONE

• Old Navy — save on all jeans plus get an extra 30% off your purchase with code EXTRA

SAVE $802: The 85-inch TCL Class QM7L QLED TV is on sale at Amazon for $1,697.99, down from the list price of $2,499.99. That's a 32% discount that matches the best price we've seen at Amazon.

Opens in a new window

Credit: TCL

85-inch TCL Class QM7L QLED TV

$1,697.99 at Amazon
$2,499.99 Save $802.00

 

Get Deal

It feels like a sauna outside, and some of the country is dealing with wildfire smoke. If you're sitting indoors dreaming of the fall chill that we'll experience in a few months, you're in good company. Along with crisp fall temperatures comes new fall shows. If you've been disappointed with your TVs current display, it might be time for an upgrade, and this 85-inch model is on a steep discount.

As of Aug. 4, the 85-inch TCL Class QM7L QLED TV is on sale at Amazon for $1,697.99, down from the list price of $2,499.99. That's a 32% discount for a major savings of $802. This sale price also matches the best deal we've seen at Amazon.

TCL makes some of the best budget-friendly TVs and today's sale price on an 85-inch QLED with impressive specs follows suit. This 2026 model has an mini LED display that focuses on vivid colors and deep blacks. Plus, the thin and bezel-free design give this TV a modern look.

TCL equipped this model with Google TV and a TSR AI processor for quick loading. Plus, the built-in speaker is designed by Bang & Olufsen. You're also in great shape if you hope to game on the massive 85-inch TV. It comes with 144Hz refresh rate and an auto game mode that gives the lowest input lag possible.

Before fall 2026 shows release, upgraded to the 85-inch TCL Class QM7L QLED TV. When you're not watching new shows or movies, it's great for gaming.

TL;DR: Blvck Paris and Pringles have teamed up on a limited-edition, all-black collection featuring hoodies, a baseball jacket, a "break-glass" collectible Pringles can display, and a charm. It's priced $35 to $275, launching Aug. 6 exclusively at Blvck — with the first 2,000 U.S. orders getting a free limited-edition Blvck x Pringles can.

Blvck Paris and Pringles are teaming up for a collab that sounds like it shouldn't work on paper — a minimalist, all-black luxury label and a snack brand known for being loud, colorful, and instantly recognizable. But contrast is exactly what makes it work.

Pringles is a snack you eat when you're not even hungry. It's the "I'll just have a few" that turns into an empty can in 10 minutes. Pairing that energy with Blvck's all-black aesthetic is half the fun of this collab. The limited-edition collection launches Aug. 6 exclusively at Blvck, priced from $35 to $275 and available in sizes XS to 2XL.

Credit: Blvck Paris

The lineup includes the following:

• Teddy Hoodie & Teddy Tee — feature Blvck's signature teddy character surrounded by scattered Pringles chips and co-branded artwork.

• Teddy Baseball Jacket — features an oversized embroidered back graphic that blends Blvck Paris iconography with Pringles-inspired visuals.

• "In Case of Emergency" Plexiglass Collectible — a display piece styled like an emergency break-glass box, enclosing a matte black Pringles can.

• Teddy Charm — a collectible charm reworking Blvck's teddy mascot through a Pringles-inspired design.

Here's the best part: the first 2,000 orders placed during the launch period will receive a free limited-edition matte-black Blvck x Pringles can, loaded with Barbecue-flavored chips, exclusively for U.S. customers, while supplies last.

Credit: Blvck Paris

Get your hands on the Blvck Paris Pringles collection soon so you score the free matte black Pringles before supplies run out.

Apple's new device-leasing program has a strange (on the surface) rule attached to it.

Last week, Apple launched Apple Upgrade, a new Klarna-backed program that allows customers to lease new iPhones, MacBooks, and other devices for a small-ish monthly payment, rather than spending more than $1,000 up front. However, folks quickly noticed something in the fine print: You'll need an account with AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile to lease an iPhone.

Our big Guessing Game is back! Enter for a chance to win an Apple Watch.

So, while the phones are technically unlocked, you can only activate them with one of the big three mobile carriers.

Cybersecurity analyst John Gruber looked into this and, on his website, Daring Fireball, gave a couple of big reasons as to why that might be the case.

For starters, it's a way to prevent fraud. According to Gruber, the three big carriers do enough risk assessment before letting anyone open an account that Apple can be fairly sure you're not leasing an iPhone for nefarious purposes. Beyond that, though, a former Apple employee wrote into Gruber's site to explain that Apple signs big-money deals with the carriers for prominent placement and other things like this rule. We can't verify the former employee's claims, but the report is interesting.

"Every year, the Carrier Teams at Apple negotiate a deal/program (hundreds of millions of dollars) with each of those Big 3," the reader wrote. "In return for those dollars, Apple will make concessions exactly like this (or similar.)"

Regardless, if you want to lease an iPhone through the Apple Upgrade program, you can't do it with an account on a smaller carrier.

SAVE $200: As of August 4, get the Segway SuperScooter GT3 for $1,499.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1,699.99. That's a discount of 12%.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

Segway SuperScooter GT3

$1,499.99 at Amazon
$1,699.99 Save $200

 

Get Deal

Looking for a quick and easy way to get around? Cars are expensive, so zoom around your neighborhood and beyond with an electric scooter. Thanks to this deal at Amazon, you can get one for a great price right now without breaking the bank. And you'll also get a fun and easy way to get around that others just might be jealous of.

As of August 4, get the Segway SuperScooter GT3 for $1,499.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1,699.99. That's $200 off and discount of 12%.

This scooter gets you up to 45 miles of distance per charge, with SegRange technology that helps boost its efficiency by 20%. That means you can have longer rides without having to worry about interruptions. It's also built for more unforgiving conditions, so you can head out in more harsh areas without having to worry about the scooter getting damaged or degrading over time due to the conditions you ride it in.

It uses the SegRide Stability Enhancement System for a smoother, more ordered ride no matter what kind of skill level you are. It also has 11-inch self-sealing tires, dual hydraulic suspension with front double shock absorbers and a real trailing arm for better control over your ride. When it's depleted, it can be charged all the way back up in just under 6 hours, with a 1-hour charge giving you nearly 13 miles of range.

This is a great scooter for someone needing a fast and easy way to get around the neighborhood or on campus, or even a good choice for an older kid to get their start with scooters. Whatever the case may be, it's a great deal either way.

SAVE $335.99: The EcoVacs Goat 01000 robot lawn mower is on sale at Amazon for $664, down from the normal price of $999.99. That's a 34% discount that matches the lowest we've spotted at Amazon.

Opens in a new window

Credit: zEcoVacs

EcoVacs Goat 01000 robot lawn mower

$664 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $335.99

 

Get Deal

The world has become a better place lately if you don't enjoy mowing the lawn. In the same way we have robot vacuums to clean up messes inside, a robot lawn mower is at-the-ready to keep the grass well manicured. If you're interested but have been turned off by the prices that often go over four figures, check out this deal.

