Mashable

Its extremely hot right now: Stay cool and save over $10 on the DREO TurboPoly Fan 512 at Amazon

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 10:12:40 +0000

SAVE OVER $10: As of July 10, the DREO TurboPoly Fan 512 has dropped to $86.40 at Amazon. That's $13.59 off its list price of $99.99.

Credit: DREO

DREO TurboPoly Fan 512

$86.40 at Amazon
$99.99 Save $13.59

It's a hot one, and if you've been on the lookout for a fan to help keep you cool at home, Amazon can help. A few deals have been popping up on select models, including the DREO TurboPoly Fan 512. For a limited time, the grey model has dropped to $86.40.

Usually this DREO fan retails for $99.99, so you're saving $13.59 on this color variant. The dark grey version is also on sale right now at Amazon, though it costs a few dollars extra at $89.96. However, the regular grey model won't be on sale for long. Not only does it have a "limited time deal" tag, but it's also being claimed, which you can see in the bar below the price on the right-hand side. So if it's caught your eye, now is the time to grab it.

From a personal standpoint, I think this DREO fan is worth every cent. I recently bought it to help with the heatwaves and it's made a big difference in my apartment. It's a pedestal fan that oscillates up to 120 degrees vertically and horizontally to cover the room. While the vertical tilt needs to be adjusted manually, the horizontal can be controlled through a remote and the panel on the front.

To find your ideal breeze, it also offers up four wind modes — auto, sleep, turbo, and normal — alongside nine wind speeds. Plus, it operates quietly — keeping noise levels down to 20dB — which is a huge positive if you're using it when sleeping. Furthermore, this is a great air circulator, and so can also be used in the colder months to carry warm air from your heater and push it around the room.

If a new fan has been on your mind, act fast to save on the DREO TurboPoly Fan 512 at Amazon.

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Millie Bobby Brown takes a sweary animal quiz during the worst Hot Ones wing

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:44:27 +0000

Millie Bobby Brown has taken on so many nightmares in the Upside-Down that a mere spicy wing is nothing to her.

That's why she's back for another appearance on First We Feast's Hot Ones in the clip above, answering questions on everything from Enola Holmes 3 to the animals she looks after on her farm.

The highlight? A very frantic post-Da Bomb marine life quiz during which Brown tells host Sean Evans to "Shut the f*** up!"

Daily Shows Ronny Chieng has questions about Trumps NATO plane switch

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:43:07 +0000

Donald Trump departed the NATO summit in Turkey on a different plane than he arrived on. The president landed in Ankara aboard his shiny new $400 million Qatari-gifted Boeing 747-8, but flew home in the old Air Force One.

And The Daily Show's Ronny Chieng has questions.

"OK, first off, how do you fly back on a different plane? Like, did they bring both Air Force Ones? Is that why there's no gas in the world anymore? Because the president flies with an extra emotional support plane?" the host asked on Thursday night.

"Also, you know what happens anytime they switch planes on you, OK? Trump definitely lost his luggage. He's calling them like, 'Hey, did you guys find a box? It says 'Epstein.' Don't open it.'"

According to the New York Times, the Secret Service cited security concerns with the Qatari plane amid the U.S.' ongoing war with Iran.

"Of course, we have to abandon the Qatari plane for security concerns. Of course, that happened. This is why, when it comes to the most important plane in the world, you don't go certified pre-owned," said Chieng.

"America should spring for a new one, and Trump should give the Qatar plane to...I don't know, give it to Southwest. I'll fly in it. I don't care if they spy on me. What are you gonna do? Find out I'm watching my own movies on the entertainment system? I'm not ashamed. I'm great in them."

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

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:35:19 +0000

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

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

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

How to get the most out of hookup apps

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

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

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

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

Recent updates to this guide

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

Why some popular hookup apps didn't make the cut

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

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

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

Move over, Lego: Play-Doh just dropped its own stunning botanical line for adults

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:16:03 +0000

The Blooms by Play-Doh lineup:

Play-Doh Blooms Rosy Petite Bouquet Kit

$24.99

Play-Doh Blooms Wildflower Petite Bouquet Kit

$24.99

Play-Doh Blooms Meadow Flower Bouquet Kit

$39.99

Play-Doh Blooms Garden Bouquet Kit

$39.99

If your last memory of Play-Doh involves making lopsided snakes in kindergarten, this is the version your adult self has been waiting for. The iconic toy is getting a surprisingly sophisticated makeover with Blooms by Play-Doh, a new line of adult craft kits designed to turn colorful dough into display-worthy floral arrangements.

The collection starts at $24.99 and is available now at Amazon, Walmart, and Target.

Play-Doh Blooms Rosy Petite Bouquet Kit

Credit: Play-Doh

Play-Doh Blooms Rosy Petite Bouquet Kit

$24.99 at Amazon

Why we like it

The Blooms by Play-Doh Rosy Petite Bouquet Kit keeps things simple without feeling too basic. The kit comes with everything you need to build a small bouquet, including Play-Doh compound, shaping tools, a clear display vase, finishing spray, and a step-by-step guide with photos, making it easy to jump in even if you've never tried crafting flowers before.

You'll create eight blooms using a rolling technique that forms two different flower styles, then seal everything with the included finishing spray to help the finished bouquet hold its shape over time. The floral-scented Play-Doh adds a nice touch, while the finished arrangement is designed to sit on a desk, shelf, or table as a handmade decoration instead of ending up back in the craft drawer.

Play-Doh Blooms Wildflower Petite Bouquet Kit

Credit: Play-Doh

Play-Doh Blooms Wildflower Petite Bouquet Kit

$24.99 at Amazon

Why we like it

The Play-Doh Blooms Wildflower Petite Bouquet Kit is also a great starting point if you're curious about the new collection but don't want to jump straight into a larger bouquet. The kit comes with everything you need to create 12 colorful wildflowers, including floral-scented Play-Doh, shaping tools, a clear display vase, and a detailed step-by-step guide that makes the process simple.

Once your bouquet is finished, a light coat of the finishing spray helps preserve the flowers so they're ready to display. There's also plenty of room to get creative along the way, making each arrangement feel a little different from the last.

Play-Doh Blooms Meadow Flower Bouquet Kit

Credit: Play-Doh

Play-Doh Blooms Meadow Flower Bouquet Kit

$39.99 at Amazon

Why we like it

The Play-Doh Blooms Meadow Flower Bouquet Kit is designed to make crafting feel relaxing instead of intimidating. Everything you need comes in the box — from flower molds and shaping tools to stems, a vase, and finishing spray — so you can jump right in without buying extra supplies.

One of the coolest parts is watching the flowers take shape. You simply load the colorful Play-Doh into the blooming tools, press down, and watch detailed petals emerge to create your own bouquet. Once your bouquet is finished, let the flowers dry, give them a light coat of the finishing spray to help preserve them, then arrange everything in the clear vase for a display piece that can stick around long after craft night is over.

Play-Doh Blooms Garden Bouquet Kit

Credit: Play-Doh

Play-Doh Blooms Garden Bouquet Kit

$39.99 at Amazon

Why we like it

If you're looking for the most display-worthy kit in the lineup, the Blooms by Play-Doh Garden Bouquet Kit is a great choice. It lets you build a full bouquet of 20 flowers in different shapes and sizes, with soft pinks, whites, and yellows giving the finished arrangement a fresh, spring-inspired look.

What makes this kit fun is that it feels more like arranging flowers than playing with modeling dough. The included tools help shape realistic petals, while the smaller blooms and greenery let you personalize the bouquet rather than just follow a template. Once your flowers have dried, a quick spray helps them hold their shape so they can stay on display as a colorful handmade centerpiece.

Ninja Slushi Twist review: Making 2 flavors at once rocks, but the regular Slushi is fine for most situations

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:00:16 +0000

I reviewed the Ninja Slushi when it came out in 2024 and have had a blast with it since. The Slushi is the easiest little machine to use, and I have a hard time finding any real cons about it. Perhaps the Slushi's biggest downfall is that it's such a hot commodity that it can be hard to land on one flavor for a group of people. At least that's the problem Ninja was aiming to solve when it released the Ninja Slushi Twist in May 2026.

What's special about the Ninja Slushi Twist?

Like the original, the Ninja Slushi Twist can turn room-temperature liquid into the perfect frozen slushy consistency in less than an hour, and no ice or pre-freezing is needed. The Twist doubles the fun of the original with two separate vessels for making two separate drinks at the same time.

Those drinks can be the same treat in two different flavors or can be two different recipes completely. Then, they can be dispensed separately or mixed together by swirling your glass with the dial on the drip tray.

Technically, you could sorta kinda mix flavors with a single canister Slushi. It'd just involve combining two recipes beforehand, like mixing two fruit flavors before they go in the Slushi. Except that doesn't fly with a picky strawberry daiquiri or strawberry margarita purist like me, which can make happy hour cocktails feel very boring for the rest of the group. The simplicity of the Slushi Twist's two canisters operating individually is a foolproof way to prevent the friendship-ruining lie that you can "barely taste the pineapple."

I also couldn't help but think about how clutch the Ninja Slushi Twist would be at large family gatherings. I originally convinced a friend's parents to get a Slushi for their beach house. My friend's siblings, nieces, and nephews come over all the time, and the Slushi has been a year-round hit. (The kids are always psyched to help with the recipe process — I would have probably been more excited about fractions at 10 years old if I were getting a slushie out of it.)

The Slushi Twist would allow the adults to make their margs and the kids to make their age-appropriate Baja Blast slushies at the same time, rather than one group having to wait for the first batch to finish.

The Slushi Twist slushes smarter and faster

Just like the original Slushi, you can make slushies, frappés, milkshakes, and cocktails (with or without alcohol) in the Ninja Slushi Twist. But instead of pushing a button to tell the Slushi what kind of drink you're making, the Slushi Twist already knows what to do. SlushAssist technology senses the mixture of ingredients in the vessel and chooses an optimal slush time and temperature for you.

The Ninja Slushi Twist (left) and the original Ninja Slushi (right). Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

The Slushi Twist has clear lights to help with water and sugar ratios. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

I followed the included booklet's recipe for three servings of frosé, which just involved rosé, cocktail juice, and some simple syrup (I mimicked that as best I could on the other side with white wine and pineapple juice). I'd have to manually select "spiked slush" on the original Slushi, but here, I just pressed the "Dual SlushAssist" button in the middle and let the Twist take the wheel. Less than 30 minutes later, both wine slushies were ready — and dare I say, an even smoother consistency than that of my favorite rooftop bar's.

4:51 p.m. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

5:08 p.m. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

You don't necessarily have to make the same type of concoction on both sides of the Slushi. Perhaps half of your brunch guests are craving espresso martini milkshakes, while the others would prefer frozen mimosas or bellinis. SlushAssist should recognize that one side's ingredients require a warmer temperature to preserve a creamy texture that can be poured and won't be chunky.

If you're only using one side of the Twist, you can just press the SlushAssist button on that side. Just one of the 72-ounce vessels is more than enough for me if I'm making a protein shake or fun drink by myself.

I also appreciate the Slushi Twist panel's addition of the specific "add water" and "add sugar" lights. The original Slushi doesn't have dedicated warning lights for either of those errors, only warning you that your ratio is off through a special pattern of blinking lights on the front. It's important to remember that Slushi concoctions sometimes require more math than you'd expect, and that making a low-sugar or sugar-free drink in the Slushi won't go well. Let us live, chemistry.

Correct water, sugar, and alcohol content of your mixture determines whether the Slushi machine actually slushes correctly. You need to keep an especially careful eye when you're going rogue and making up your own recipe, but ratios can be thrown off by changes as simple as doubling or halving a recipe.

Too much water or too much alcohol will make your mixture runny, while too little sugar could make your mixture freeze a little too well (like, into a block). Both errors could cause your machine to completely shut off by itself. Luckily, the included recipe book does a great job of explaining the appropriate percentages of each ingredient across a variety of recipe types.

Things to consider: What makes the Ninja Slushi Twist worth it?

While the original Ninja Slushi feels quite slim for being a whole-ass frozen drink maker, the Ninja Slushi Twist is significantly bulkier. The Slushi Twist measures 11.93 inches wide compared to the 6.54 inches of the single-vessel 88-ounce Slushi, taking up nearly double the width on your counter. There's nothing that Ninja can do about the inherent size difference, but it's something to keep in mind if you don't have a ton of free storage space.

Overall, the Slushi Twist absolutely works like it's supposed to. It chills liquids into fun frozen drinks in as little as half an hour, and isn't loud and obnoxious while doing so. The Twist requires very little manual intervention during slushing and is even easier to use than the OG model. Is the end result basically the same as something a blender can do? Sure. But I will die on the hill that the serotonin boost and hit of nostalgia of on-demand slushies make this ridiculous dessert appliance feel a little less extra.

Choosing between the original Ninja Slushi and the Ninja Slushi Twist should be super straightforward. Before buying, you surely already know whether your frozen drink needs are serious enough to justify a $399.99 machine that makes two flavors at once. If you have guests over frequently or have more than four people in your home, you'll probably get your money's worth out of the double vessels.

Trying to choose between the Ninja Slushi Max and Slushi Twist? If you're already going to spend $369.99 on the Slushi Max, you might as well spend $30 more and secure the variety made possible with the Slushi Twist instead. Across the two 72-ounce vessels, you get a full capacity of 144 ounces compared to the 150-ounce capacity of the Slushi Max.

Ninja Slushi Twist

$399.99 at Amazon

Is exclusive a valid relationship label? Love Island USA fans are split.

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Love Island USA has found its latest relationship status to argue about: “exclusive.”

As Season 8 heads into its final stretch, islanders Zach Georgiou and Kayda Bosse have turned a familiar dating label into one of the villa’s messier debates. After weeks of being coupled up, Zach asked Kayda if she would “exclusively date” him, stopping short of asking her to be his girlfriend. Kayda accepted, but when she told the other women, they downplayed the arrangement, with fan-favorite Trinity Tatum calling it a "situationship."

Viewers have been debating the difference ever since.

Love Island has its own relationship dictionary. Islanders “explore” connections, become “closed off,” “recouple,” and even like “french fries” (whatever that innuendo means). The term “closed off” typically means a contestant is no longer open to pursuing other people in the villa, while boyfriend and girlfriend is the clearer, more traditional label. Zach and Kayda’s “exclusive” step landed somewhere in between, which is probably one of the reasons why it caused such a reaction.

Zach and Kayda have been coupled up since Day 3, but their run hasn't been completely smooth. Their relationship hit a rough patch after Casa Amor, the Love Island twist where couples are temporarily separated and introduced to new Islanders who can test their connections. At that time, Zach explored another connection with Alannah Keyser, who was later removed from the villa after social media posts resurfaced of her using a racial slur. Zach then told Kayda he would have chosen her either way, but Kayda was hurt after learning from another Islander that Alannah’s departure had changed the situation.

The two eventually reconciled, and Zach later told Kayda he was not ready to use the boyfriend-girlfriend label because they had only known each other for a few weeks and live in different countries.