As of Aug. 4, the EcoVacs Goat 01000 robot lawn mower is on sale at Amazon for $664, down from the normal price of $999.99. That's a 34% discount that saves yard owners $335.99. The sale price matches the lowest we've spotted at Amazon.

You're in luck if you have a yard that measures about a quarter of an acre or you only want to mow that size per session. The EcoVacs Goat 01000 can handle mowing the lawn at a height between 1.2 and 3.2 inches. It can also navigate on hills that have a 45% slope. Plus, it has an IPX6 waterproof rating, so it'll be just fine sitting outside in the rain.

The EcoVacs Goat 01000 has a narrow body, making it possible to mow in spaces that are as tight as 2.3 feet wide. Its 3D obstacle avoidance technology works all day, even in dark conditions, making it no issue to send the mower out at dusk.

From the EcoVacs app, you'll be able to set the desired height, mowing areas, and mowing schedule. In addition to the convenience, EcoVacs mentions the Goat 01000 only reaches 57 decibels, compared to 65 to 100 from a standard push mower.

If you've been seeing robot lawn mowers in the neighborhood but decided they were too spendy, consider today's deal on the EcoVacs Goat 01000 robot lawn mower. The 34% discount at Amazon brings this model down to $664. Since this matches the lowest we've seen at Amazon, today is a great time to make the upgrade.

In July, Apple filed a blockbuster lawsuit against OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, accusing the company of hiring former Apple employees and improperly gaining confidential information.

Now, OpenAI is striking back against Apple, but not just in court. On Aug. 3, OpenAI posted a public blog post denying many of Apple's claims. The post also includes recreations of texts and copies of emails that OpenAI says directly contradict some of the facts presented in the lawsuit.

In effect, OpenAI is moving this fight into the court of public opinion — and bringing receipts.

As a result, this complex legal drama is now playing out in the open, giving the public an inside look at how lawsuits like this are handled behind the scenes.

Our big Guessing Game is back! Enter now for a chance to win an Apple Watch.

OpenAI's blog post, "Apple is getting this wrong," contains some not-so-subtle digs at Apple's legal counsel, which OpenAI says initially contacted the wrong person at OpenAI and misrepresented their conversations in legal filings.

Apple had claimed that they contacted OpenAI in February and that we didn’t respond. They now admit that their outside lawyers emailed the wrong person after confusing two Asian last names—only after we brought this to their attention. Apple also claimed they had a discussion with our General Counsel, which they now concede never happened. But they again hide the fact that they never raised the specific allegations in this lawsuit at that time, and that they in fact told us that they were “resolving any issues.

That email is included in Apple's legal filings. Now, OpenAI has posted a back-and-forth with Apple's outside legal counsel, detailing the confusion.

The blog post also states, somewhat passive-aggressively, "We wish Apple had raised these issues with us before they filed their lawsuit and would have been happy to clarify all of this with them. We have taken the allegations in the lawsuit seriously and offered to work with Apple to resolve this. Instead, they’re trying to change their narrative, including by making vague accusations about other former employees, and will likely keep repeating this tactic."

The background on Apple Inc. v. Liu

Apple filed its lawsuit, Apple Inc. v. Liu, on July 10 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Apple's lawsuit named both OpenAI’s commercial and nonprofit entities, as well as its hardware company io Products, former iPhone engineer, Chang Liu, and OpenAI Chief Hardware Officer Tang Yew Tan, who worked at Apple for 24 years before joining OpenAI.

“This case is about Apple’s former employees stealing Apple’s trade secrets for the benefit of OpenAI,” Apple said in the complaint.

In the ongoing AI arms race, Big Tech companies like Meta, OpenAI, and Anthropic have spent tens of billions of dollars poaching talent from each other. Last year, Meta was reportedly offering signing bonuses of up to $100 million.

Because employees typically sign ironclad non-disclosure agreements when starting a role, they are forbidden from sharing a company's trade secrets after moving to a rival company.

In its lawsuit, Apple accuses OpenAI of conspiring with former Apple employees to benefit from its trade secrets. However, OpenAI denies these claims, and the new blog post includes numerous exchanges between Apple employees and Chang Liu that the AI company says directly contradict Apple's suit.

"Apple accuses Chang Liu of accessing Apple confidential information after leaving the company, but only now admits that Apple employees reached out to him and asked for his help to locate this information (you can read the messages here⁠)."

It's hard to imagine Apple, a famously tight-lipped company, posting a public blog post about the lawsuit the way OpenAI has. That ability to speak directly to users, and not solely relying on lawyers, could give OpenAI an edge in the battle of public opinion, even if the suit is ultimately decided in court or in a settlement.

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

SAVE $750: As of August 4, get the AIPER Scuba X1 pool robot for $749.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1499.99. That's a discount of 50%.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

AIPER Scuba X1 pool robot

$749.99 at Amazon
$1,499.99 Save $750

 

Get Deal

If you have a pool, you already know that its upkeep can be time-consuming and pricey. Why not have at least one of the pool-cleaning steps you've got to handle outsourced to a friendly robot? You can do just that while saving some serious cash thanks to this Amazon deal, which ensures you don't have to worry about cleaning out your pool ever again.

As of August 4, get the AIPER Scuba X1 pool robot for $749.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1499.99. That's $750 off and a discount of 50%.

This pool robot is all about making your life easier. It uses powerful 6,600 GPH suction and dual jets, so as soon as you power it on, it's collecting sand, pebbles, and algae from your pool thanks to its effortless cleaning system. It also uses advanced multi-layer filtration to capture the tiniest of debris, so no matter what you've got lurking in your pool water, this pool robot can filter it out with an ultra-fine filter.

It uses WaveLine 2.0 technology to reach 2 inches above your pool's waterline and offers 60 sections of horizontal cleaning with each wave. And it stays up to date with over the air enhancements that are done automatically. That means all you really have to worry about is keeping it charged with its wireless charging dock and deploying it when you're ready to have a sparkling pool. It can handle the rest.

If you're ready to have a cleaner pool, now's the time to invest in one of these robots before summer starts to slip away.

TL;DR: Marshall's Stockwell III portable Bluetooth speaker has officially launched, priced at $249.99. It offers 40+ hours of playtime, true 360-degree Marshall sound, IP55 dust and water resistance, and doubles as a charging bank for other devices.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Marshall

Marshall Stockwell III

$249.99 at Marshall

 

Shop Now

Marshall's Stockwell III officially launches on Aug. 4.

We first wrote about the announcement back in June, when Marshall confirmed it would keep the price at $249.99 despite adding solid upgrades over the previous generation. Now it's finally available at Marshall and Costco.

The main upgrade here is that the battery life has doubled — Marshall bumped it from 20 hours to 40+ hours, and it charges over USB-C, with a 30W PD charger getting you a full recharge in under 3 hours (or 7 hours of playtime from just a 20-minute quick charge). Water and dust resistance also improves, going from IPX4 on the previous model to IP55, so it can handle much more than the occasional splash.

Sound-wise, it keeps Marshall's True Stereophonic 360-degree audio, powered by a 3-inch woofer and two 1.75-inch wide-band drivers, and backed by a 65W amp for the woofer.

Bethany Allard, who covered the announcement back in June, pointed out that the previous Stockwell II earned praise from PCMag for its "rich bass and bright highs" — so the sound quality here was already solid, even before this upgrade.

Another cool detail: the battery is swappable — instead of tossing the speaker once the battery wears down, you can replace it yourself, along with the front and back grilles, silicone sleeve, and carrying strap. That's not something you see often with Bluetooth speakers, most of which are basically disposable once a part fails.

Credit: Marshall

It's got tactile, amp-inspired controls on top, including a new M-button for jumping straight to your saved presets, plus Bluetooth 5.3 with Auracast support and multipoint connectivity for pairing with more than one device.

It's available now for $249.99 on Marshall and Costco.

To those still burning off calories from National Ice Cream Day — bad news, or possibly great news depending on how you look at it: it's National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, and the free food streak isn't slowing down. Between this, French Fry Day, Hot Dog Day, and Ice Cream Day, it's like the calendar took one look at 2026 and decided everyone deserves free snacks — and who are we to argue?

The chocolate chips are calling, and DoubleTree, Insomnia Cookies, Crumbl, and a long list of others are already rolling out free cookies and steep discounts to celebrate. Clear some room on the counter — today's all about warm cookies.

These are our favorite National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day deals in 2026.

Chick-fil-A

Richmond-area guests can sign into the Chick-fil-A app to claim a free Chocolate Chunk Cookie reward.

Chip City

Make any regular cookie purchase of $5.50 at Chip City and get a free Chocolate Chip Chewie.

Chips Ahoy!

Enter the Mystery Cookie Sweepstakes daily by guessing the flavor of Chips Ahoy!'s new limited-edition cookie for a shot at $25,000, with 50 runners-up scoring cookies and branded merch.

Cookie Plug

Get 50% off a cookie at Cookie Plug when you buy any other item and enter promo code OG at checkout.

Crumbl Cookies

Head to Crumbl Cookies, download the app, and claim a voucher for a free Dirty Soda.

Dirty Dough

Rewards members get a free chocolate chip cookie with any purchase at Dirty Dough.

DoubleTree by Hilton

DoubleTree by Hilton's U.S. hotels are giving away a complimentary warm chocolate chip cookie (or the allergy-friendly version) to anyone who stops by.

Edible

Get a free Signature Chocolate Chip Cookie in stores at Edible, no purchase necessary.

Gopuff

Save 20% when you buy two packs of Crave Shoppe Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough at Gopuff.

Gregorys Coffee

Rewards members get a free chocolate chip cookie with any purchase.

Happy Joe's

Add a giant chocolate chip cookie to any regularly priced large pizza for $5.99 at participating Happy Joe's locations.

Insomnia Cookies

Buy one warm chocolate chunk cookie and get a second of equal or lesser value free at Insomnia Cookies, in-store or online.

Jacques Torres Chocolate

Save 25% on chocolate chip cookies, cookie mixes, and chocolate discs on Aug. 4.

Joy Supply

Save 20% on cookies with code TODAY20.

Maman

Enjoy buy-one-get-one-free classic cookies on weekdays from 2–6 p.m. through Sept. 2. Plus, get BOGO cookie boxes online with code DOUBLEDOUGH through Aug. 5.

Mightylicious

Save 15% on cookies throughout August with code CHOCOLATECHIP15.

My Better Batch

Get a free cookie mix with any $25 purchase using code COOKIECLASSIC.

Nothing Bundt Cakes

Rewards members earn 100 points when they buy a Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bundtlet at Nothing Bundt Cakes.

Papa Murphy's

Mix and match desserts, including chocolate chip cookies, for $6.99.

PJ's Coffee

Get a $1 cookie with any beverage purchase today.

Stater Bros. Markets

Mini chocolate chip cookies are 2 for $3 today.

Sweet Loren's

Get 20% off all cookie dough purchases online at Sweet Loren's with code SWEET20.

Tate's Bake Shop

Get 40% off all chocolate chip products at Tate's Bake Shop.

The Famous 4th Street Cookie Company

The Famous 4th Street Cookie Company is selling chocolate chip cookies for just $1, with 100% of proceeds going to charity.

Tiff's Treats

Sample four chocolate chip cookie flavors at Tiff's Treats and get a free cookie — plus vote for your favorite for a shot at free cookies for a year.

Toll House

Enter a social media giveaway by following @nestletollhouse on Instagram and commenting with #nestletollhouse and #sweepstakes for a shot at free cookie dough and morsels.

Wildgrain

Get $30 off site-wide orders, including chocolate chip cookies, with code TODAY30 — plus free croissants with every order.

The Hatch Restore 3 smart alarm clock helped Mashable Senior Shopping Reporter Leah Stodart regulate her bedtime routine. And as of Aug. 4, the brand has dropped a new device to improve sleep. The Hatch Sleep Clock isn't just another smart alarm clock; it's a contactless sleep tracker.

At launch, the Hatch Sleep Clock is exclusively available at hatch.co for $249.99, and will be available from other retailers, including Amazon, later this year.

Getting to know the Hatch Sleep Clock

Unlike a Whoop or Oura tracker, the Hatch Sleep Clock is obviously not a wearable. It sits on your nightstand and uses ultra-low-power radio signals to detect breathing and movement (no microphone required). It can track when you go to bed, fall asleep, and wake up throughout the night. According to a study, the tech behind the Sleep Clock is 97 percent accurate at sleep detection.

The Hatch Sleep Clock tracks sleep from your bedside table. Credit: Hatch

The Hatch Sleep Clock combines sleep insights with the other tech Hatch is known for: immersive light, sleep audio, and personalized routines. "We didn't set out to build another sleep tracker. We set out to help people sleep better," said Ann Crady Weiss, Co-Founder and CEO of Hatch, in a press release. "Rather than simply reporting what happened last night, Hatch Sleep Clock gets you to bed tonight."

Hatch Sleep Clock in action

I personally have a bedtime routine of realizing it's 10:30 p.m., thinking I should start getting ready, not actually getting ready for bed until 11ish, and then scrolling on my phone until midnight. I could definitely use some improvement.

With the Hatch Sleep Clock, you pick your ideal unwinding time, and the device gradually fills your room with calming light and ambient sound to ease you into a natural progression toward sleep. You can choose from Hatch's library of experiences, whether you want meditation, sleep stories, ASMR, or other sleep sounds. And you can pair those with lighting designed to help you fall and stay asleep.

When it's time to get up for the day, the Hatch Sleep Clock gradually brightens your room with light and sound for a more natural wakeup. You can ditch the blaring iPhone alarm sounds.

Rather than giving you a sleep score, Hatch provides actionable data, with suggestions like reducing screentime before bed or getting more natural sunlight in the morning. Sure, you'll get to see how long you spent in each sleep stage, but you'll also get insights to improve your sleep each night going forward.