That explanation did not fully land with everyone in the villa. When Kayda shared the news with the other women, Trinity interpreted the “exclusive” label as less of a milestone and more of a gray area. In her view, the step did not seem meaningfully different from what Zach and Kayda were already doing, especially so late in the season. The word “situationship” quickly became the center of the conversation, both on the show and among fans.

Online, Love Island viewers have been split. Some argued that “exclusive” is a normal and reasonable step before boyfriend and girlfriend, especially for a couple about to leave a controlled reality TV environment and test the relationship in the real world. Several commenters said the villa is not normal dating, and that wanting to see how things work outside before using an official label is fair.

Others sided more with Trinity’s read, or at least understood why the label felt underwhelming. Some fans pointed out that Zach and Kayda have spent weeks together, shared a bed, talked about their feelings, and acted like a couple. To those viewers, asking to be exclusive after all that felt less like a romantic leap and more like a cautious rebrand. One common reaction was basically: If you are already choosing each other, why not just say "boyfriend and girlfriend"?

A third camp thought both sides had a point. Some fans said “situationship” may have been the wrong word, but that the women were reacting to something broader about Zach’s behavior and timing. Fans brought up his Casa Amor choices, Kayda’s trust issues, and the fact that the couple had recently been vulnerable in America’s vote. For those viewers, the issue was less the dictionary definition of “exclusive” and more whether Zach’s actions matched the seriousness of the moment.

The debate is especially timely, as many of the other Islanders have made it official: Bryce Dettloff asked Trinity to be his girlfriend on the June 29 episode, making them the first official couple of the season. And then on July 7, KC and Titi became boyfriend and girlfriend after 9 days of knowing each other. I guess when you know, you know.

Zach’s brother, Charlie Georgiou (Georgio professionally), who was on Love Island Season 7, defended the choice online. He wrote that exclusively dating before becoming boyfriend and girlfriend was a “mature decision,” arguing that the villa is a manufactured environment and that leaving the show as a couple comes with its own complications.

Ultimately, in my opinion, Kayda's frustration with the word "situationship" is valid, as it's a label that lacks commitment or a shared understanding of where things are going. Exclusivity, by contrast, is at least one clear agreement: the two people are not pursuing anyone else. By that definition, Zach and Kayda may not be fully official, but they are not exactly floating around label-free either.

Still, Love Island relationships are rarely judged by the couple alone. Zach and Kayda may know what “exclusive” means to them, but in the villa, every label gets interpreted by the group — and then relitigated by the internet.

Are cheating scandals the new Emmy bait?

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Reality TV scandals have always been good for ratings. This year, they may also be good for Emmy nominations.

The 2026 Emmy nominations arrived on Wednesday, July 8, and two of the most interesting reality TV nods came with some very juicy backstories. Summer House earned its first-ever Emmy nomination after a season dominated by relationship fallout, friendship fractures, and one very closely watched timeline. Ariana Madix, the former Vanderpump Rules star whose post-Scandoval career has also become a reality TV success story of its own, earned her first nomination as host of Love Island USA.

Neither nomination can be reduced to a scandal. Emmy voters are not handing out awards for mess alone, and both nominations also speak to production, casting, editing, hosting, and the kind of storytelling that turns chaos into television.

But...it is hard to ignore the pattern: some of reality TV’s biggest awards breakthroughs are coming after seasons where off-screen betrayal became part of the on-screen event.

Bravo has seen this before. In 2023, Vanderpump Rules earned its first Emmy nominations after Scandoval, the cheating scandal involving Madix, her long-term boyfriend at the time, Tom Sandoval, and her best friend, Rachel Leviss, that turned a long-running Bravo show into a full-blown pop culture fixation. Cameras went back up after the affair became public, the finale became must-watch TV, and viewers treated the reunion like a national hearing with better contour. The show went on to earn another Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program nomination in 2024.

Now, history has repeated itself.

Summer House landed in Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program, where it’s nominated alongside America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Love on the Spectrum, RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked, and Welcome to Wrexham. The nomination follows a Season 10 that kicked off with classic Hamptons house drama and ended with fans dissecting what actually went down between Amanda Batula, West Wilson, Ciara Miller, and Kyle Cooke.

For fans, it's long-overdue recognition for a show that's been delivering quality reality TV for over a decade.

Unlike Scandoval, the Summer House drama of Season 10 was not a single explosive reveal that immediately reshaped the season. It was a slower-moving internet investigation. Season 10 showed Batula dealing with marital issues with Cooke, while Miller remained one of her closest confidants. Wilson, who had previously dated Miller, was still flirting with her throughout the season and keeping the possibility of a reconciliation alive.

Then Batula and Wilson confirmed they were dating after previously denying romance rumors, and viewers began reassessing everything they had already watched: the friendship, the flirting, the timing, and the reunion-room answers.

The season was huge, just check the numbers. Part 1 of the Season 10 reunion drew 3.1 million multi-platform viewers in seven days, the biggest episode in Summer House history. Reunion content also racked up 84 million social video views after May 26. Bravo even sold tickets to an exclusive extended and uncensored screening of the reunion in New York, giving fans a chance to watch the fallout together before it aired on TV and Peacock.

That right there is the power of reality TV at full volume, where a relationship betrayal becomes a ratings driver, a reunion becomes an event, and a cast member becomes someone fans want to defend, follow, and see win.

Madix knows that trajectory well. After Scandoval, she became one of Bravo’s biggest breakout figures, turning a very public breakup into a career expansion that included Dancing With the Stars, Broadway, brand deals, and eventually the Love Island USA hosting job.

When she took over the Peacock dating show, she did not arrive as a traditional host dropped into a franchise, but as a fanbase that had watched her become the wronged woman at the center of one of reality TV’s biggest scandals and was already invested in her next chapter. Love Island USA already had its own momentum, cast, drama, and fan ecosystem, but Madix brought an additional audience ready to show up.

Since then, Love Island USA has become one of Peacock's biggest reality hits. Season 6 became Peacock’s most-watched and most-talked-about series by minutes watched and social conversation volume. Fans have turned nightly episodes, recouplings, Casa Amor fallout, Aftersun interviews (hosted by Summer House's Cierra Miller, who landed the gig after her cheating scandal broke), and off-screen drama into a full-blown social media routine.

Madix is nominated alongside RuPaul Charles for RuPaul’s Drag Race, Alan Cumming for The Traitors, Kristen Kish for Top Chef, and Jeff Probst for Survivor. That is a stacked category filled with reality-TV institutions, which makes her first-time nomination even more notable.

Taken together, Summer House and Madix's nominations point to the same thing: reality TV’s messiest moments can become bigger than temporary internet chaos. When handled well by producers, editors, hosts, and networks, they can raise a show’s ratings, deepen fan investment, and turn reality stars into television figures with real staying power.

Cheating scandals have a particular pull on viewers because they deliver both an emotional story and a mystery to solve. The betrayal of infidelity hits hard — but it also turns audiences into detectives. Viewers have a reason to keep watching beyond the episode they're currently watching. Fans comb through old scenes hunting for clues, rewatch confessionals with fresh context, compare reunion answers to podcast interviews, and treat Instagram posts like evidence in a case file.

Plus, reality TV inherently makes viewers feel unusually close to its cast members, especially on shows like Vanderpump Rules and Summer House, where relationships and friendships have been filmed for years. Fans do not personally know Madix, Miller, Batula, Wilson, or anyone else involved, but they have watched enough birthdays, breakups, group trips, fights, and reunions to feel invested in the stakes.

Reality TV has spent years being treated like television's guilty pleasure. In 2026, the guilt seems beside the point, because the pleasure, apparently, is Emmy-nominated.

How to watch Spain vs. Belgium online for free

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

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

The 2026 FIFA World Cup returns for more quarter-final action today. This time Spain take on Belgium — a major clash between two star-studded sides.

Both teams have had inconsistent tournaments. Spain have dominated some games but struggled against underdogs Cape Verde and had to battle for a last-minute winner against Portugal. Belgium looked rusty in their opening games, settling for multiple draws. They did smash USA in the Round of 16, so perhaps momentum is with them.

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

When is Spain vs. Belgium?

Spain vs. Belgium in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on July 10. This fixture takes place at the Los Angeles Stadium.

How to watch Spain vs. Belgium for free

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

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

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

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

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.99 only at ExpressVPN

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

ExpressVPN's regular 30-day money-back guarantee is not available for any subscriptions purchased during the FIFA World Cup between June 10 and July 11. ExpressVPN remains our top pick for sport, but you will need to pay the monthly rate. Alternatively, Proton VPN still offers that all-important money-back guarantee.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

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

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

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. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99. That covers you for the duration of the World Cup.

Live stream Spain vs. Belgium in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free.

FIFA World Cup schedule today: Games, kickoff times, livestream info for July 10

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

The 2026 World Cup quarter finals continue today with another huge matchup: Spain vs. Belgium.

After winning Euro 2024 two years ago, Spain have always been considered World Cup favorites. But Belgium have major momentum after hammering USA 4-1. With a spot in the semi finals on the line, this is set to be an exciting clash between two talented squads.

It all kicks off at 3 p.m. ET today. Here's all the information you need to watch the quarter-final action.

FIFA World Cup schedule today: July 10

Spain vs. Belgium (Los Angeles Stadium) — kickoff at 3 p.m. ET

How to watch FIFA World Cup games today

Watch Spain vs. Belgium

Following France vs. Morocco yesterday, the World Cup continues with a major European matchup. Spain had a shaky start to the tournament against underdogs Cape Verde then looked more confident until they met Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in the Round of 16. Despite Spain's world-class squad — including superstar teenager Lamine Yamal — they had to fight hard to secure a 90th-minute winner.

Belgium also had a shaky start, with a series of draws that suggested the team's best years were behind them. But they dismantled USA in the Round of 16 and look ready for their biggest challenge of the tournament so far. This is a game not to miss.

Live coverage will be on Fox and Fox One. Peacock will carry the live Spanish-language coverage.

More live streaming options

Live TV cable replacement

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

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

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

Watch the World Cup for free with a VPN

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

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

Credit: ExpresVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.99 only at ExpressVPN

Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT — get these AI models and more for life for $60

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: 1min.AI is a new platform that gives you lifetime access to AI models like GPT, Claude, Gemini, and more, and it’s only $60.

Credit: 1minAI

1min.AI Advanced Business Plan Lifetime Subscription

$59.97
$540 Save $480.03

Bouncing between ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini every day means managing a pile of tabs and subscriptions that never stops growing. 1min.AI is a new platform that puts all of them in one place, and a lifetime subscription is on sale for $59.97 (reg. $540).

1min.AI connects you to a wide range of AI models so you’re not stuck with one tool’s strengths or blind spots. That includes

GPT 5.5 Pro
Claude 4.6 Sonnet
Gemini 3.1 Pro
Llama 3
Mistral Large 2
A lot more

New models get added through weekly updates, so the roster keeps growing. You can use them for writing, image work, audio production, video, and document tasks like summarizing a PDF or translating a report. The image editing side gives you an impressive amount of range for a wide variety of image tasks. You can remove or replace backgrounds, swap faces, upscale photos, clean out objects, and turn a rough sketch into a finished visual. Audio and video tools cover the basics you’d otherwise need separate apps for, like voice cloning, transcription, music generation, captioning, and YouTube summaries. The types of things that would take hours or days in an app like Audacity might only take a few minutes with some of these models.

The Advanced Business Plan runs on a credit system, giving you 4 million per month. In practice, that’s enough to generate roughly 1.1 million words of copy, nearly 6,000 SEO keywords, over 1,100 images, or 37 videos, depending on how you use them.

Logging in daily earns you 15,000 free credits, and those can stack up to 450,000 extra per month. Unused credits roll over, so nothing goes to waste.

You have until July 19 at 11:59 p.m. PT if you want to get a 1min.AI lifetime subscription on sale for $59.97.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Apple’s smallest iPad can be yours for $295 if you act fast

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Take Apple power anywhere you go with this Apple iPad Mini 6th Gen, on sale now for just $294.99 (reg. $499).

Credit: Apple

Apple iPad Mini 6th Gen 2021 (Refurbished)

$294.99
$499 Save $204.01

Sometimes, you just don’t feel like lugging along a laptop. The iPad Mini offers the perfect solution — compact enough to pop in your bag and powerful enough to keep up with your daily routine.

While it would usually set you back $499, right now you can bring home your own Apple iPad Mini 6th Gen for just $294.99 while supplies last.

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The Apple iPad Mini 6th Gen harnesses the power of an iPad in a tiny frame — easily replacing your laptop when you’re on the go. This model has an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, providing vibrant colors and crisp details no matter what you’re up to. And an A15 Bionic Chip ensures it’s all done quickly, delivering fast performance for all the tasks on your to-do list.

Want to snap a picture or hop on a video call? This iPad Mini features an impressive 12MP rear camera and a 12MP Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage, so everything will look sharp. You can also save files right on the device thanks to the 64GB storage capacity.

This iPad Mini includes Apple Pencil support, so you can take notes, sketch, and flex your creative muscles. You can easily connect to Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 anywhere, and you have a USB-C port to connect accessories, external storage, and displays if needed.

Touch ID helps keep your iPad secure when you unlock it, sign in to apps, or make purchases.

You’re saving big on this iPad Mini 6th Gen thanks to its Grade B refurbished rating. That means you may see light scuffing on the bevel or case, or light scratches or dents on the body, but there will be no dents, cracks, or missing parts.

Bring home an Apple iPad Mini 6th Gen for just $294.99 today.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

How to watch Sinner vs. Djokovic in Wimbledon 2026 online for free

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Live stream Sinner vs. Djokovic in Wimbledon 2026 for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Wimbledon is hurtling towards the finals taking place this weekend, but in many senses, the biggest game of the tournament is scheduled for the semi-final stage. Top seed Sinner faces off against Djokovic for a place in the final. It's going to be electric in centre court.

Djokovic came through an epic five-set match with Auger-Aliassime to make this stage of the tournament. Sinner had a much more straightforward victory over Struff. The Italian hasn't really been tested since his tough first-round match with Kecmanović, but you'd imagine Djokovic will stretch him.

If you want to watch Sinner vs. Djokovic in Wimbledon 2026 for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

How to watch Sinner vs. Djokovic for free

Sinner vs. Djokovic in Wimbledon 2026 is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

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

Live stream Wimbledon 2026 for free by following these simple steps:

Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
Visit BBC iPlayer
Live stream Wimbledon 2026 for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.99 only at ExpressVPN

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer money-back guarantees and free trials. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock BBC iPlayer without committing with your cash. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it gives you plenty of time to live stream Wimbledon 2026 before recovering your investment. It's a sneaky trick, but it works.

ExpressVPN's regular 30-day money back guarantee is not available for any subscriptions purchased during the FIFA World Cup between June 10 and July 11. ExpressVPN remains our top pick for Wimbledon, but you will need to pay the monthly rate. Alternatively, Proton VPN still offers that all-important money-back guarantee.

What is the best VPN for Wimbledon?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for streaming live sport on free platforms like BBC iPlayer, for a number of reasons:

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

Ronny Chiengs Daily Show interview with Aaron Chen is a delight

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 08:55:21 +0000

Daily Show host Ronny Chieng and comedian Aaron Chen have known each other for an age, so watching them in an interview situation is inevitably a delight.

On Thursday night's show Chieng, who has known Chen since he was 16, chatted about the comedian's new Apple TV film The Dink, as well as the key to comedy sports movies, yelling at Andy Roddick, living in Australia, being too young to get into stand-up comedy bars, and Chieng insisting he showed Chen the ropes.

"Well, yeah, you have been a big mentor to me," says Chen.

"Oh, OK," jokes Chieng. "You caught everyone off guard with the sincerity, including me."

"That's a pump fake," says Chen.

Want more of the best of late night? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter.

How to watch Fery vs. Zverev online for free

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 08:39:56 +0000

TL;DR: Live stream Fery vs. Zverev in Wimbledon 2026 for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Wimbledon is always full of interesting storylines, but this year, Arthur Fery has dominated the headlines. The world No. 114 has marched through the tournament, now facing off against Zverev in the semi-final stage. It has been a remarkable journey for a player who has never previously made it past the second round in this competition.

Zverev is looking to build on his maiden Grand Slam victory at the 2026 French Open. The second seed is obviously the favorite, but so were Cobolli and Dimitrov, and they ended up defeated by Fery.

If you want to watch Fery vs. Zverev in Wimbledon 2026 for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

How to watch Fery vs. Zverev for free

Fery vs. Zverev in Wimbledon 2026 is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

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

Live stream Wimbledon 2026 for free by following these simple steps:

Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
Visit BBC iPlayer
Live stream Wimbledon 2026 for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.99 only at ExpressVPN

What is the best VPN for Wimbledon?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for streaming live sport on free platforms like BBC iPlayer, for a number of reasons:

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

The best Prime Day Australia deals for 2026 – live now

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 07:20:26 +0000

A quick look at the best Prime Day 2026 deals we've spotted so far:

Best robot vacuum deal

Dreame X40 Ultra Robot Vacuum

A$749 (was $2,799, 73% off)

Best budget robot vacuum deal

Eureka E20 Plus

A$349 (was $862.95, 60% off)

Best headphones deal

Bose QuietComfort Ultra

A$378 (was $649, 42% off)

Best Laptop Deal

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14IPH11 Aura Edition

A$1,429 (was $2,499, 43% off)

Best Wearables Deal

Apple Watch Ultra 3

A$999 (was $1,399, 29% off)

Best TV Deal

Prism+ Q75 Ultra 75" 4K QLED Smart Google TV

A$1,299 (was $1,843, 33% off)

Amazon's famed Prime Day sale has kicked off Down Under for 2026, with deals running across Amazon Australia until July 13. That means a whole week of eyewatering discounts on just about everything, with a strong focus on tech. If you need a new robovac, TV, headphones, or just about anything else gadget-y, now is the time. Below, we've listed the best deals we've seen so far and will be updating this page all week. Happy hunting!

Best robot vacuum deals

EUREKA E20 Plus Robot Vacuum – A$349 (was $862.95, 60% off)
ECOVACS DEEBOT N20 Plus Robot Vacuum Cleaner and Mop – A$429 (was $949, 55% off)\
Dreame L10s Ultra Gen2 Robot Vacuum and Mop – A$409.99 (was $1,699, 76% off)
Dreame F20 Eco Robot Vacuum and Mop – A$199 (was $599, 67% off)
Dreame L40 Ultra CE Robot Vacuum – A$499.99 (was $1,499, 67% off)
Dreame D30 Ultra Robot Vacuum – A$599.99 (was $1,499, 60% off)
Dreame L10s Ultra Gen3 Robot Vacuum – A$639.99 (was $1,999, 68% off)
Dreame L50 Ultra CE Robot Vacuum and Mop – A$1,299.99 (was $2,499, 48% off)
~~roborock Q7T+ Robot Vacuum & Mop~~ – A$399 ~~(was $999, 60% off)~~

Best smart home deals

Ring Battery Video Doorbell – A$39.90 (was $149, 47% off)
Ring Spotlight Camera Pro (2nd Gen) – A$279 (was $399, 30% off)
Blink Outdoor 4 Wireless smart security camera – A$29 (was $89, 67% off)
D-Link DCS-8302LH FHD Weather Resistant Wi-Fi Camera – A$89 (was $199.95, 55% off)
WUUK 2K Battery Operated Outdoor Security Camera – A$237.49 (was $369.99, 36% off)

Best smartphone and tablet deals

Nothing Phone (2a) 5G 128GB – A$480.92 (was $529, 9% off)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 5G 256GB – A$427 (was $599, 29% off)
Lenovo Idea Tab 5G 11" 256GB + Lenovo Tab Pen – A$397 (was $949, 34% off)
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Lite 256GB – A$529 (was $799, 37% off)
Samsung Galaxy Tab A11+ 256GB– A$477 (was $549, 13% off)
~~Apple iPhone 16e (128GB)~~ – A$894 ~~(was $999, 11% off)~~
~~Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro)~~ – A$639 ~~(was $949, 33% off)~~
~~Samsung Galaxy S25 512GB~~ – A$1,099 ~~(was $1,599, 34% off)~~

Best wearable tech deals

Garmin vívoactive 5 – A$346 (was $499, 30% off)
Garmin Venu 3, GPS Smartwatch, AMOLED Display – A$595 (was $749, 21% off)
Garmin vívoactive 5 Health and Fitness GPS Smartwatch – A$347 (was $499, 30% off)
Garmin Lily 2 Classic, Silver – A$398 (was $469, 15% off)
Google Fitbit Versa 4 Fitness Smartwatch – A$211.70 (was $356, 41% off)
Polar Ignite 3 GPS Smartwatch – A$296.96 (was $499, 40% off)

Best headphone and speaker deals

Bose QuietComfort SC Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones – A$239.99 (was $499, 52% off)
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless Headphones – A$278 (was $549, 49% off)
Soundcore by Anker Q20i Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones – A$62.69 (was $119, 48% off)
Sony WH-CH720N Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones – A$177 (was $259, 32% off)
Bose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth Speaker – A$141 (was $249.95, 43% off)
Sony SRS-XB100 Wireless Bluetooth Travel Speaker – A$68 (was $99.95, 31% off)

Best TV and home cinema deals

LG 85-inch QNED80B Evo AI Mini LED 4K Smart TV 2026 – A$2,473 (was $3,499, 29% off)
LG 55" QNED86 Evo AI Mini LED 4K Smart TV 2025 – A$899 (was $1,199, 25% off)
Kogan 43" QLED 4K 144Hz Smart AI Google TV – A$446.24 (was $799, 44% off)
Sony 50" X77L BRAVIA LED 4K HDR Google TV – A$679 (was $1,199, 43% off)
SKYWORTH Q6600H 65" - QLED+ 4K Smart Google TV – A$749 (was $999, 25% off)
Denon AVR-X1800H 8K AV Receiver – A$995 (was $1,299, 23% off)
Yamaha A-S701 2-Channel Integrated, 100 W Stereo Amplifier – A$1,069 (was $1,499, 29% off)
Kimwood FHD Mini Projector with Upgraded HiFi Speaker – A$85.49 (was $139.99, 39% off)
VOPLLS 600 ANSI 4K Smart Mini Projector – A$168.99 (was $269.99, 37% off)
WiMiUS Portable HDR10 4K Projector – A$379.99 (was $659.99, 42% off)

Best laptop deals

Lenovo Legion 5i, 15.1" – A$2,398 (was $4,299, 20% off)
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 15.6" FHD Laptop – A$664 (was $999, 34% off)
~~HP OmniBook Ultra Flip AI 14" Laptop~~ – A$3,498 ~~(was $4,299, 32% off)~~
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15.3" Laptop – A$999 (was $1,499, 33% off)

After a new PC? Check out the top computer deals on our sister site, PCMag Australia.

With literally thousands of deals on Amazon.com.au, finding the good ones can be a laborious task. So we've done the hard work for you and tracked down the best deals on everything tech. If you enjoy window shopping yourself (AKA, scrolling), you can check out Amazon's Prime Day page.

You will need to be an Amazon Prime member to partake in the fun. If this isn't you, fear not! You can grab a no-obligation 30-day free Prime trial and still get in on the action.

What is Amazon Prime Day? Is it different in Australia?

In 2026, Prime Day Australia is taking place on a completely different week to in the US, who had theirs in the last week of June this year. Previously, the dates had overlapped.

Prime Day is an twice-a-year online sales event (think Black Friday or Click Frenzy), only it is exclusive to Amazon Prime customers. It started as a one-day event in the US in 2015, but has since expanded to a week long event that takes place across the globe, including Australia. The first Prime Day Down Under happened in 2018, and has grown every year since. Australian users get access to deals on both Amazon.com.au and the Amazon Global Store until the conclusion of the event in the US.

Additionally, the Shop Local Businesses store highlights a number of small Australian businesses that are also partaking in the Prime Day fun.

What will be on sale this Prime Day?

While it can be difficult to predict specific products that go on sale, Amazon has promised over 100,000 deals in Australia from big brands, small local brands, and everything in-between. The brands that Amazon has confirmed will be a part of Prime Day include Apple, Samsung, Lenovo, Bose, and more – a pretty hefty list!

Expect deals across all categories, including tech, such as TVs, Smart Home, Headphones, Gaming, as well as homeware, sports, fashion, beauty and more.

How to find the best deals during Prime Day in Australia

Amazon is quite often the cheapest place to find a given product at the best of times, but the really good deals only come up a few times a year. The above list features some of the very best tech deals available right now. However, you can also properly prepare for the event to make sure you truly get the most out of it.

Before Prime Day kicks off, you should put together a shopping list of items that you are after, then 'wishlist' those products on Amazon and set deal alerts on the Amazon app. This will ensure you don't miss top deals on products that you especially want.

Ensure you are subscribed to Amazon Prime, or else you won't be able to secure the products for the Prime Day deal price. A subscription costs A$6.99 per month, but there is a 30-day free trial available if you are just looking to take part in Prime Day and nothing else.

It is also worth spending a bit of time on Amazon and familiarising yourself with its interface and how it works. This can save you time and hassle when the deals start dropping (many of which are only available for a limited time).

How to shop on Amazon Prime Day

Of course, we'll be keeping track of all the best Prime Day deals we spot in the lists above. But if you are keen to trawl through some deals yourself, here's how to best shop during the event.

Amazon app: If you'll be out and about on Prime Day, download Amazon's mobile app, log in, and you'll be ready to shop wherever you are.
Amazon Wishlist: Add items to your wishlist in the product interface to get alerted if it goes on sale.
Ask Alexa: Why move at all? The main idea behind Amazon's Echo devices is to sell you stuff, so Alexa is more than willing to help you add things to your cart.
Amazon Global Store: Check out the best deals from the US and across the world on the Amazon Global Store.
Support Local: Amazon's Shop Local Business initiative highlights deals curated from small Aussie businesses across Amazon.

Prime Day AU: Save up to 73% on these top Dreame robot vacuums

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 07:15:57 +0000

Amazon Prime Day is back for another year! Running from July 7-13, you can grab a hefty discount on a variety of smart home products, including Dreame’s range of automated cleaning gadgets. From easy-to-use robot vacuums to powerful hair dryers, you’ll save up to 73% off and give your home the cleaning upgrade it needs.

Credit: Dreame

Dreame L10s Ultra Gen2 Robot Vacuum and Mop

AU$409.99 at Amazon AU
AU$1,699 Save AU$1,289.01

Robot vacuum and mop with MopExtend RoboSwing technology, 10,000PA suction power, and Duo Scrub Mopping System.

When looking for a solid starter robot vacuum for your home, you can’t go wrong with the L10s Ultra Gen2 for only A$529. Equipped with Dreame’s “advanced MopExtend RoboSwing Technology” and Pet Zone Cleaning, this gadget will rid your space of spills, stains, and pet hair with ease. However, if you want an automated cleaner with extra power, their flagship X40 Ultra is down to an unbelievable price of A$749. With 12,000Pa suction power and SideReach Edge Cleaning, this robot cleaner can clean the parts of your home you’ve been struggling to reach.

The best Dreame robot vacuum Prime Day deals

Dreame F20 Eco Robot Vacuum and Mop - A$199 (was $599, 67% off)
Dreame L40 Ultra CE Robot Vacuum - A$499.99 (was $1,499, 67% off)
Dreame D30 Ultra Robot Vacuum - A$599.99 (was $1,499, 60% off)
Dreame L10s Ultra Gen3 Robot Vacuum - A$639.99 (was $1,999, 68% off)
Dreame L50 Ultra CE Robot Vacuum and Mop - A$1,299.99 (was $2,499, 48% off)

However, Dreame’s Prime Day sale extends beyond their range of robot vacuums. If you’d prefer to replace your cordless vacuum, the A$189 G10 Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner can both suction and mop your floors in one go.

Credit: Dreame

G10 Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner

AU$189.04 at Amazon AU
AU$549 Save AU$359.96

Meanwhile, Dreame has also slashed prices on their range of smart hair dryers, with the ultra-fast drying Dazzle now only A$229.99 – and you can get an extra 15% off using code W444QFST.

Credit: Dreame

dreame Dazzle Hair Dryer

AU$229.99 at Amazon AU
AU$499 Save AU$269.01

This promotion will run strictly during Amazon’s annual Prime Day from July 7-13, so you’ve got until stocks last to take advantage. However, since these deals are locked to Amazon Prime members only, just make sure your subscription is up to date (or sign up for a 30-day free trial).

Silo Season 3, episode 2s ending explained: What is Vitamin D+?

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Silo loves ending with an ominous shot of something mysterious, and Season 3, episode 2 is absolutely no exception.

But what are those big barrels of the troublingly named "Vitamin D+" being pushed up the central staircase? And what will they mean for the silo's residents? Let's break down what we know.

What happens at the end of Silo Season 3, episode 2?

Camille (Alexandria Riley), thinking she's managed to smooth out the growing issues with Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson), heads back to the Vault for a chat with the mysterious Algorithm.

But based on what the voice says to her, it sounds like the problems for Silo 18 are only just beginning.

"After her return, Juliette's survival was...unwelcome. But the numbers indicated it was tolerable. Perhaps even beneficial," says the voice, before bringing up a graph on the screen. "The blue line represents the calming value in the silo of having Juliette Nichols as mayor. The red line is the risk she poses if the memory protocol is not successful. If those lines cross, Juliette Nichols will have outlived her usefulness. The problem, of course, is that a sudden removal of Juliette could be catastrophically destabilising. We can only hope that the introduction of the vitamin compound into the water supply happens before that becomes necessary."

Vitamin compound? Water supply? It's not looking good, and nor does the sight of silo workers shoving large "Vitamn D+" barrels up the winding staircase in the episode's closing shots.