In the Hatch app, you'll see how you slept, receive insights for improving your sleep, and access sleep routines. Credit: Hatch

The Sleep Clock comes loaded with sleep routines and experiences, but you can also add a Hatch+ subscription to access the full library for $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Hatch

Hatch Sleep Clock

$249.99 at Hatch

 

Shop Now

Everything is better without ads ruining the vibe, and your perfect playlist deserves to play on uninterrupted. Don't believe us? As of August 2026, Spotify had 300 million Premium subscribers enjoying ad-free songs, podcasts, and audiobooks.

Here's how each of the platform's Premium plans break down.

What do I get with a free Spotify account?

You'll have access to Spotify's music library, but you'll have to listen to ads and won't be able to download music to your phone for times when you don't have W-Fi access (like on planes).

What do I get with a Spotify Premium plan?

If you want an ad-free and offline listening experience, Premium is the way to go. You'll get ad-free access to Spotify's entire music library, 15 hours of audiobook listening time, and the ability to download music and podcasts to your device. Plus, you'll get access to lossless audio, be able to play songs in any order, and listening queue options, none of which are available on Spotify's free plan.

In recent years, Spotify has added a huge amount of extra features to tempt free users to pay for Premium, including Page Match (to move between physical books and audiobooks), Running Mode, concert tickets sales, as well as an AI chatbot to unpack your music and listening history.

What are Spotify's Premium plan options?

• Premium Individual ($12.99/month): This plan is for one person and includes all the Premium features.

• Premium Student ($6.99/month): Students at an accredited higher education institution can get 50 percent off all Premium features for up to four years, in addition to access to Hulu's ad-supported plan at no extra cost (a $1.99/ month value for students).

• Premium Duo ($18.99/month): Two people can each get their own Premium account with Premium Duo. Spotify stipulates that these two people must be living together, but since there's no way for them to know that, you could probably split this plan with a bestie or sibling. You'll also get 15 hours of audiobook listening time per month, but only the "plan manager" (whoever set up the account) can use them.

• Premium Family ($21.99/month): This plan offers a discounted rate for families of up to six, and each member gets their own account. One family member, the plan manager, pays for the plan, manages members, and can set explicit content filters for members.

  This plan is great for parents who want to ensure that their little ones aren't listening to explicit material, or parents who want to give their child their own account in the Spotify Kids app. On the Premium Family plan, only the plan managers get 15 hours of audiobook listening time per month.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Spotify

Spotify Premium

$12.99

 

Shop Now

I have tested many, many open earbuds new releases this year, but none have impressed me out of the gate as much as CMF's first-ever open earbuds.

Meet the CMF Clip Pro: a cuff-style open earbud that's available for just $99. That makes them a good deal cheaper than more premium options like the Bose Ultra Open earbuds ($299) and the Sony LinkBuds Clip ($229.99). As of Aug. 4, the CMF buds are available to purchase on Nothing's website.

I've been able to spend a couple of days with the latest CMF earbuds ahead of their launch, and so far, I have very few notes and quite a lot of praise. While that's subject to change as I put them through more testing scenarios, let's take a look at what the earbuds deliver out of the box and in the early days of wear.

CMF Clip Pro at a glance

The three available colorways of the CMF Clip Pro. Credit: Nothing

Price

As mentioned above, these earbuds are just $99. While it's not unheard of for open earbuds to be sub-$100, it is also pretty common for many of the highest performing models to be above $100. It's not surprising that CMF's earbuds are priced for the more affordably-minded, though: CMF is the budget-focused line of Nothing, and their entire current product range sits below $100.

Specs

• Battery: 10 hours playback per charge, with 32.5 hours total playback with charging case

• Quick charge: 10 minutes for four hours of listening

• Driver: 10.8mm dual-magnet magnetic driver

• Listening modes: Spatial audio, bass enhancement, anti-leakage mode

• Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.4

• Multipoint: Yes, dual connection available

• Controls: Smart Dial case, physical on-ear controls, with options for customization

• IP rating: IP54, dust- and water-resistant

• Colors: Dark grey, light grey, coral

• Weight: 5.9 grams per earbud

CMF Clip Pro first impressions

The earbuds themselves are lightweight, with a titanium wire core that helps you find the best fit possible. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

The Smart Dial is a strong design feature of the charging case (even if the case itself attracts fingerprints). Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

Thoughtful design

CMF's parent company, Nothing, created my favorite on-ear controls in the Headphone (a), so I shouldn't be surprised they knocked it out of the park with these open earbuds. The earbuds themselves sit on the ear in a way that feels secure without pinching the front or back of my ear, and the physical button control on the back side of the earbud mimics that of the Bose Open Ultra — my favorite on-ear control I've experienced on any open earbuds. With the Nothing X app, you can customize how many presses designate commands like pausing, switching songs, or even listening modes.

The Smart Dial case may seem gimmicky on the surface, but I found myself using it to adjust the volume of my music a lot. Many on-ear controls, but especially those on open earbuds, can be awkward for adjusting volume (long pressing your earbuds for a small boost of volume simply isn't the move). The dial made it so I could quickly and easily change the volume, which came in handy for listening to music while I worked or stopped to chat with someone.

Sound quality

My audio testing has been limited to my personal playlists so far (featuring a lot of pop/rock and K-pop), so I can't speak to the sound quality comprehensively. That said, I appreciate the sheer amount of features packed into these buds: there's spatial audio, a two-level bass boost option, five equalizer presets, and a custom equalizer slot.

I've been impressed with the volume levels so far (open earbuds can skew lower) and don't notice any obvious muddying. Some equalizer settings aren't great for the music I listen to, dampening the overall sound, but from what I've experienced so far, the sound quality is promising.

Great battery life

The CMF Clip Pro sit on the higher end of battery life for open earbuds at 10 hours per charge, and 32.5 hours overall. For comparison, on our list of open earbuds recs, they're only second to the 12-hour battery life of Shokz OpenFit Pro (though these earbuds cost $249.95), and have the same battery life per charge as our overall pick, the Shokz OpenDots One (which cost $199.99).

Ultimately, for being a budget option, the CMF Clip Pro earbuds are impressively well-rounded. As I write this, the only real competitor that comes to mind is the EarFun Clip, which, though incredibly affordable, aren't as stylish or detail-oriented in their design as the CMF Clip Pro.

Early areas for improvement

While my early experience with the earbuds has been pretty stellar, I've noticed some minor issues off the bat, including:

• Only three-band custom equalizer: The equalizer only features three bands, but it is worth considering that open earbuds are rarely designed to maximize sound quality.

• Matte case problems: The dark grey case does attract fingerprints, which isn't the biggest deal, but is especially noticeable when the product encourages you to use the case for audio playback.

• Interior of the case: The case is condensed well, which can be a challenge with larger open buds, but the vertical placement of the earbuds takes some getting used to — so much so that the app gives clear instructions on how to properly load the earbuds in. Still, I don't see this being a lasting issue after regular use.

• No wear detection: These earbuds don't offer any wear detection, so music will continue to play when you take them out. Again, not the biggest flaw, but it can be a source of an accidentally run-down battery life.

Overall, these cons are minor. That said, I still have testing to do, including listening to more genres, running out the battery life, trying out the Clear Voice tech that CMF claims helps call quality, and using the earbuds during movement to make sure they make good on staying in place.

Where to buy the CMF Clip Pro

The CMF Clip Pro earbuds will be available for $99 at Nothing's website and select retailers. They're available for preorder now, with availability beginning Aug. 15. The buds have a preorder discount of $20 on Nothing's official site, bringing them to $79.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Nothing

CMF Clip Pro

$79 at Nothing
$99 Save $20

 

Pre-order Here

Opens in a new window

Credit: Nothing

CMF Clip Pro

$99 at Amazon

 

Pre-order Here

Spotify has 300 million Premium subscribers, according to the company's Q2 earnings report.

Announced on Tuesday, the company said it had hit "a milestone no audio streaming service has ever reached," with the total marking a nine percent increase from last year.

Spotify indeed dominates the U.S. audio streaming market, topping competitors like Apple Music (estimated around 100 million paid subscribers) and YouTube Music (estimated around 125 million combined subscribers with YouTube Music and Premium), though these are industry estimates — streamers rarely publicly herald their paid subscriber numbers, so Spotify's announcement is a rarity.

Spotify's ad-free tier, which allows users to listen offline, enjoy lossless audio, and control queues, costs $12.99 per month. Over the last year, the company has gone hard on tempting free users to pay for Premium, adding a plethora of features, including Running Mode, Page Match, concert ticketing, and more, as well as rolling out an AI chatbot for your music and listening history.

It's not the only increase for Spotify either, with the platform reporting 777 million monthly active users (up 12 percent from last year) and total revenue up 14 percent — that's €4.8 billion.

Spotify co-CEO Gustav Söderström said in a press statement that Q2 2026 showed the company was building "better engineering, faster shipping, new products, and new ways for users to engage. We are still in the very early stages of what is possible and will continue to have a high bar for investments…Our job remains the same: understand the technology early and deeply, and turn it into something people love. Creating value for our stakeholders.”

Spotify did see layoffs in Q1, with three percent of staff fired in March 2026 from the company's podcast sector.

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

Home Depot Free Battery Deals

---

Best DeWalt Flexvolt free battery deal

DeWalt Flexvolt 20V/60V MAX 9.0Ah Battery

Free with the purchase of select DeWalt Flexvolt 60V tools

Get Deal

---

Best Milwaukee M18 free battery deal

Milwaukee M18 5.0 Ah XC Battery

Free with the purchase of select Milwaukee M18 tools

Get Deal

---

Best Ridgid free battery deal

Ridgid 18V Output Battery

Free with the purchase of select Ridgid 18V Nuke tools

Get Deal

If you're eyeing a new tool from Ridgid, Milwaukee, or DeWalt, now's a good time to buy — Home Depot's running a free battery promo across all three brands. Pick up a qualifying tool, and a battery gets tossed in at no extra cost, whether that's Ridgid's 18V 4.0 Ah pack, Milwaukee's M18 5.0 Ah pack, or DeWalt's Flexvolt 9.0Ah battery. Here's a deeper look at the tools that can get you free batteries:

DeWalt Flexvolt 20V/60V MAX Battery

Opens in a new window

Credit: DeWalt

DeWalt Flexvolt 20V/60V MAX 9.0Ah Battery

Free with the purchase of select DeWalt Flexvolt 60V tools

Get Deal

The DeWalt Flexvolt battery pack automatically changes voltage depending on which tool it's plugged into. It powers DeWalt's 60V MAX Brushless line and 120V MAX Brushless tools, and it's also backward compatible with 20V MAX tools and chargers, so it's not locked into just one tool category.

Get it free with:

• DeWalt Flexvolt 60V MAX Brushless Concrete Mud Mixer/Drill with E-Clutch — $299

• DeWalt Flexvolt 60V MAX Brushless 7-1/4 in. Circular Saw with Brake — $299

• DeWalt Flexvolt 60V MAX Brushless Reciprocating Saw — $299

• DeWalt Flexvolt 60V MAX Brushless Small Angle Grinder with Kickback Brake — $299

• DeWalt Flexvolt 60V Angle Grinder — $299

• DeWalt Flexvolt 60V MAX Brushless 7-1/4 in. Wormdrive Circular Saw — $329

• DeWalt Flexvolt 60V MAX SDS Plus Rotary Hammer — $499 $549 (save $50)

Milwaukee M18 5.0 Ah XC Battery

Opens in a new window

Credit: Milwaukee

Milwaukee M18 5.0 Ah XC Battery

Free with the purchase of select Milwaukee M18 tools

Get Deal

The Milwaukee M18 5.0 Ah XC Battery is compatible with any M18 cordless power tool in Milwaukee's lineup, and it's rated to deliver 2 x more runtime than a standard lithium battery. It also recharges fully in 90 minutes or less, so you're not stuck waiting around if you're mid-project and need to swap in a fresh charge.

Some of the M18 tools that qualify for the deal are:

• Milwaukee M18 Fuel Hackzall Reciprocating Saw — $199

• Milwaukee M18 Fuel Compact Router — $229

• Milwaukee M18 Redlithium Forge Starter Kit with 8.0Ah Battery — $279

• Milwaukee M18 18-Gauge Double Cut Metal Shear — $299

• Milwaukee M18 Fuel 1/2 in. Impact Wrench with Friction Ring — $299

• Milwaukee M18 Fuel Hammer Drill and Impact Driver Combo Kit with 2 Batteries — $399

Ridgid 18V Output Battery

Opens in a new window

Credit: Ridgid

Ridgid 18V Output Battery

Free with the purchase of select Ridgid 18V Nuke tools

Get Deal

The Ridgid 18V 4.0 Ah MAX Output battery gives you more power and runtime out of any Ridgid 18V Brushless tool — up to 3 x longer than Ridgid's older 1.5 Ah battery. It's also compact and light, so it won't wear out your arm over a long day. Register it within 90 days of buying, and you get free parts and service for life.

Get it free with:

• Ridgid 18V Nuke SubCompact One-Handed Reciprocating Saw — $139 $149 (save $10)

• Ridgid 18V Nuke SubCompact Cordless Drill/Driver Kit — $139

• Ridgid 18V Nuke SubCompact Cordless Multi-Tool — $149

• Ridgid 18V Nuke Cordless 4-1/2 in. Circular Saw — $149

• Ridgid 18V Nuke SubCompact Cordless 2-Tool Combo Kit — $219

Whichever brand you're loyal to, this is basically free money — grab your tool at Home Depot before the deal ends.

DJI has launched the Mic Mini 2S, an upgraded version of its Mic Mini 2 released in April.