But what exactly is the compound, and how will it affect the silo's population?

What is Vitamin D+?

The answer seems pretty clear, and it links back to 1) What's been happening this season with Juliette, and 2) Another conversation between Camille and the Algorithm at the start of the episode, where Camille is complaining about how long it's taking Juliette to forget what happened to her.

"We have 352 years of data that demonstrates the protocol is effective most of the time, when implemented correctly," says the robotic voice in response. "Six silos have successfully undergone full resets, including your own 140 years ago, and there have been individuals targeted along the way."

So, we know Juliette is being given a drug that affects her memory. But the talk of a "full reset" suggests this strategy has been implemented on a much wider scale in the past.

Those "Vitamin D+" barrels being rolled up the stairs? Most probably the same memory-wiping medication being given to Juliette. Only this time, the target is everybody in Silo 18. Another "full reset" is in the works.

Silo Season 3 is streaming now on Apple TV, with new episodes dropping every Friday.

Hurdle hints and answers for July 10, 2026

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

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

Black bird.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

RAVEN

Hurdle Word 2 hint

An herb.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

ANISE

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Hurdle Word 3 hint

More secure.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

SAFER

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Dwelling.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

HUTCH

Final Hurdle hint

A hum.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

THRUM

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

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for July 10, 2026

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 02:00:00 +0000

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

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

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

What is Connections?

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

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

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

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

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

Yellow: Mobile features
Green: Sweet treat
Blue: Rockstars
Purple: Take me out to the ball game

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: Smartphone settings
Green: Dessert menu descriptors
Blue: '80s synth-pop bands
Purple: Starting with baseball calls

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 #1125 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

Smartphone settings: AIRPLANE MODE, DO NOT DISTURB, HOTSPOT, LOCATION SERVICES
Dessert menu descriptors: DECADENT, FRESH-BAKED, MOLTEN, À LA MODE
'80s synth-pop bands: DEPECHE MODE, ERASURE, NEW ORDER, PET SHOP BOYS
Starting with baseball calls: BALL GOWN, OUTKST, SAFE MODE, STRIKE A POSE

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

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

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

NYT Strands hints, answers for July 10, 2026

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 02:00:00 +0000

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're always doing.

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: "I think..."

The words are related to creating.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe taking action.

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 We Can Make It.

NYT Strands word list for July 10

Haste
History
Merry
Good
Believe
We Can Make It
Love Sense

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

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

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

Wordle today: Answer, hints for July 10, 2026

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 02:00:00 +0000

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love Amsterdam.

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:

Tunnel.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter A appears twice.

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

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter C.

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...

CANAL

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.

Does Evil Dead Burn have a credits scene?

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 01:00:00 +0000

Everyone who loves horror movies knows there's always time for one final scare. But does Evil Dead Burn take the opportunity?

The sixth installment in the Evil Dead franchise, directed and written by Sébastien Vaniček and Florent Bernard, sees Deadite family hell unleashed upon stars Souheila Yacoub, Hunter Doohan, Luciane Buchanan, Tandi Wright, Erroll Shand, and Maude Davey.

But does Evil Dead Burn have secret scenes to stick around for? Of course it does, this is Evil Dead! Yes, there are a few surprises in store in the film's credits.

Without dropping any spoilers on you, here's what you can expect, so you don't have cinema lobby regret.

Does Evil Dead Burn have a credits scene?

We won't spoil what happens in the scenes, but just know you should definitely stay for the credits for three reasons:

There's a mid-credits scene that's a cautionary tale against helping random ladies on the road.
There's a post-credits scene that includes a familiar face for Evil Dead fans, and it could set up the next film.
Thousands of people worked on this film. It's nice to stay for the credits.

Evil Dead Burn hits cinemas July 10.

The Soundcore AeroClip earbuds are $20 off and come with a free Soundcore Select 4 Go speaker

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 22:00:40 +0000

SAVE $94.97: Get the Soundcore AeroClip earbuds on sale for $149.99, down from the standard price of $169.99 for a $20 discount. The deal also comes with either a free Soundcore Select 4 Go Bluetooth speaker or a free AeroClip accessory.

Credit: Soundcore

Soundcore Aeroclip earbuds

$149.99 at Soundcore
$169.99 Save $20

Plus, choose a freebie add-on

I'm not saying a solid pair of earbuds can change your life, but I'm also not downplaying their importance. Some of us have an emotional support water bottle, and others of us have earbuds we're incredibly attached to. After all, they're with us all the time these days, playing our current audiobook, new favorite songs, and podcasts. If you're not in love with your current earbuds, check out this deal that comes with a freebie.

As of July 9, the Soundcore AeroClip earbuds are on sale for $149.99 at Soundcore, marked down from the standard price of $169.99, which works out to $20 in savings. But today's deal also comes with a free Soundcore Select 4 Go Bluetooth speaker or the choice of two free AeroClip on-earbuds accessories. The freebies range in value from $19.99 to $34.99.

The Soundcore AeroClip earbuds have a unique design that securely clips them to the cuff of the ear, like many of our other favorite open earbuds. They're designed to be flexible and lightweight, with the intention of giving all-day comfort. Plus, they get up to 32 hours of battery life with the included case.

On top of the earbuds, today's deal includes the choice of two free earbuds accessories. The butterfly and snowflake accessories clip onto the open earbuds themselves, adding a fun piece of jewelry to the earbuds. They're easy to attach and have a lightweight feel, so they won't be noticeable.

You could also opt for a free Soundcore Select 4 Go Bluetooth speaker, which is both water- and dust-resistant. Pack it along on your next summer outing or use it in the backyard during the next barbecue.

Before you buy a new laptop, try this $10 Windows 11 Pro upgrade

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 22:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Give a PC a major upgrade with a Microsoft Windows 11 Pro license, on sale now for just $9.97 (reg. $199) until July 19.

Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft Windows 11 Pro

$9.97
$199 Save $189.03

Before you start shopping for a laptop, make sure your current one doesn’t just need a little tune-up. A Microsoft Windows 11 Pro license breathes new life into an old computer, offering new tools and enhanced security features to bring your device up to speed.

Right now, you can do this retooling for just $9.97 if you snag it before July 19.

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How often do you find a $10 solution to a problem these days? You can currently upgrade your PC for less than the cost of lunch with this Microsoft Windows 11 Pro deal.

When it comes to old PCs, sometimes a fresh operating system is all it needs to shine again. Windows 11 Pro was designed with today’s professional in mind, so you can rest easy knowing there are plenty of upgrades to make your life run a little more smoothly.

An easy-to-use interface lets you hop in and get to work quickly, and features like a more powerful search experience, easy redocking, and snap layouts can boost your productivity.

Your Windows 11 Pro license includes Microsoft Teams, an app that makes it much easier to stay connected with friends, family, and coworkers. It also includes Copilot, Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant, available right on your desktop. Let Copilot answer your questions, help with your tasks, change settings, summarize web pages, and even open apps.

Cybersecurity gets a major boost with new features with your privacy in mind. Take advantage of biometric logins, encrypted authentication, and enhanced antivirus protection that keep your data safer.

Lock in your own Microsoft Windows 11 Pro license for just $9.97 now until July 19.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

A new Shark FlexStyle for creating the best curls possible just dropped

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 20:47:59 +0000

It's no secret that multi-stylers like the Dyson Airwrap initially went viral because of the Co-anda tech that seemed to wrap and create curls as if by magic.

While the promise of curls styled more by air than heat was enticing, it also didn't take users long to figure out that these tools weren't on par with traditional hot tools when it came to definition and longevity. Shark is looking to close that gap with its latest release, the Shark FlexStyle IonCurl, which hit online shelves on July 6 and retails for $349.99.

Credit: Shark

Shark FlexStyle IonCurl

$349.99 at Shark

At first glance, the multi-styler looks similar to the original FlexStyle. It features four different attachments — the 1.25-inch IonCurl curlers, the IonCurl FrizzFighter high shine polisher, the IonCurl styling concentrator, and the IonCurl oval brush — and can be used without any attachments as a standard blow dryer. It also has the iconic twisting base mechanism, but the main differences here are all about the tech you can't see.

The Shark FlexStyle IonCurl: What's different

The IonCurl features two major upgrades to optimize the curling experience with this multi-styler: the ion smooth technology and CoandaBoost technology.

The Shark FlexStyle IonCurl lineup. Credit: Shark

Ion smooth technology

Ionizers have long been a part of blow drying tech to provide the smoothest styling possible. That step becomes extra crucial when your blow dryer doubles as your primary styling device. With the Ion smooth technology, the IonCurl works to target any frizziness and flyways for smoother and shinier looking hair.

CoandaBoost technology

Coanda tech is essentially the fancy term for describing the automatic wrapping mechanism that's now a mainstay on any multi-styler with a curling attachment. However, Shark ups the ante of the FlexStyle line with the CoandaBoost tech. The enhanced airflow allows for the hair to be wrapped even more tightly around the styling barrel, which creates a more defined and longer lasting curl. According to the brand, this is the strongest version of the tech you can find on any of the Shark FlexStyle models.

Other FlexStyle models

Speaking of other Shark FlexStyle models, it's worth breaking down where the IonCurl falls in the existing lineup of FlexStyles.

The original Shark FlexStyle is essentially the all-in-one multi-styler, the original Dyson Airwrap dupe, and the most affordable version of the tool, starting at $299.99 for a build-your-own model (and that's before dropping down to one of the frequent sale prices).

The Shark FlexStyle Glam is an upgraded version of the FlexStyle, both in functionality and price. The tool goes for $449.99, but can be used on both wet and dry hair for styling.

The IonCurl then, at $349.99, falls somewhere in the middle, and is for anyone who prioritizes the best curl possible. Like the other two models, the curling barrels on this version of the multi-styler need to be switched out in order to change the curl direction, which is where Dyson retains the biggest advantage.

The Shark FlexStyle IonCurl: Where to buy

The Shark FlexStyle IonCurl is available to purchase at SharkNinja, Sephora, and Ulta for $349.99 in the lilac colorway.

Where to buy the Shark FlexStyle IonCurl

SharkNinja

Shark FlexStyle IonCurl

$349.99

Sephora

Shark FlexStyle IonCurl

$349.99

Ulta

Shark FlexStyle IonCurl

$349.99

DuckDuckGos web browser will now automatically block YouTube ads

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 20:27:24 +0000

Annoyed by YouTube ads? There are a few ways to avoid them now, such as YouTube's own official option with a paid YouTube Premium subscription.

However, the privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo is now providing a new, free way to block YouTube ads.

This week, DuckDuckGo announced that its free web browser will now block most video ads, including ads shown on YouTube.

The YouTube Ad Blocking feature is turned on by default on Mac, Windows, and iOS versions of the web browser. There's nothing that users on those devices have to do, as the feature is on by default.

YouTube Ad Blocking is also available on the Android version of the DuckDuckGo web browser. However, it needs to be turned on by going to the browser’s Settings and then toggling Ad Blocking on. DuckDuckGo says the option to have ad blocking activated by default is coming soon to Android as well.

DuckDuckGo launched in 2008 with a privacy-focused search engine alternative to Google. Since then, the company has rolled out other privacy-focused alternatives to Google products, such as its desktop and mobile web browsers.

The company has also benefited from Google's missteps. Earlier this year, for example, DuckDuckGo reported a spike in growth after Google announced new unavoidable AI features. While DuckDuckGo does have its own set of AI tools, they are completely optional, and the company makes sure to promote that. DuckDuckGo has a completely AI-free search product called DuckDuckGo No-AI.

Now, DuckDuckGo is taking on Google's sister site, YouTube, with its default ad blocker built right into its privacy-focused web browser.

GLP-1s are inescapable online. Heres why thats a problem.

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 20:14:26 +0000

Kate Gombach recently celebrated four years in recovery from an eating disorder. Such a milestone once felt impossible for the 35-year-old who recalls growing up at the height of "heroin chic," a time in the early aughts when celebrities like Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie appeared in tabloids looking extremely thin.

"I didn't realize that living the way I'm living now was even an option for me," Gombach tells Mashable. "I thought trying to shrink my body constantly was what I had to do because of the body that I was born in."

Since Gombach completed treatment at the Eating Recovery Center, she'd mostly been able to tune out the kind of messaging and advertising that typically triggered her disordered eating. But over the past several months, that became much harder thanks to one of the most popular medications of the 21st century: appetite- and hunger-suppressing GLP-1s.

Suddenly, Gombach saw bodies shrinking everywhere she looked, particularly amongst celebrities and on social media. Creators who once championed body positivity or neutrality began weight-loss journeys with little explanation or initial disclosure about paid partnerships and sponsored content, Gombach witnessed.

"I didn't realize that living the way I'm living now was even an option for me."

Even as Gombach pruned certain accounts from her feed and actively disliked weight-loss advertising on Instagram and TikTok, Gombach still encounters marketing for GLP-1, or semaglutide, drugs there, not to mention on television and the wider internet.

"It's not easy, and it's not fun, but [I'm] trying to push through it, maintain my recovery, and hold on to my beliefs, despite a lot of people around me kind of switching," Gombach says.

Fighting to stay in recovery

She's not alone. Mashable interviewed others in recovery who described the same seismic shift toward thinness and diet culture triggered by GLP-1 drugs.

In just the first nine months of 2025, the pharmaceutical companies Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly spent $700 million marketing their GLP-1 medications, Wegovy and Ozempic, and Zepbound and Mounjaro, respectively, according to Reuters.

This advertising rush has made weight loss content inescapable for many. That might help explain why Americans are flocking to online black markets to purchase Eli Lilly's "retatrutide," a drug not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration that reportedly leads to significant weight loss.

Meanwhile, influencers pitching wellness optimization strategies, and Make America Healthy Again proponents who promote thinness as virtuousness, have revived diet culture after it fell out of favor in the late 2010s.

Now former patients like Gombach find themselves fighting to stay in recovery.

Social media and eating disorders

"Many people feel like they've come through on the other side," said Jessica Scheer, CEO of the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA). "But it's a hard thing to protect now."

Gombach spends several hours a day on social media, where she connects with recovery-focused influencers. Building that network during treatment aided Gombach's recovery, because her friends had neither experienced an eating disorder or lived in a larger body, like she does.

Yet experts say social media can also be risky for those in recovery as diet culture and pro-disordered eating are extremely difficult to moderate online.

Earlier this year, the eating disorder care company Equip surveyed 828 adults about how social media influenced their body image. A number of respondents named GLP-1 ads unprompted as a distinct source of distress.

A recent survey by NEDA found the same. Clinicians reported having weekly conversations with patients about GLP-1 advertising and increased disordered eating behaviors.

New research published in JAMA Psychiatry suggests that GLP-1 use may be higher among people with eating disorders compared to the general population. The study authors, who did not look at the role of social media, wrote that these people might use GLP-1 drugs to achieve rapid food restriction and weight loss.