While it has a similar form factor to its predecessor, the Mic Mini 2S introduces a few handy new features that were previously only available in the Mic 3. Sadly, it won't be coming to the U.S. for the foreseeable future.

The original DJI Mic Mini already established itself as a favourite among content creators, making it easy to capture good quality audio. The Mic Mini 2 added multicoloured swappable covers and new voice presets. Now the Mic Mini 2S adds even more functionality to DJI's Mic Mini series, offering 32-bit float internal recording as well as the ability to connect four transmitters to one receiver simultaneously.

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

Each DJI Mic Mini 2S transmitter is capable of single-file 32-bit float internal recording (though records in 24-bit by default), and has approximately 14.5GB of internal storage — enough space for around 22 hours of audio at that setting. The 32-bit float file format offers a useful backup, capturing a wider dynamic range so users can recover audio that would otherwise hiss or clip due to being too quiet or loud. The Mic Mini 2S also has two levels of adaptive gain control to help prevent such issues from occurring in the first place, as well as two levels of AI noise cancelling.

Credit: DJI

In addition to this, the Mic Mini 2S receiver works with up to four transmitters at the same time, while the Mini 2 is restricted to two.

Last year's DJI Mic 3 does offer connectivity with up to four transmitters (as well as 32-bit float onboard recording). However, its receiver only works with Mic 3 transmitters, and is not cross compatible with DJI's Mini mics. 

Meanwhile, the DJI Mic Mini 2S receiver allows users to mix and match any of DJI's Mini mics, as it's backwards compatible with both Mic Mini and Mic Mini 2 transmitters. This makes it a great way to expand your setup if you've already invested in the Mic Mini or Mini 2 and want to use up to four of your transmitters simultaneously.

Even so, it's worth noting that the Mic Mini 2S receiver doesn't have cross compatibility with DJI's non-Mini mics such as the Mic 3. Users who have both Mini and non-Mini DJI mics can still use them in conjunction via DJI's mobile receiver, however it can only connect to two transmitters at a time rather than four.

Credit: DJI

Unfortunately, as is the case with all of DJI's products, the Mic Mini 2S isn't available in the U.S. at launch. The U.S. government's hostile stance toward DJI has prevented it from importing products to the country, with new releases such as Osmo Mobile 8 phone gimbal, Avata 360 drone, and Osmo Pocket 4 gimbal camera unavailable via the company's official website. As such, those in the U.S. who want to buy the DJI Mic Mini 2S will have to go through a third party to do so.

There is no official U.S. pricing for the DJI Mic Mini 2S. However, UK pricing starts at £79 (approximately $106) for either one transmitter with a receiver, or a transmitter, mobile receiver, and charging case. Those in the UK can also get two Mic Mini 2S transmitters, a receiver, and a dual charging case for £169 (approximately $227).

SAVE $300: As of Aug. 4, the Eufy C28 robot vacuum and mop has been discounted to $499.99 at Amazon. That's a $300 price cut from its list price of $799.99.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Eufy

Eufy C28 Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo

$499.99 at Amazon
$799.99 Save $300

 

Get Deal

Amazon's a great place to look for solid discounts on robot vacuums, and the retailer has just dropped an excellent deal on one of our favorites: the Eufy C28 robot vacuum and mop. For a limited time, you can snag this combo cleaner for $300 off.

Normally priced at $799.99, the Eufy C28 has been discounted to $499.99 at the retailer as of Aug. 4. That's a huge discount, and we certainly think it's a model well worth investing in.

Mashable's Leah Stodart considers the Eufy C28 the best budget roller mop in our overall roundup of the best robot vacuums, noting that its "roller mop is targeted toward the cleanup of large liquid spills, easily making the C28 the best budget robot vacuum mop combo for fast-paced homes and in-the-moment cleanup." Stodart's review also adds that it did a "solid job of sopping up a variety of liquid spills, from wine and orange juice to ranch and conditioner that exploded on my bathroom floor."

While its mopping is a real highlight, its 15,000 Pa suction is also very helpful on carpets. Stodart's review mentions that it's "15,000 Pa was potent enough to clear a mess of spilled catnip and crushed potato chips from my tufted living room rug, leaving no visible crumbs behind." Plus, it features LiDAR navigation that helps it avoid obstacles as it cleans.

This offer is only available for a limited time, so be quick to save on the Eufy C28 robot vacuum and mop at Amazon.

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

TL;DR: The Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Play Booster Box is on sale for $148.95 at Amazon, down from its $209.70 list price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Magic: The Gathering

Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Play Booster Box

$148.95 at Amazon
$209.70 Save $60.75

Get Deal

As of Aug. 4, the Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Play Booster Box has dropped to $148.95 at Amazon. That puts it $60.75 below the $209.70 list price, with each of the 30 packs costing roughly $4.97. 

Rather than being sent directly by Amazon, the cheapest option comes from third-party seller BetterShopping4You, which also handles the shipment. Free delivery is currently estimated for Aug. 9-11 at the time of writing. For buyers who would rather have Amazon handle fulfillment and customer service, there are a few alternatives. For instance, The Game Capital lists the box at $149.89, while Kings Games lists it at $149.90. 

Amazon is still not the cheapest around despite the price drop. Walmart currently lists the same box for $124.89 through Cataclysm Games, with Walmart handling fulfillment and free shipping included. The main catch here is that it's not returnable.

TCGplayer is cheaper again, with unopened boxes starting at $121.95 including shipping. That's close to this Play Booster Box’s $121.74 market price. 

Every Marvel Super Heroes Play Booster holds 14 cards, with packs containing one to four cards at rare or higher rarity, three to five uncommons, six to nine commons, one land, and one Traditional Foil card of any rarity. There is also a less than 1% chance of pulling a Foil Borderless Mythic Rare, while a Traditional Foil Land replaces the standard land in 20% of packs.

For newcomers, Play Boosters are specifically built for drafting and Limited games, but also work great for Magic and/or Marvel collectors who are keen to open as many packs as possible at once. If you’re eager to grab the set’s more iconic comic-inspired artwork and borderless treatment of beloved characters — Iron Man, Hulk, and Doctor Doom — you can also buy these separately on TCGplayer. 

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Booster Bundle is on sale for $41.95 at Amazon, down from its $59.99 list price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: The Pokémon Company

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Booster Bundle

$41.95 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $18.04

 

Get Deal

Chaos Rising has spent most of the summer hovering near the $50 mark, but Amazon has now knocked the six-pack Booster Bundle into an even more affordable price bracket for Pokémon TCG players.  

As of Aug. 4, the Pokémon TCG Chaos Rising Booster Bundle is now on sale at Amazon for $41.95 —  $18.04 off the $59.99 list price. With this 30% discount, you’re now looking at the lowest price this six-pack box has been at this retailer (confirmed by price tracker camelcamelcamel). 

This record-low $41.95 listing is actually being sold and shipped directly by Amazon itself rather than third-party sellers — with free delivery as soon as Aug. 15. With six Chaos Rising booster packs inside, Amazon’s new price works out to roughly $6.99 per pack before tax. That’s $1.60 cheaper than buying single Chaos Rising boosters on Amazon. 

Each pack contains 10 trading cards, one Basic Energy, and a code card for Pokémon TCG Live — letting you potentially pull valuable chase cards worth up to nearly $220, like SIR Mega Greninja ex, Mega Hyper Rare Mega Greninja ex, SIR Cinccino ex, and SIR Mega Dragalge ex. 

Amazon is not quite the cheapest option in the wider trading card market, with TCGplayer’s listings going as low as $40.49 — only 20 cents above its $40.29 market price.

SAVE $200: As of Aug. 4, the LG 39-inch Ultragear evo 5K2K WUHD OLED curved gaming monitor is on sale for $1,599.99 at Amazon. That's $200 off its full price of $1,799.99.

Opens in a new window

Credit: LG

LG 39-Inch Ultragear evo 5K2K WUHD Gaming Monitor

$1,599.99 at Amazon
$1,799.99 Save $200

 

Get Deal

Amazon has knocked $200 off the price of the LG 39-inch Ultragear evo 5K2K WUHD OLED curved gaming monitor, a welcome discount at a time when tech prices, unfortunately, continue to climb.

Usually, this gaming monitor is priced at $1,799.99, but this discount has brought it down to $1,599.99. That price is just over $40 from its lowest-ever price at the retailer (camelcamelcamel lists it as $1,558.07), so it's an offer well worth taking advantage of while it's still live.

Boasting a 39-inch screen, 5K2K (5,120 x 2,160) resolution, and a 1,500R curve, gaming on this LG monitor is sure to feel immersive, with vibrant colors and sharp details. Plus, with a 0.03ms response time, the gameplay will feel very responsive. It also comes with a Dual Mode feature that lets you switch between 5K2K at 165Hz and Wide Full HD at 330Hz, depending on what you're playing.

If you're worried about screen tearing while you play, this LG monitor features NVIDIA G-SYNC compatibility and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro to help. These help make sure your games run smoothly, so you don't encounter any blur or ghosting that might throw you off.

It's currently marked as a "limited time deal," so act fast to save on the LG 39-inch Ultragear evo 5K2K WUHD OLED curved gaming monitor at Amazon.

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

SAVE $60: Sony's XM6 headphones are now available in a new olive gray colorway.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Sony

Sony WH-1000XM6

$399.99 at Sony
$459.99 Save $60

 

Get Deal

Sony's WH-1000XM6 just dropped in a striking new color — olive gray — and it might be the best-looking pair Sony's ever put out.

It's got a muted, effortless-looking finish that makes black or silver feel a little basic in comparison. And right now it's also $60 off, down to $399.99 from $459.99, so if you've been holding off on grabbing a pair, this is a solid moment to pull the trigger.

This is Sony's most advanced noise cancellation yet, powered by the new HD Noise Canceling Processor QN3, which is 7x faster than the chip in the XM5s. It optimizes 12 microphones in real-time, so noise cancellation adjusts to your specific environment, fit, and even air-pressure changes on the fly, rather than relying on a single static setting.

Mashable's Timothy Beck Werth tried the XM6 ahead of launch, and he was most impressed by the noise cancellation. He described it as feeling like "magic," saying that with music playing, "the noise cancellation is near perfect," and that he even uses them at work without music just to focus better.

Comfort and design also held up well in his testing — he wore them all day at the office with no ear fatigue, and specifically praised the new foldable design and sturdier travel case with a magnetic closure, calling the old XM5 case "truly terrible" by comparison.

Calls are handled by a six-microphone AI beamforming system that isolates your voice and filters out background noise, so you're not competing with whatever's happening around you.

This olive shade might be Sony's best decision yet — grab the XM6 headphones in this new colorway for $60 off.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you love the Concrete Jungle.

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.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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: Same shape

• Green: The Big Apple

• Blue: "Step on it!"

• Purple: Same shape

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: Long cylindrical things

• Green: Iconic NYC sights

• Blue: Things with pedals

• Purple: V-Shaped things

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 #1150 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Long cylindrical things: CIGARETTE, FOAM ROLLER, POOL NOODLE, PRETZEL ROD

• Iconic NYC sights: BODEGA, PIGEON, SUBWAY STATION, TAXI CAB

• Things with pedals: PIANO, SEWING MACHINE, SWAN BOAT, UNICYCLE

• V-Shaped things: ANGLE BRACKET, CHEVRON, GOOSE FORMATION, PEACE SIGN

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 today's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you have a strong immune system.

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: Staying healthy

The words are related to healthcare.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe medical remedies.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

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

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Pharmacy.

NYT Strands word list for August 4

• Medicine

• Immunization

• Pharmacy

• Counter

• Refill

• Consult

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 today's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you have a good eye.

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:

A pattern.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter M.

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...

MOTIF

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 today's Wordle.

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.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

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

Hurdle Word 1 hint

Intoxicated.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

BOOZY

Hurdle Word 2 hint

To protest.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

DEMUR

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A path.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

TRAIL

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Correct.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

RIGHT

Final Hurdle hint

Practical joke.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

PRANK

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

Apple has pulled the Telegram app from its App Store before reinstating it again, per reports.

The app was removed on Wednesday following the apparent discovery of content that violated Apple's guidelines around child sexual abuse material.

"We briefly removed Telegram from the App Store after our review found content that violates our strict guidelines prohibiting child sexual abuse material," Apple wrote in a statement, per Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman. "The app was subsequently restored after the developer promptly removed the content and banned the user who posted it."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

The official Telegram app responded to Gurman's post on X with a link to its Safety Overview, which gives a summary of the amount of content Telegram deletes and bans that violate its Terms of Service.

"I'm sure this stance will be applied equally to all other apps in the store, in the future right?" read the post, tagging Apple's official account.

Telegram continued in the same tone on its main page, posting "reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated" along with an apple emoji.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

It's worth noting this isn't the first time something like this has happened. Apple pulled the Telegram app in 2018, citing "inappropriate content", before restoring it again once the issue was resolved.

If you have experienced sexual abuse, call the free, confidential National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), or access the 24-7 help online by visiting online.rainn.org.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Pitch Black Elite Trainer Box is on sale for $69.95 at Amazon, down from its $119.99 list price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: The Pokémon Company

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Pitch Black Elite Trainer Box

$69.95 at Amazon
$119.99 Save $50.04

 

Get Deal

Pitch Black’s Elite Trainer Box has been steadily dropping in price since launch week, and Amazon has just pushed the nine-pack Pokémon TCG box to an all-time low price.

As of Aug. 4, you can pick up the Pokémon TCG’s Pitch Black Elite Trainer Box for $69.95 at Amazon. The retailer has shaved $50.04 from the $119.99 list price, bringing the box down by 42% altogether. That’s the lowest-ever price for the Pitch Black ETB — confirmed with price tracker camelcamelcamel.