Whether or not they are actually taking the drugs, people with a history of disordered eating may be more at risk online. A 2024 TikTok algorithm study, conducted by researchers at the University of Melbourne, found that users with a history of disordered eating were served more videos featuring "toxic" eating disorder content than those without prior struggles.

The researchers attributed the increased likelihood of seeing such videos to the platform's content personalization system, particularly the way TikTok collects and profiles users based on personal data. The platform, they wrote, may see lingering on content as a sign of engagement.

The researchers noted several limitations of their study, including that they evaluated videos based on hashtags, an "imperfect" indicator of their content. TikTok declined to comment on the research.

Positive engagement or eating disorder risk?

Dr. Blair Burnette, a Michigan State University assistant professor and principal investigator of the eating- and body image-focused ARISE Lab, called the findings of the study "extremely disturbing." She was not involved in the research.

"It was very clear that the people who were struggling were getting delivered more harmful content," said Burnette, who is overseeing multiple studies on social media's effect on body image, GLP-1 advertising, and eating disorders. A patient can unintentionally direct more GLP-1 related content to their feed simply by pausing on a video or searching for seemingly unrelated content, she explained. It's become a greater worry for her as a clinician.

Equip survey participants also reported that actively seeking body-positive or recovery-focused content led to seeing more about fitness and body transformation, as well as restrictive eating.

GLP-1 content on social media

Dr. Elizabeth Wassenaar, regional medical director of the Eating Recovery Center, said that social media usage is cropping up more and more in treatment with the rise of GLP-1s. Patients are vulnerable to posts about GLP-1 weight loss, and platforms are responding to it, she said. "The algorithm likely curates content that gets more interaction, and when people are engaged in a mental illness, the content that gets more interaction reinforces that mental illness."

While their effectiveness is still widely debated, many platforms offer content controls intended to weed out such posts. Still, less obvious content can derail recovery. A favorite creator suddenly posting an image of their thinner body, for example, is not easily flagged by moderation tools or necessarily clocked by users themselves.

In fact, Scheer explained, eating disorder content readily "shapeshifts" into whatever nutrition and wellness trends are taking over the internet at any given moment. Unhealthy or restrictive food habits can be repackaged as "clean eating." Compulsive exercise is reformed into "hot girl walks" or daily gym vlogs. GLP-1 influencers are lumped in with wellness advice accounts.

"It's a great business model."

Scheer points to advertising phrases like "take control of your health" or "get back control of your body," which mirror the mindset of many people experiencing disordered eating habits.

Co-opting the language of recovery

The diet industry has also co-opted the language of recovery and anti-diet spaces to sell their own products. For example, GLP-1 ads often promise to quiet "food noise," or incessant rumination on hunger and eating. Food noise happens to be one of the most common indicators or struggles among people with eating disorders, explained Sharon Maxwell, a weight inclusivity advocate, consultant, and content creator.

"People with eating disorders are very susceptible," said Maxwell. "It's a great business model."

Maxwell started posting online after they left a restrictive cult upbringing and were diagnosed with an eating disorder. They built a career offering weight inclusive curriculum to large businesses and eating recovery facilities, even collaborating with Meta's former moderation team on better age-gating of eating disorder content. But in recent years that work has dwindled.

The human safety teams Maxwell once worked with have been reconfigured or shrunk, they note. In the year since, they say they’ve seen a rise in anti-fat content. And as platforms bank on questionable drug and wellness advertising revenue, Maxwell says creators they used to work alongside have pivoted to sponsored GLP-1 posts.

Eating disorder recovery in the era of GLP-1s

Content about GLP-1s, already hard to moderate, is supercharged by stereotypes about larger bodies and weight loss. GLP-1s are much less criticized because they result in thinner bodies, said Wassenaar. Though researchers are still learning about their long-term effects, GLP-1s have surged in popularity, even as established interventions that have nothing to do with body size, like vitamin K shots for infants and life-saving vaccines, are increasingly rejected.

For those in recovery, this type of messaging can generate guilt and shame, explained Wassenaar. GLP-1 marketing constantly suggests the need to change one's physical appearance — and that there are several choices available for doing so.

"You could make a choice to be on a medication. You could make a choice to be on a diet. You could choose a lower calorie food, but you're not, and that's why you think your body is flawed," Wassenaar said of the normalization of weight loss interventions. "It's insidious."

"I don't have to lose weight. I don't have to go down that path."

Maxwell says they'd be lying if they didn't feel enticed to use GLP-1s for weight loss.

Gombach similarly wonders about GLP-1s. She says two of her doctors tried to prescribe her a GLP-1 based on her body mass index, despite the fact that she's in good health. "Would people be nicer to me if I did that?" Gombach asks.

Maxwell and Gombach say GLP-1s aren't the solution to such thoughts.

"It's not the medicine itself that sounds appealing to me. It's the outcome of being in a smaller body," Maxwell said. "I know what happens if I engage in intentional weight loss, and that is a relapse into anorexia, and I'm not willing to do that."

Managing social media while in recovery

Since entering treatment, Gombach finished her masters in clinical mental health counseling and specializes in eating disorder care. That may give her unique insight into coping with ubiquitous weight-loss messaging, but she still uses multiple strategies herself.

Gombach leans on practices she learned in acceptance and commitment therapy, which focuses on aligning behavior with one's values. When Gombach sees content that could trigger negative feelings about her body, she affirms that it's not for her and doesn't match what she wants for herself.

She also focuses on "clarity of intention," or the reality that an influencer, brand, or pharmaceutical company preys on people's insecurities so that they'll buy a product and feel better or achieve greater acceptance.

Then there's training her algorithm. She immediately unfollows a creator when they announce they're on a GLP-1 drug. Every few months, she mass unfollows accounts that have begun sharing diet culture content. Gombach also tries to adjust her ad settings, but frequently sees harmful marketing content nonetheless.

Gombach says she hasn't considered quitting social media because "it’s still something that ultimately helps me."

Time to turn away from social media?

Dr. Erin Parks, co-founder and chief clinical officer of Equip, says even former patients' best efforts to filter content run headlong into algorithms that don't distinguish between thinness and health.

She doesn't discourage patients from eliminating screen time altogether, because it may be helpful to them. Yet, she does want them to consider whether being on their phone is like attempting not to drink but spending all their time in a bar.

Parks recommends people in recovery curate their feed with a clinician when possible and stay open to their changing needs. Content they find tolerable one day may trigger disordered eating thoughts the next. That's why she says it's important for people to closely monitor their social media use, including their intended time spent versus reality, as well as how they feel before, during, and after scrolling.

Maxwell has also scaled back their time online because of GLP-1s. They stopped posting about eating disorder recovery years ago, opting to highlight the joys of living in a larger body. "So often in eating disorder recovery we're obsessed with staying in the disorder, and then we become obsessed with the process of recovery, and that almost replaces the eating disorder," they explained. "My life isn't about recovery, recovery allows me to have a life."

While the rise of GLP-1s has made the desire to escape weight stigma difficult to ignore, Maxwell still envisions a future where social media can support those in recovery and fight weight discrimination.

"I do have hope," Maxwell said. "How much? Not as much as a few years ago, but it's still there, and I'm still holding on. I've got a vice grip on it."

If you are concerned about your eating behavior, visit the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) website for more information. You can also text CONNECT to 741741 for immediate support from a trained volunteer at the Crisis Text Line.

Don’t buy a smart lock until you watch this (Nuki keypad 2 NFC and Aliro testing)

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 19:59:59 +0000

Wes Ott tries out the new Aliro standard with the Nuki smart lock. He goes over why this new standard from the CSA matters and how it will change smart home keys.

Dysons newest Airwrap just got an update and new attachments — including a first-time addition to any Airwrap

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 19:58:15 +0000

Dyson just released an updated version of its latest multi-styler, the Airwrap Co-anda2x, just one year after the original version of the styling tool became available.

The updated Airwrap, available to purchase as of July 9, comes with a new lineup of attachments and a more powerful motor for creating longer-lasting styles. The new Co-anda2x retails for $749.99, putting it at the same price point as the first version of the styler. (The first iteration initially went for $699.99, but jumped up $50 in price after its release).

Credit: Dyson

Dyson Airwrap Co-anda2x

$749.99 at Dyson

The updated Dyson Airwrap Co-anda2x: What's new

While the latest Airwrap Co-anda2x looks rather similar to its predecessor at first glance, the upgrades made could go a long way for anyone looking for the longest lasting styling possible.

Updated attachments

The first major update to the new Airwrap is the four new attachments, replacing some of the lineup from the 2025 release of the Airwrap Co-anda2x.

The 2026 Airwrap Co-anda2x attachment lineup is as follows (new attachments are bolded):

Conical Co-anda2x curling barrel: a tapered barrel for creating more defined curls that can style hair closer to the root
Large round volumizing brush 2x: a larger round brush with a 2.8-inch diameter, which is larger than that of the round brush included with the previous generation Airwrap
1.6-inch Co-anda2x Curling Barrel (Long): a curling barrel that's the same diameter as the larger barrel option on the older Airwrap, but features a long barrel, making it easier to grab thicker or larger sections of hair
Air straightener 2x: a clamp-style straightening iron that uses air to create and set the style
Fast dryer2x
Anti-snag loop brush 2x

Dyson also updated the curly/coily model of the Airwrap, but it's not available just yet. According to a Dyson spokesperson, that version of the Airwrap will hit store shelves in the coming weeks.

As a reminder, the 2025 Airwrap Co-anda2x attachments are as follows:

30-millimeter Co-anda2x curling barrel
40-millimeter Co-anda2x curling barrel
Round volumizing brush 2x
AirSmooth 2x attachment
Fast dryer 2x
Anti-snag loop brush 2x

The new Airwrap Co-anda2x attachment lineup... Credit: Dyson

Compared to the curly/coily lineup of the previous gen. Credit: Dyson

The addition of the Air straightener 2x marks the first time that any Airwrap has featured a straightening attachment that isn't a brush. Anyone looking to get in on the Dyson air straightening tech before this Airwrap would have to buy the Dyson Airstrait, which goes for $499.99 at full price. While there are multiple new attachments on this Airwrap, the straightener is by far the biggest deviation from any previous Airwrap model.

Like its predecessor, these Airwrap attachments are RFID-enabled and can automatically change the air speed and temperature for optimal styling results. I was skeptical as to how much of a difference this could make when I tried out the first-generation Airwrap Co-anda2x, but pairing the multi-styler with the app and using the automatic adjustments genuinely made for longer styles that felt less effortful to achieve.

The attachments are also available to buy separately, and are backward compatible with the first version of the Airwrap Co-anda2x, but no other previous Airwrap model. (So far, we can only find the new versions of two out of four of the attachments on Dyson's site, but we will update this piece when the rest become available.)

Conical Co-anda2x curling barrel 2x — $39.99
Air straightener 2x attachment — $44.99
Large round volumizing brush 2x — $39.99
1.6-inch Co-anda2x curling barrel — $39.99

A new motor

The other notable upgrade is the introduction of a new motor: the Dyson Gen 2 motor. While not as flashy as new attachments, the headline here is increased air pressure, which is designed to create and lock in styles better. In my experience, multi-stylers in general, including the Dyson Airwrap, can struggle with longevity in styles, as they do not rely on heat as much as traditional styling tools. The new motor, then, seems to be an answer to customer concerns over this reality.

Where to buy the new Dyson Airwrap Co-anda2x

As of July 9, you can pick up the second-generation Dyson Airwrap Co-anda2x at Dyson's website and at Sephora in the ceramic pink colorway. A jasper plum colorway will become available later this year.

Where to buy the Dyson Airwrap Co-anda2x

Dyson.com

Dyson Airwrap Co-anda2x

$749.99

Sephora

Dyson Airwrap Co-anda2x

$749.99

The older gen

Dyson Airwrap Co-anda2x

$749.99

I tried to scrub weight loss content from my FYP. Heres what I learned.

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 18:46:56 +0000

I'm someone who smashes TikTok's "Not Interested" button like I'm getting paid per click.

Content about losing weight, eating clean, or glow-ups have become an easy target for my lightning quick thumbs. Post about how healing your gut microbiome also made you lose 20 pounds? Not interested. The latest Serena Williams Ro ad? Certainly not interested! Vlog about packing a palm-sized, crumb-filled "snack" tin? What did I say? Not. Interested!!

I believed in that precious button. I thought it was a tool in the fight against companies hawking GLP-1s or weight loss apps and creators platforming unhealthy body transformations while disguising unhealthy eating habits as trends.

More than 30 million Americans will have an eating disorder in their lifetime — and every 52 minutes a person dies as a direct consequence of an eating disorder, according to the Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders (STRIPED). Meanwhile, our federal government is funneling taxpayer money into ads that call people in larger bodies "nasty," all while slashing at affordable food programs, healthcare, and federal food regulation.

I've worked hard to keep that messaging out of my life, but I've noticed that weight loss influencers still frequently infiltrate my daily scroll. About every third ad is for a weight loss service. I'm seeing GLP-1 influencers more than my friends. What's going on, "Not Interested" button?

If you are like me, shouting disinterest to the TikTok algorithm gods, I have horrible news. It doesn't appear to do anything.

TikTok's "Not Interested" button isn't what you think

After what I would estimate was years of trying to curate my FYP, check out what my advertising settings looked like when I went over them last month:

Credit: Mashable screenshot / TikTok

Health & Wellness: Interested. Weight management: No preference.

Well. I thought I had made my preferences and interests pretty clear, actually.

I also looked at my content topic preferences, which users can edit using a sliding scale from "See More" to "See Less." They were all still set to the default, including "Health and Fitness." This is the closest to weight-related settings on this page, since there isn't a specific sliding scale for weight loss or body-focused content.

Credit: Mashable screenshot / TikTok

TikTok's own advertising guidelines prohibit "exaggerated or harmful weight loss or muscle gain claims" and products such as fat burning pills, appetite suppressants, and weight loss or detox foods. The app's community guidelines ban content that promotes disordered eating and risky weight management behaviors, including sponsored content from creators. The company says its "goal is to foster a body-positive and inclusive environment" and the platform hosts a large community of body positive creators, several I follow.

And yet.

I had incorrectly assumed that by smashing "Not Interested," TikTok was also automatically changing my account settings. It's not. Instead, "Not Interested" is more like a thumbs down, adjusting how the algorithm is categorizing me and my interests in a much more simple manner. If I hit "Not Interested" on one GLP-1 creator, or even go as far as blocking their page, it would continue to show me others. It's not registering that I don't want to see any content like that, just that I didn't enjoy scrolling by that one.

To be fair to the billion dollar company, the button wasn't designed or advertised to act the way I and others users think it does. But research has found that it may not be effective at its intended purpose, limiting specific content, either.

A recent Northeastern study used hundreds of bot accounts to test the impact of the tool — which researchers still called "the most effective explicit" signal to the algorithm — on user agency. It found that video topics can reappear mere minutes after hitting the button under these conditions.

"Worse, we find that once accounts cease to indicate disinterest in a topic, many find their feeds dominated by such content again," the study authors write. TikTok declined to comment on the research.

Content settings: Solution or part of the problem?

That's not to say you shouldn't user TikTok's "Not Interested" button. It's also not the end all be all of personal content moderation on the platform. In fact, there's a plethora of settings users may not know exist. Specific content control tools and ad preferences — included ones related to weight loss and nutrition — are embedded deep in profile settings.

What I changed in my TikTok settings

For content preferences (at the top of your settings), I moved "Health and Fitness" all the way to "see less" and adjusted "Fashion & Beauty" as well, just to be safe.

Then, I scrolled to the bottom of my settings to find ad controls. I clicked "manage ad topics" to adjust specific types of content and "mute advertisers" to hide accounts. I adjusted every related setting to the equivalent of "Not Interested," including removing any personal user details that could potentially indicate my interest (like my gender and age) under "edit personal details." To find settings for "weight management," I had to select "Other" under "manage ad topics."

I cleaned out TikTok's "inferred" preferences, too. Yes, you can see what assumptions TikTok has made of you. I recommend you take a look.

Credit: Mashable screenshot / TikTok

The app gave me notice: I may have to wait 48 hours to see any changes. Finally, I thought, these may actually do something.

I gave the app the full two days, waiting to see a change… and I kept waiting. In fact, I am still waiting, months later.

Not long after I changed my settings and began testing the "Not Interested" button more intentionally, the ads seemed to only get worse, just like the Northeastern researchers posited. I started screenshotting every ad I got just out of pure incredulity. Here's a sampling:

Nearly two months after first reporting this story, I am still inundated with ads.

I blocked Ro. And yet there the brand was... Credit: Mashable

Instagram and weight loss content: What to know

I recognize it's not just a problem for TikTok, so I also explored Instagram's tools to personalize content and reconfigure user preference profiles.

Under content preferences, users can see and edit their own algorithm, including things you want to encounter less. Unlike TikTok, users can also "snooze" suggested content from profiles you don't follow for 30 days at a time. (Do that.)

Credit: Mashable screenshot

What Instagram knows about me right now. Credit: Mashable screenshot

But here is the real difference between the two platforms, experts told me: Unlike TikTok, Instagram's main feed is not designed to show you a never ending flow of content from people you don't follow.

Yes, you can go to the app's explore page. Yes, the app can inject suggested content into your scroll. But you can also avoid those things much easier than on TikTok (who actually uses the "Following" tab over there?), and stick with only the accounts you have carefully chosen to pay attention to.

I checked my settings, which are linked across Meta platforms like Facebook, and adjusted them only marginally. As long as I stick to my main feed, I haven't had as much of a problem.

This isn't to say Instagram is perfect. In fact, parent company Meta was recently found liable for misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms when it came to mental health and content tools. But I feel a bit better over there. For now.

Can you ever be fully safe from weight loss ads online?

In the midst of a growing frustration with my feeds — that I have still not solved — I turned to experts.

I asked Jessica Scheer, CEO of the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), why it's so difficult to protect our feeds, and why GLP-1 ads have seemed to skirt the tools above.

"Because of the political construct we're in right now," Scheer said, "we're seeing much more of a laissez-faire approach to any type of active content moderation on either accounts or algorithm programming."

"It's really, really tough, because everybody's competing for the views, the clicks, the likes," said Dr. Elizabeth Wassenaar, regional medical director of the Eating Recovery Center. "The algorithms are designed in favor of the creators, not in favor of the consumers."

And even when platforms have robust controls, weight loss content can very easily slip through the cracks, explains Dr. Blair Burnette, a Michigan State University assistant professor and principal investigator of the ARISE Lab. Videos featuring disordered eating, body checking, and anti-fat sentiment are not easily caught by algorithms trained to scan captions, comment sections, and audio for explicit words and phrases.

Not only are brands still creeping up, but so-called "GLP-1 influencers." Credit: Mashable

How to clean your feeds, the best you can

If I can offer you one takeaway, it is this: Continuously update your profile settings. Not once, not twice, but consistently.

Scheer says NEDA is still figuring out best practices for being online in this landscape, working alongside clinicians, caregivers, and people with lived experience to determine which tools work, which ones don't, and how tech companies can step up. But in the meantime, routine (or even clinician-supported) audits of your feeds are crucial. "Algorithms re-train slowly so repetition is key," the organization writes.

"Oftentimes, these fixes are only temporary," said Scheer. "It only really helps you, maybe, for a few sessions, and then you might have to recalibrate yet again."

Burnette told me she is also still figuring out the best advice for patients who want to stay online while in recovery. But there are ways to regain some control.

She recommends her patients utilize device screen time limits and additional time-limiting apps like Roots. She suggests following new forms of content and purging your following list regularly. You have to be intentional in who you choose to follow, Burnette advises, like creators who are specifically anti-diet or accounts that never post images of their bodies.

This advice works just as effectively for those who aren't in active recovery. If your feed isn't working anymore, scrap it. If something feels off about accounts you've followed for years, block them. If your phone is causing more anxiety than joy, put it down. Don't be precious about it, either. That's how Big Tech (and its sneaky older sibling Big Pharma) want you to feel.

How to watch France vs. Morocco online for free

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 18:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Live stream France vs. Morocco in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN, an Official Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup only has a handful of games left to play. We've reached the quarter-final stage, with four fascinating matchups on the schedule.

This stage starts with France vs. Morocco, arguably the best game of the round. France have been electric in this competition, with incredible displays of attacking talent from the likes of Mbappé and Olise. Morocco have come through fixtures against Brazil and the Netherlands to reach this stage. They're a passionate team stacked with elite players, and they're sure to give France a real test.

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

When is France vs. Morocco?

France vs. Morocco in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 4 p.m. ET on July 9. This fixture takes place at the Boston Stadium.

How to watch France vs. Morocco for free

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

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

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

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

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.99 only at ExpressVPN

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

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

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

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

Live stream France vs. Morocco in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free.

Why is the internet rooting against Argentina?

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 17:22:10 +0000

Spend five minutes on the World Cup side of TikTok or scrolling through X, and you might come away with one glaring conclusion: Everyone is rooting against Argentina.

That is not exactly true, of course. Argentina has one of the loudest, most passionate fan bases in the tournament, and Lionel Messi remains one of the most beloved athletes on the planet. But online, the defending champions have become the World Cup's biggest lightning rod, as every rival fan base seems ready to cast Argentina as the tournament's heel, the team that always seems to thrive amid controversy.

The latest fuel came after Argentina's dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Egypt in the Round of 16, a match that ended with Egypt filing a formal complaint to FIFA over disputed VAR decisions and officiating. Head coach Hossam Hassan even suggested the governing body wanted to keep Messi in the tournament, allegations FIFA has not substantiated.

BBC Sport later analyzed the match and concluded that while several officiating decisions were undoubtedly controversial, they did not amount to evidence of a conspiracy. Still, the outlet noted that perception has become part of the story, pointing to statistics that have fueled online debate and FIFA's decision to appoint an all-Argentine on-field officiating crew for France's quarterfinal against Morocco, a choice it described as "not a great look."

But the anti-Argentina pile-on is bigger than one controversial match. It is what happens when sporting rivalries, geopolitical tension, Messi fatigue, and internet fandom all collide.

That is the strange beauty of the World Cup. Every match carries decades of history onto the pitch before the opening whistle. Or, as one Portuguese-language X user put it, "The World Cup is 20% soccer and 80% colonial resentment."

Unlike club soccer, where rivalries are built around cities and leagues, the World Cup asks entire countries to compete. As writer Franklin Foer argued in How Soccer Explains the World, the sport often reflects far more than what happens on the field; it can become a proxy for nationalism, historical conflict, and cultural identity.

On social media, those fault lines get compressed into memes and 130 characters. Argentina is not just Argentina; depending on who is posting, it is the team that broke France's heart in 2022, the rival England still associates with Maradona and the Falklands, the opponent Mexico fans love to hate, or the Messi-led dynasty some viewers are simply tired of seeing win.

Geography doesn't always dictate loyalty, either. While fans often talk about Latin America rallying behind one of its own, the region's football rivalries run deep. Brazil and Argentina have spent more than a century battling for continental supremacy, while Uruguay and Chile each have their own sporting history with La Albiceleste. Mexico, meanwhile, has repeatedly seen its World Cup dreams ended by Argentina, helping turn every meeting between the two countries into an internet event of its own.

Argentina's relationship with the rest of Latin America is complicated by more than football. Historians and sociologists have written about the country's long-standing self-image as a uniquely "European" nation within Latin America, an identity that often minimized or erased its Black and Indigenous history.

That history has collided with soccer before. After Argentina won the 2024 Copa América, the French Football Federation said it would file a complaint with FIFA over "racist and discriminatory remarks" in a chant sung by Argentina players about France's diverse team; Enzo Fernández later apologized, and his Premier League club, Chelsea, opened an internal disciplinary process.

That broader conversation has followed Argentina into this year's World Cup. FIFA is investigating allegations of racist abuse directed at YouTube creator iShowSpeed during Argentina's Round of 32 victory over Cape Verde after footage from his livestream appeared to capture an altercation with an Argentina supporter. The investigation is ongoing, but the incident quickly became another flashpoint in the wider online debate surrounding Argentina and race.

None of that means every Argentina fan shares those views, or that every anti-Argentina post is about race. But it helps explain why some Latin American and Black football fans online are reading this year's incidents through a broader history, one in which Argentina's image of itself as white and European has long been contested.

So, the next time your For You Page insists that "everyone hates Argentina," remember that you're probably looking at more than just another soccer take. You're watching decades of history compressed into a 90-second video and one very heated comments section.

Elon Musk says X will message you if a post you interacted with gets corrected

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 16:14:22 +0000

The owner of X, the everything app, has announced a new feature that might be useful but also annoying.

In a standalone post on X, Elon Musk announced that Community Notes will get a new feature at some point soon. If a user interacts with a post that has since been corrected via Community Notes, a bot will send them a direct message about the correction.

Musk's posts were pretty vague and raised a few questions. For starters, we don't know when this feature will launch. More importantly, though, Musk didn't specify what kinds of interactions will prompt one of these automatic DMs. Will any interaction, such as a like, trigger one, or does the user need to repost or quote the post for the bot to send a message?

Beyond that, it's worth asking how effective this will actually be in curbing the spread of misinformation. Oftentimes, a post will gain a ton of traction before a Community Note corrects it, and sending messages to people who helped spread the post will only work if the users actually check their DMs, and then actually feel like removing whatever interactions they made with the corrected post.

Still, some accountability is better than none, I suppose.

French Fry Day 2026 deals: Score free fries from McDonalds, Five Guys, Sheetz, Chick-Fil-A, and more

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 16:05:30 +0000

If you're not eating free fries this week, you're doing life wrong. Just kidding (kind of).

Friday, July 10, is National French Fry Day, which means a bunch of your favorite fast food chains are giving away free fries. While some require a minimum purchase of some kind or a (free) rewards membership, others require nothing but your will to face the crowds at a local establishment. Regardless, this is a made up holiday I, for one, can get behind.

If you're curious which fast food chains are participating in the free fry celebration, we have a running list below. Just be sure to check the details before rushing out to the restaurant of your choice.

Arby's

Arby's Rewards members can get a free fry of any size on July 10 with the purchase of a Cheesesteak online or in app.

Checkers & Rally’s

Celebrate National French Fry Day at Checkers & Rally’s from July 10 through 12 with BOGO free Famous Seasoned Fries of any size and $1 sauce trios.

Chick-Fil-A

From July 7 through 13, Chick-Fil-A is giving out free medium-size Waffle Fries as a reward in the restaurant's app. Just play the in-app "Spot the Cow" game to get the deal. It's limited to one fry reward per person.

Del Taco

July 10 through 13, you can score a free regular fry at Del Taco with with a $3 minimum purchase.

Five Guys

From July 8 through 10, customers who buy a burger, hot dog, or sandwich through the Five Guys app or Five Guys.com will get one free Little Fry. Sign in or create a Five Guys account and enter promo code FRYDAY26 at checkout to get the freebie.

Jack in the Box

Sign up to be a Jack Pack Rewards member if you're not already and you'll be able to grab a free fry of any size on July 10 with a minimum purchase of $1.

McDonald's

On July 10th, National French Fry Day proper, McDonald's is giving out free medium-sized French Fries to Rewards members. Just make a purchase of at least $1 through the McDonald's app to get the deal.

Sheetz

From July 10 through 16, Sheetz is giving away one free bag of fries with any purchase of $10 or more through the Sheetz app (under the OFFERZ tab). The freebie is limited to one per My Sheetz Rewardz member.

Wendy's

Are you a Wendy's Rewards member? Head to the app and make a purchase of at least $5 and you'll get a free fry in any size on National French Fry Day, July 10.

Whataburger

Whataburger rewards members can score a free medium fry with no purchase required on July 10. The offer is valid online or in the app.

White Castle

Head to White Castle on July 10 and pick up free Cheese Fries by using the promo code CHEESY when you place an online or in-app order.

Humanoid robots just removed a gallbladder in a live surgery

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:58:31 +0000

Next time you go in for a surgery, will your doctor be a five-foot tall, 60 pound humanoid robot named Surgie? It very well could be!

A team of surgeons and engineers at University of California San Diego just successfully completed the first ever pair of surgeries during a preclinical trial using teleoperated humanoid robots.

Both of the surgeries were performed on non-primate mammals, so we're not yet at the level of operating on humans quite yet. But, it seems headed in that direction.

One surgery involved a humanoid robot and a human surgeon teaming up to perform a gallbladder removal. The human doctor acted as the assistant during the procedure. However, the second surgery, a laparoscopic gallbladder removal, was performed completely by a team of two humanoid robot surgeons.

"This study shows that humanoid robots have a viable future in the field of surgery," said UC San Diego Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering's Michael Yip, who is also one of the paper's senior authors.

A robot surgeon is more than just an impressive accomplishment. The team detailed the important and practical uses for humanoid robots like Surgie at the operating table.

"Remotely operated and autonomous humanoid robots have real potential for amplifying access to critical surgeries to which patients would otherwise not have access," Yip said to UC San Diego Today. "This can help address the healthcare crisis not only in the United States, but also worldwide.”

The team provided examples such as humanoid robots "being deployed in remote communities where staffing is challenging, or in austere environments like search and rescue scenarios where a massive deployment of field medicine is needed in a short period of time."

Standing at only five-feet tall and weighing just 60 pounds also makes Surgie extremely mobile and compact in size.

However, there are still some kinks that need to be worked out. The team says the humanoid robot had to be recalibrated a few times during the surgery, which extended the time it took to complete the procedure. In addition, latency issues are still be worked on. Latency, or the time it takes for a human to control the robot and the robot responding, is especially important regarding deploying these robots in remote locations.

Regardless of these issues, the team behind Surgie believes there is a role the humanoid robot can play right now in the field. Being a humanoid robot means that Surgie can walk around and perform tasks similar to humans. Researchers envision scenarios where Surgie can work as an assistant in the operating room, getting tools for the human surgeons and cleaning up after procedures.