More importantly, Amazon’s deal sits $2.64 below TCGplayer’s current unopened market price of $72.59 — and is even sold and shipped directly by Amazon, rather than coming through one of the marketplace’s many third-party sellers. At the time of writing, you’ll get free delivery as fast as Aug. 8. 

Over on TCGplayer, an unopened listing is available for $72.99 with shipping included, but the seller requires a minimum order of two. Another option costs $70, plus an extra $8 shipping fee.

No matter where you buy from, you’ll get an ETB containing nine Pitch Black booster packs, one full-art foil Zarude promo card, 65 card sleeves, 40 Energy cards, and a player’s guide to the trading card game’s latest expansion. At this low price, you’re looking at $7.77 per pack before considering even the accessories and promo cards — a nice saving compared to the $9.97 per pack price for single Pitch Black boosters on Amazon. 

Although prices have dropped slightly since launch, Pitch Black still has plenty of valuable chase cards worth up to nearly $300 that you can pull, or buy directly from TCGplayer separately — including SIR Mega Darkai ex, MHR Mega Darkrai ex, and SIR Morpeko ex. 

SAVE OVER $20: As of Aug. 4, the EarFun Air Pro 4 earbuds are down to $53.16 on Amazon. That's $26.74 off their list price of $79.90.

Opens in a new window

Credit: EarFun

EarFun Air Pro 4

$53.16 at Amazon
$79.90 Save $26.74

 

Get Deal

Budget options are always worth keeping an eye out for, especially with tech prices rising.

Thankfully, if you're in the market for earbuds, there are some excellent picks to look through that won't break the bank. The EarFun Air Pro 4 earbuds are our top pick under $100 and our favorite budget earbuds overall, and you can grab them for even less than usual right now at Amazon.

As of Aug. 4, EarFun Air Pro 4 earbuds have dropped from $79.90 to $53.16, making for 33% in overall savings. It may not be the lowest price we've seen for them — that would be $50.51, according to camelcamelcamel — but it is just a few dollars off. If they've caught your eye, it's still a great time to pick them up.

With the EarFun Air Pro 4 earbuds, you'll enjoy solid sound quality and adaptive hybrid active noise canceling up to 50dB without the premium price tag. They've stood out to us as the top pick under $100 in our overall roundup of the best earbuds because they can "adeptly handle a multipoint connection, feature a well-rounded sound profile with variation thanks to the in-app equalizer, and a battery life that can likely power you through most, if not all, of your workday."

In terms of noise-canceling, they offer: "Manually adjustable ANC, which isn't even a given on premium noise-canceling earbuds. While not every level of adjustment is worth writing home about, it's still a nice addition."

With up to 11 hours of battery on a single charge (or up to 52 hours with the charging case), the EarFun Air Pro 4 earbuds are ready to join you on your daily ventures. Act fast to score this great deal on them at Amazon while it's still available.

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

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.

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026:

Across

Put in persistent hard work

• The answer is Grind.

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

The "A" of A/V

• The answer is Audio.

Buzzers by the trash

• The answer is Flies.

What was always seen blocking Wilson's face, on "Home Improvement"

• The answer is Fence.

Outer boundaries

• The answer is Edges.

Down

Politician's stumble

• The answer is Gaffe.

Was totally awesome

• The answer is Ruled.

What bar bouncers spend all night doing

• The answer is IDing.

Nephew's sister

• The answer is Niece.

Units of a vaccine

• The answer is Doses.

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 today's Mini Crossword.

TL;DR: On Aug. 5, Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale includes up to 30% off select beauty tech tools from brands like Dermaflash, Omnilux, and Dr. Dennis Gross, while supplies last.

Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale is bringing exciting deals to beauty tech this week, with select tools discounted up to 30% off on Aug 5. Nordstrom hasn't confirmed exactly which specific products will be included, so if there's a device you've had your eye on, it's worth checking in to see what's part of the sale.

Some of the deals we can expect are from Dermaflash, Omnilux, and Dr. Dennis Gross, each bringing something different to the table.

Dermaflash is known for at-home dermaplaning and skin-prep tools, including the Luxe+ (a sonic dermaplaning and peach-fuzz removal tool) and the Dermapore+ Ultrasonic Pore Extractor.

Omnilux is known for LED light therapy devices, including face masks, neck and décolletage devices, and targeted eye treatments — pricier, fancy skincare tech.

Dr. Dennis Gross is also known for LED devices, including the DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro and SpectraLite Eye Care Max Pro, both of which are built around light therapy for the face and eyes.

If you've succumbed to the LED mask trend, or any other skin care trend, and have been curious about trying it, now's a good time to invest — the beauty tech sale goes live on Aug. 5.

SAVE $15: As of Aug. 4, the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD is on sale for $19.99 at Amazon. That's a 43% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

Amazon Fire TV Stick HD

$19.99 at Amazon
$34.99 Save $15.00

 

Get Deal

Streaming sticks are truly one of the easiest ways to upgrade your setup. Whether you're looking to upgrade an older, non-smart TV or if you just prefer a certain streaming interface like Amazon or Google, these devices make it much simpler to lock in for a summer of sport or the release of a new series.

And if you're looking for an affordable device, you'll be pleased to know that as of Aug. 4, the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD is on sale for under $20. Usually priced at $34.99, this popular streaming device is currently only $19.99 for the newest model.

The new model will give you a range of upgrades, including a more modern interface and the ability to pin your favorite apps and streaming platforms. This model can also be powered directly from the TV, unlike older models that required access to a wall outlet. With the new Fire TV Stick, just plug it into your TV's HDMI port and connect it via USB-C cable for power.

After setup, you'll have access to all your favorite streaming apps and gaming platforms, including Netflix, Prime Video, and Xbox Game Pass.

Head to Amazon now to grab this Fire TV Stick deal.

SAVE OVER $80: As of Aug. 4, the Sony WH-CH720N headphones are on sale for $98 at Amazon. That's a 46% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Sony

Sony WH-CH720N

$98 at Amazon
$179.99 Save $81.99

 

Get Deal

Premium headphones often come with a premium price tag, so shopping around for a good deal is always a smart way to save some money. And as of Aug. 4, we’ve spotted a great discount on the Sony WH-CH720N headphones, dropping the price from $179.99 to just $98. That’s a saving of over $80, and you can choose between the white and pink colorways.

These wireless noise-canceling headphones from Sony are lightweight, weighing just 192 grams, making them Sony’s lightest overhead wireless headphones with noise-canceling tech. If you wear headphones for long periods of time throughout the day, they will remain comfortable.

For sound, they feature Dual Noise Sensor Technology powered by Sony’s Integrated Processor V1 to help reduce interruptions from surrounding noise. They benefit from adjustable Ambient Sound mode and Adaptive Sound Control that automatically adjusts settings based on your environment. They also include Precise Voice Pickup Technology for clear hands-free calls.

Plus, enjoy up to 35 hours of battery life, with quick charging giving you up to one hour of playback from just a three-minute charge via USB-C.

Find this Sony deal at Amazon right now.