"Many communities struggle with adequate staffing on the surgical team, which means patients are not being treated," Yip said. "Our goal is an operating theatre of the future, where humanoid robots and humans work side by side as an integrated team to deliver procedures to those in need, both in traditional hospital settings as well as in non-traditional, field medicine scenarios."

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The premium Sony WH-1000X The Collexion headphones get their first real discount at Target — save $50

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:03:53 +0000

SAVE $50: As of July 9, the Sony WH-1000X The Collexion headphones are on sale for $599.99 at Target. That's $50 off their list price and, at the time of writing, $48 cheaper than Amazon.

Credit: Sony

Sony WH-1000X The Collexion headphones

$599.99 at Target
$649.99 Save $50

Sony dropped a new pair of headphones in May to celebrate 10 years of its 1000X series. The name is terrible — WH-1000X The Collexion — but the execution is superb. They're extremely overpriced at $650, which is $200 more than the already excellent WH-1000XM6 headphones, but as of July 9, they've received their first-ever price drop.

You can grab the Sony WH-1000X The Collexion headphones in either black or platinum for $599.99 if you shop at Target, saving you a whole $50. It ain't much, but it's the best price to date. Plus, it beats Amazon by $48 at the time of writing.

What's so special about the anniversary headphones? Well, rather than the mostly plastic build of typical headphones, the Collexion headphones feature a stainless steel and vegan leather chassis with metal buttons and on-ear controls. Sony really prioritized quality and comfort with these babies, as well as sound. The Collexion headphones include a bespoke driver system that allows for more clarity and better high-frequency range. They also have a V3 integrated audio processor on board, which helps power an AI scale enhancement feature. Ironically, the battery life and noise cancellation are slightly less impressive compared to the XM6s.

As Mashable's Bethany Allard states, "Sony enthusiasts, folks who love a luxury look, and those who prioritize comfort above all else are the target audience for this Sony release." If that's you, and you've been waiting to grab these high-end headphones, I recommend grabbing them at Target and saving $50. Every bit counts.

16 summer hosting essentials that cost under $25 at Amazon

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:02:16 +0000

Best summer hosting under $25 at Amazon

Best yard game

Franklin Sports Bocce Ball Set

$19.99 (save $10)

Best cooler deal

Igloo Classic Playmate Cooler (red)

$20.79 (save $13.20)

Best speaker deal

Soundcore Select 4 Go

$21.99 (save $3)

Best kitchen deal

Hario Mizudashi Cold Brew Maker

$21.45 (save $4.05)

Best outdoor dining essential

Fly Away Outdoor Fly Repellent Fan (2 pack)

$25.91

With limited weekends remaining in summer 2026, it's time to schedule the backyard barbecues you've been considering. Clean off the grill, mow the lawn, and set out the games for a fun gathering with family and friends.

Maybe the only downside to this plan is that summer hosting can add up. Rather than worrying about the cost, check out these essential items at Amazon that are under $25. Shop from this list and you'll have plenty of fun without going over budget.

I've collected the best summer hosting essentials that cost $25 or less at Amazon. Happy hosting!

Best backyard game deal

Credit: Franklin

Franklin Sports Bocce Ball Set

$19.99 at Amazon
$29.99 Save $10

Why we like it

On the list of wholesome summer fun activities, it doesn't get much better than a bocce ball match. On sale for only $19.99, the Franklin Sports Bocce Ball Set has everything you need for a great outdoor activity. Plus, there's an included carrying box for easy transportation.

Best cooler deal

Credit: Igloo

Igloo Classic Playmate Cooler

$20.79
$33.99 Save $13.20

Why we like it

Nothing says summer more than the Igloo Classic Playmates Cooler. Go with the red colorway while it's on sale for $20.79 and your guests will have instant access to chilled drinks while lounging on the patio. The seven-quart size can hold up to nine cans, making it easy to load up and set out for guests.

Best speaker deal

Credit: Soundcore

Soundcore Select 4 Go

$21.99 at Amazon
$24.99 Save $3

Why we like it

Compact in size and price, the Soundcore Select 4 Go Bluetooth Speaker is well worth using during summer hosting. It's dustproof and waterproof and can get up to 20 hours of playtime before needing to recharge. Crank up the playlist of summer with the Soundcore speaker while it's on sale at Amazon for $21.99.

Best kitchen deal

Credit: Hario

Hario Mizudashi Cold Brew Maker

$21.45 at Amazon
$25.50 Save $4.05

Why we like it

The Hario Mizudashi Cold Brew Maker is one of my best secret hacks for making summer hosting easy. It takes just a few minutes to get a one liter batch brewing by loading up the basket with ground coffee. After that, I leave it in the fridge overnight and wake up to excellent cold brew that costs a fraction of buying it premade at the store. It's the perfect refresher to serve on warm afternoons.

Best outdoor dining essential

Credit: Fly Away

Fly Way Outdoor Fly Repellent Fan

$25.91 at Amazon

Why we like it

Admittedly, this one is a smidge over $25, but the payoff is well worth it. Instead of dealing with the struggle of swatting flies and even bees away from your table when dining outside, get the help of the Fly Away Repellent Fans. A two pack at Amazon comes in at $25.91. The fans use reflective blades made from a holographic material that keeps flying insects away. But the blades are soft and flexible enough to not cause harm should a hand get in the way. Fly Away says the two fans are ideal for tables of up to six feet, and they use AA batteries, so they're easy to replace.

More summer hosting deals under $25

Kan Jam Mini Backyard Game — $9.49 ~~$19.99~~ (save $10.50)
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Tossware Pop 9-oucnce Plastic Champagne Flute (12 pack) — $13.99
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OXO Good Grips Wooden Utensil Set (3 piece) — $19.99
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Herhsey's S'mores Kit Box, 14 oz (2 pack) — $21.98 ~~$25.45~~ (save $3.56)
Coleman Chiller Cooler (9 quart) — $23.99
Yeti Rambler 12-ounce Can Insulator — $25
Yeti Ridgeline Slim 12-ounce Can Insulator — $25

The Lego Pac-Man Arcade set is over $50 off for Insiders — buy now to score a free Lego Sea Serpent

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 14:54:38 +0000

SAVE $54: As of July 9, Lego Insiders can grab the Lego Pac-Man Arcade set for $215.99. The offer runs through July 12 or while supplies last.

Credit: Lego Icons

Lego Icons Pac-Man Arcade

$215.99 at Lego
$269.99 Save $54

Lego is giving Pac-Man fans a reason to revisit the arcade era. The Lego Icons Pac-Man Arcade set is currently down to $215.99 for Lego Insiders, saving members $54 off its usual $269.99 price through July 12 or while supplies last. The good news? Joining Lego Insiders is free, and the purchase qualifies you for a complimentary Sea Serpent gift set ($24.99 value).

Designed for adult builders, this 2,651-piece set recreates the look of the original 1980s arcade cabinet, complete with a 4-way joystick, glowing coin slot, and adjustable score display. It’s not a playable arcade machine, but Lego packed in plenty of interactive touches to make it feel like the real thing.

Credit: Lego

The coolest feature is the mechanical maze hidden inside the cabinet. Turn the side crank and you can simulate Pac-Man’s classic chase through the maze as the characters move around the board. You can even remove the back panel to peek at the inner mechanics and see how the whole system works. Up top, you’ll find a display case featuring rotatable Pac-Man, Blinky, and Clyde figures, plus a tiny 1980s arcade scene with a gaming minifigure tucked inside the cabinet.

Credit: Lego

Beyond the nostalgia factor, the set has a fun bit of gaming history behind its design. The yellow used for Pac-Man was reportedly inspired by the same shade of yellow found on Lego bricks — so this collaboration feels like a full-circle moment. Once built, the 12.5-inch-tall arcade cabinet makes a pretty impressive display piece for anyone who grew up feeding quarters into the original game or just loves a good retro gaming collectible.

For a little nostalgia you can actually display, this Lego Pac-Man Arcade set is a pretty fun pickup.

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The gorgeous Sonos Ace noise-cancelling headphones are a steal at $120 off

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 14:40:25 +0000

SAVE $120: As of July 9, the Sonos Ace noise-cancelling headphones are on sale for just $279 on Amazon. That's a saving of 30% on list price.

Credit: Sonos

Sonos Ace

$279 at Amazon
$399 Save $120

When Sonos released its first-ever headphones in spring 2024, our biggest complaint was the steep $449 price tag. So it's a good thing the brand knocked $50 off the list price last summer, and even better that it just shaved an extra $120 off just because.

As of July 9, the Sonos Ace headphones are on sale for only $279 at Amazon — a much more palatable price for noise-cancelling headphone seekers. That's 30% off the current list price and just $14 or so more than their all-time low from Prime Day.

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The Ace headphones are an aesthetic knockout, but beyond looks, they also offer incredible sound quality, impressive spatial audio, top-notch battery life (30 hours with noise cancellation turned on), and extreme comfort. As Mashable's tester Miller Kern noted in her review, "No exaggeration, these are the most comfortable over-ear headphones I’ve personally tried."

The noise cancellation is just fine, but other brands have it beat. If cutting outside noise is your top priority, we'd recommend going with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2s or even the AirPods Pro 2. If you like to stay in touch with the outside world, Kern writes that Sonos Ace's aware mode is "probably the best transparency mode I’ve experienced."

Once a bit overpriced, the Sonos Ace headphones are now a pretty sweet value at just $279. But the deal won't last forever, so add it to your cart while you can.

Bad Apples trailer: Saiorse Ronan hits her breaking point

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 14:35:51 +0000

Respect your teachers, folks. They're underpaid, underappreciated, and if you push them to the edge, well, good luck. That's the core message of the Saoirse Ronan-led dark comedy thriller Bad Apples, which has a trailer out today.

Directed by Jonatan Etzler and written by Jess O'Kane as an adaptation of Rasmus Andersson's novel De Oönskade, the film sees Ronan as a Somerset-based primary school teacher named Maria. She adores teaching, but the underfunded education system wears her down on the daily. When her disruptive student Danny (newcomer Eddie Waller) spins out of control, Maria makes some choices.

As I wrote in my review out of BFI London Film Festival, "With Ronan's always-impeccable talents supported by a sublime young cast, Bad Apples leans into unethical impulses, all the while exposing home truths about the under-resourced education system and social disdain toward children with behavioural, emotional, and social difficulties. Plus, it's really funny."

Bad Apples hits cinemas Sept. 18.

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Daily Show host Ronny Chieng reacts to Trump saying Islamic Republic of Japan

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 14:09:57 +0000

Another day, another bizarre Trump gaffe.

Following his attendance at the recent NATO summit, Donald Trump – while speaking about ongoing tensions with Iran – appeared to get his countries mixed up, saying missiles had been fired at a US air carrier by "the Islamic Republic of Japan."

In the Daily Show clip above, host Ronny Chieng shares his thoughts.

"Oh my God. We're losing the war with Iran so bad it converted Japan to Islam," jokes Chieng. "And I know it sounds stupid when Trump says it, but if someone told you the Islamic Republic of Japan was a new fusion restaurant in Bushwick, you f***ing hipsters would be lining up for it."

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The Hope trailer will mess you up

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000

If you're in a public place or at work or surrounded by people whose opinion you care about, maybe watch the Hope trailer where you can have a little freak-out?

The latest action-packed South Korean horror from The Medium and The Wailing director Na Hong-jin, Hope promises a blood-soaked nightmare in a small village plagued by a violent creature. The film's name comes from its setting, Hope Harbour, a chill town that didn't expect its quiet streets to be pulverised by a strange (and incredibly strong) beast. Police chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung- min), officer Sung-ae (Hoyeon), hunter Sung- ki (Zo In-Sung) have quite the task on their hands, to wrangle this rampaging terror before it tears them to shreds.

From the looks of it this is no straightforward monster movie, with intergalactic elements sneaking in. But there's plenty of action afoot, with the town fighting for their damn lives in this Neon trailer.

Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton, Alicia Vikander, and Michael Fassbender also star.

Hope hits cinemas Sept. 9.

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Claude will now let you reflect on how much youre using Claude

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 13:30:00 +0000

If you use Anthropic's Claude AI chatbot, and you're wondering if you're using it too much, assistance is coming from an unlikely source: Claude.

Anthropic says Claude's new "reflect" tool is designed to help users answer complex questions about their AI use.

That includes whether you're using Claude effectively, too often, or for too many tasks that are better suited for yourself instead of artificial intelligence, Anthropic said in a blog post Thursday.

What will Claude's reflect feature help with?

The insights dashboard shows key topics, usage patterns, and frequent tasks. Users can review their chat activity over periods of one, three, six, or 12 months. They can also set (and dismiss) quiet hours and break nudges.

The feature "invites you to step back and examine the role Claude plays in your life," the company said in its announcement.

"It will periodically surface questions like, 'What's one thing you want to keep doing yourself, even if Claude could do it faster?' and give you the chance to talk it through with Claude."

Reflection tool shows peak hour and number of conversations, among other insights. Credit: Courtesy of Anthropic

Given the growing concern about AI use, including cognitive offloading and atrophy, the feature could offer users genuinely useful information.

Users get in-depth details about how they "collaborate" with Claude, plus practical suggestions for prompting the chatbot without providing repetitive information.

The tool also incorporates Anthropic's proprietary framework for AI use, which helps decide how to delegate to a chatbot and how to accurately assess its outputs.

What about sensitive data and chats?

The insight reports do not incorporate incognito chats. It doesn't access files in connected tools, such as your email inbox or health data.

Reflection insights will cover sensitive conversations, such as discussions about mental health, but only at a high level. If Claude has previously shared mental health support resources during a chat, that information may appear in the dashboard as well.

Anthropic consulted independent experts to develop insights that would help people evaluate what works best about Claude for them.

Though Anthropic requires users to be 18 or older, Ryn Linthicum, Anthropic's head of well being policy, told Mashable that the company learned from youth developmental experts what tools could help young adults and parents of children better understand their AI use.

The reflection feature is in beta for free and paid subscribers with their chat memories turned on.

MOFT just launched a trackable MagSafe wallet that holds up to 8 cards — buy it now under $70

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 13:20:41 +0000

TL;DR: Just in time for summer trips, MOFT has launched its new Trackable Field Wallet for $69.99. It's a MagSafe wallet with Apple Find My and Android Find Hub support to help keep your cards and essentials easy to find while traveling.

Credit: MOFT

MOFT Trackable Field Wallet

$69.99 at MOFT

If you're the type to double-check your pockets before leaving the airport, MOFT's latest accessory might be worth a look. The Trackable Field Wallet is a new MagSafe wallet that works with built-in tracking, making it easier to locate your wallet if it goes missing. At $69.99, it also packs room for up to eight cards — far more than most MagSafe wallets — while staying slim enough to snap onto the back of your iPhone.

The biggest upgrade here is capacity. It also has separate compartments to keep frequently used cards apart from things like cash, coins, keys, or even a spare SIM card, while a pull-tab lets you grab your cards without digging around.

Credit: MOFT

The wallet folds into a built-in phone stand for watching videos, taking video calls, or reading hands-free, then snaps back onto your iPhone with a strong MagSafe connection when you're done. Built-in Apple Find My and Android Find Hub support means you can locate the wallet through your phone if you accidentally leave it behind, and MOFT says the rechargeable tracker lasts up to six months between charges.

Finished in soft Movas vegan leather, it is designed to resist stains and everyday wear while keeping the wallet lightweight. The Trackable Field Wallet is available in Terracotta, Misty Cove, and Jet Black, giving you a few options beyond the usual black accessory lineup.

Shop the Trackable Field Wallet now and travel with one less thing to worry about.

Soundcore P30i noise cancelling earbuds are under $30 at Amazon — save over $10 on select colors

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 11:32:43 +0000

SAVE OVER $10: As of July 9, select colors of the Soundcore P30i by Anker noise cancelling earbuds are on sale for $27.99 at Amazon. That's $12 off their full price of $39.99.

Credit: Soundcore

Soundcore P30i by Anker Noise Cancelling Earbuds

$27.99 at Amazon
$39.99 Save $12.00

One of our favorite pairs of budget earbuds just got cheaper. As of July 9, select colors of the Soundcore P30i by Anker noise cancelling earbuds have dropped to $27.99 at Amazon. Compared to their full price of $39.99, that's $12 you save.

Both the black and green pair have hit this price at the retailer, but they're actually not the only colors on sale. The blue, pink, and white pairs are discounted for a couple dollars extra at $29.99. No matter which color you go with, you'll still enjoy some savings.

These earbuds have stood out to us as the best budget pair under $50, with our roundup saying, "The active noise cancellation on them is impressive for their price, able to block out the bustle of busy streets or the noisy gym." However, it does add that, "it isn't the best noise cancellation or sound we've ever experienced," as a "$50 pair of earbuds just can't compete with a $300 pair," but if you don't mind that, they're a great option to grab that won't break the bank.

Our roundup also highlights that, "Advanced audiophiles on a budget will enjoy the addition of custom EQs and multi-point connection." Plus, their battery life can definitely keep up with you, boasting up to 45 hours with the charging case, or 25 hours with ANC enabled.

Don't miss out on this great offer on the Soundcore P30i by Anker noise cancelling earbuds at Amazon.

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Brother’s new INKvestment printers are changing the work-from-home game — buy now from $279.99

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 11:29:31 +0000

Credit: Brother

Brother INKvestment 5010 Wireless All-in-One Printer

$279.99 at Amazon

Credit: Brother

Brother INKvestment 5110 Wireless Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer

$359.99 at Amazon

Working from home often means making your workspace do more with less room. Between your laptop, monitor, chargers, and everything else fighting for desk space, a bulky office printer can feel like the last thing you need.

Brother’s new INKvestment all-in-one printer series is designed to solve that problem, bringing business-focused printing features to smaller home offices and small businesses without the oversized footprint. The new lineup includes two wireless color inkjet models — the MFC-J5010DW and MFC-J5110DW — with starting prices of $279.99 and $359.99, respectively.

Both models combine printing, scanning, copying, and faxing with features like automatic two-sided printing, mobile controls and higher-yield ink designed to keep interruptions to a minimum. They also support WiFi, WiFi Direct, Ethernet, and USB, along with cloud printing and scanning through apps like Google Drive and Dropbox.

Brother INKvestment 5010 Wireless All-in-One Printer

Credit: Brother

Brother INKvestment 5010 Wireless All-in-One Printer

$279.99 at Amazon

The Brother INKvestment MFC-J5010DW is a compact all-in-one printer built for home offices. It comes with high-yield ink included in the box — a 1,800-page black cartridge and 750-page cyan, yellow and magenta cartridges — helping you spend less time swapping cartridges. For everyday productivity, it packs a 250-sheet paper tray, 50-page single-pass duplex automatic document feeder, and automatic two-sided printing with support for paper sizes up to 8.5 x 14 inches.

Powered by Brother’s Maxidrive Technology, the MFC-J5010DW can print up to 28 pages per minute in black and 26 ppm in color. You can also manage settings from your phone using the Brother Mobile Connect app, while the 2.7-inch color touchscreen keeps on-device controls simple.

Brother INKvestment 5110 Wireless All-in-One Printer

Credit: Brother

Brother INKvestment 5110 Wireless All-in-One Printer

$359.99 at Amazon

The Brother INKvestment MFC-J5110DW is built for busier home offices and small businesses that need more than occasional printing. The MFC-J5110DW comes with a 500-sheet paper capacity split between two trays, so you can keep different paper types loaded without constantly swapping them out. It also includes a 100-sheet multipurpose tray for things like envelopes, labels, and specialty media.

For scanning and copying, it has a 50-page automatic document feeder (ADF) with single-pass duplex scanning, meaning it can handle both sides of a document in one go. It also supports automatic two-sided printing to help cut down on paper waste. The printer also uses Brother’s PerfectPrint Auto Detection System to help keep print quality consistent, whether you’re printing reports, presentations, or everyday documents.

How to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup online for free

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 11:27:09 +0000

TL;DR: All 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup are available to watch for free on BBC iPlayer/ITVX. Access these free live streams from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN, an Official Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The world is watching the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The best international sides from around the world are competing for arguably the biggest prize in sport. The knockout rounds are really heating up. We've already seen powerhouses like Germany and Brazil get dumped out of the competition, and it feels like there's so much more still to come from huge names like Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, and Lionel Messi as we hit the quarter-final stage.

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

What is the FIFA World Cup?

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

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

When is the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

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

How to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free

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

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

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

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

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

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.99 only at ExpressVPN

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

ExpressVPN's regular 30-day money back guarantee is not available for any subscriptions purchased during the FIFA World Cup between June 10 and July 11. ExpressVPN remains our top pick for sport, but you will need to pay the monthly rate. Alternatively, Proton VPN still offers that all-important money-back guarantee.

What is the best VPN for the FIFA World Cup?

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

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

Apples iPhone 18 Pro Max will be a chunky boy, report claims

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 10:58:53 +0000

Chinese regulatory filings, unearthed earlier this week, revealed that Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a significantly larger battery than its predecessor, suggesting a longer battery life as well.

This, however, may come at the expense of added thickness and weight.

Reliable Chinese leaker Ice Universe revealed the details in a post on Weibo.

"The iPhone 18 Pro Max's 5500mAh battery comes at the cost of a 240-gram weight and a 9mm thick body," he wrote.

Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max is 8.75mm thick and weighs 233 grams. If Ice Universe's numbers are accurate, the iPhone 18 Pro Max would be 0.25mm thicker and 7 grams heavier; a small difference, but still noticeable, especially on a device that's already pretty large and heavy.

MacRumors pointed out that, for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple has reportedly adopted a new type of vapor chamber that uses stainless steel, which could also make the phone heavier.

Notably, Apple's largest phone has shed some weight over the years, with the iPhone 14 Pro Max still holding the title of being the heaviest iPhone ever. Its weight is exactly 240 grams, so the iPhone 18 Pro Max might come in at a tie.

There's no word on the dimensions and weight of the iPhone 18 Pro. Its battery will reportedly only be a little larger than before, so perhaps there won't be a significant change in thickness and weight, either.

It's also worth noting that Apple is rumored to be launching the iPhone Ultra, alongside the Pro models, in September. That one is almost certainly going to be the heaviest new iPhone, thanks to its foldable design.

Aeocky just launched a beast of a dehumidifier, and its already on sale at Amazon

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 10:30:15 +0000

SAVE $62.50: As of July 9, the Aeocky RHEA-001 Smart Dehumidifier is down to $237.49 on Amazon. That's a 21% discount on its $299.99 list price.

Credit: Aeocky

Aeocky RHEA-001 Smart Dehumidifier

$237.49 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $62.50

Need to dry out your home without adding another noisy appliance? Aeocky’s new RHEA-001 Smart Compressor Dehumidifier just launched with a deal, dropping to $237.49 at Amazon (21% off). It’s also available through Aeocky’s official website for $299.99.

Built for spaces up to 4,500 sq. ft., it can remove up to 80 pints of moisture per day in hot, humid conditions, making it a fit for larger basements, bedrooms, garages, and other areas where damp air tends to linger.

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Noise is usually one of the biggest complaints with dehumidifiers, but the RHEA-001 is designed to keep things quiet. Aeocky says it runs at just 44 dB on its lowest fan setting, which is around the level of a soft background hum. Everyday features like a 1.45-gallon water tank, included drain hose and garden hose adapter for continuous drainage, multiple modes, timer controls, and power-off memory also make it easier to set up and forget about.

The RHEA-001 has a built-in humidity sensor that monitors moisture levels and helps maintain your preferred range, adjustable between 40% and 80%. For spaces like basements or garages that can get colder, it includes defrost technology to help the unit keep working when temperatures drop.

Dry out your space without drying out your wallet. Grab the Aeocky RHEA-001 Smart Dehumidifier on Amazon today.

The Ninja DualBrew Pro coffee maker is $50 off at Amazon — buy now for under $200

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 10:23:10 +0000

SAVE $50: As of July 9, the Ninja DualBrew Pro coffee machine is on sale for $199.99 at Amazon. That's $50 off its full price of $249.99.

Credit: Ninja

Ninja DualBrew Pro Specialty Coffee Machine

$199.99 at Amazon
$249.99 Save $50

If you're someone who enjoys both brewing coffee from grounds and the convenience of a coffee pod, the Ninja DualBrew Pro is a machine worth adding to your kitchen. This specialty coffee maker can handle both of those brewing options, plus some extras, and now is a great time to buy. Amazon has slashed $50 off its price tag, but not for long.

Normally the Ninja DualBrew Pro coffee machine is listed for $249.99, but as of July 9, its dropped to $199.99 at Amazon. However, it has a "limited time deal" tag right now, so the clock is ticking to jump on this offer before the price goes back up.

The main highlight of the Ninja DualBrew Pro is that it can brew coffee with grounds or with a coffee pod, but it has quite a few more options to offer as well. It features four brew styles — Classic, Rich, Over Ice, or Specialty — so you can customize your drink. With the latter, you can even brew up more concentrated coffee for creating lattes, cappuccinos, and macchiatos. To add to that, there's even a built-in, fold-away frother you can use.

This coffee machine can fill up a wide variety of cup sizes as well. According to the store page, there are nine ground brew sizes, including small, XL, travel mug, XL travel mug, and various carafe sizes, alongside 6, 8, 10, or 12 oz brew sizes for pods.

Make your mornings better with the Ninja DualBrew Pro coffee machine, now $50 off at Amazon.

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National Hot Dog Day freebie: How to get Pringles flavored Pop Dog Buns

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 10:19:33 +0000

TL;DR: Pringles is bringing back its limited-edition Pop Dog Buns on July 15. Starting at 12 p.m. ET, fans who buy a $6.97 Pringles three-pack can claim a free set while supplies last.

National Hot Dog Day is almost here, and Pringles is making the hot dog bun the star of the show.

The brand is bringing back its limited-edition Pringles Pop Dog Buns for one final drop on July 15, giving fans another chance to get the potato-based buns inspired by three classic Pringles flavors: Sour Cream and Onion, BBQ, and Honey Mustard.

The buns are free with the purchase of a qualifying Pringles three-pack, but they're only available while supplies last. Whether you missed the first drop or you're finally ready to give them a try, here's how to score a set while they're still available.

What are Pringles Pop Dog Buns?

Credit: Pringles

Instead of topping your hot dog with Pringles, the brand decided to flavor the bun itself.

The limited-edition Pop Dog Buns are soft, potato-based buns, packaged inside the brand's iconic cans and measure 7.5 inches long, giving the classic hot dog bun a Pringles-inspired makeover.

How to get the Pringles Pop Dog Buns

The final drop goes live on Wednesday, July 15, at 12 p.m. ET (9 a.m. PT) to celebrate National Hot Dog Day. To claim a set, you'll need to:

Purchase the Pringles Three-Pack for $6.97, which includes Sour Cream and Onion, Honey Mustard, and BBQ crisps.
Place your order through Pringles' online store or its Instagram and Facebook Shops.

The Pop Dog Buns are free with the qualifying purchase. This is the second and final drop of the limited-edition Pop Dog Buns.

If you want to try Pringles’ potato-based take on the classic hot dog bun, July 15 is your last chance to claim a set.

Get the Jackery Solar Generator 300 for under $300 at Amazon

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 10:09:11 +0000

SAVE $80: As of July 9, the Jackery Solar Generator 300 with solar panel is on sale for $279 at Amazon. That's a 22% discount on the list price.

Credit: Jackery

Jackery Solar Generator 300 (With Solar Panel)

$279 at Amazon
$359 Save $80

Whether it’s an off-grid camping trip, an unexpected power outage, or just preparing for an upcoming storm, portable power stations are a great product to have stowed away.

Many can offer full home powering for a number of days, while others come in at more affordable prices and promise to keep your most essential devices up and running. And options like the Jackery Solar Generator 300 are a great entry point for anyone looking for reliable backup power without spending a fortune.

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As of July 9, this handy unit is down to just $269. It includes the 292Wh unit as well as a 40W solar panel, and you’ll be getting these for $80 less than normal. It’s a lightweight and portable option designed to keep your essential devices charged while traveling, camping, or heading off-grid. And it weighs just 7.5 lbs, so it’s easy to carry on hikes and outdoor adventures without adding unnecessary bulk.

And despite its compact size, it has various charging options, including two AC outlets, a 100W USB-C PD port, two USB-A ports, and a 120W car port. With a 300W rated output and 600W peak surge, it can power everyday essentials like laptops, cameras, and drones, while also working as a reliable backup battery or solar generator when paired with compatible panels.

Get this portable power station deal at Amazon right now.

The Toshiba 43-inch Class C350 Series TV has dropped to its lowest-ever price — save $70 on this cheap TV

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 10:06:36 +0000

SAVE $70: As of July 9, the Toshiba 43-inch Class C350 Series TV is on sale for $129.99 at Amazon. That's a 57% discount on the list price.

Credit: Toshiba

Toshiba 43-inch Class C350 Series TV

$129.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $170

If you want a new TV but don't want to fork out hundreds of dollars, check out this latest Amazon deal on the Toshiba 43-inch Class C350 Series TV. As of July 9, it's down to just $129.99, its best-ever price according to price tracker camelcamelcamel.

Despite its low price, this is still an impressive TV with great quality. In fact, it's powered by the REGZA Engine ZR, which analyses every scene to optimize picture quality and bring content as close to 4K resolution as possible. This is only enhanced by the AI 4K Upscaling feature which improves Full HD content by improving detail, texture, and color. It also combines Dolby Vision HDR with Dolby Atmos audio and has features like Ultimate Motion that help reduce blur during fast motion, so you're really getting a cinematic experience at home.

For streaming and apps, it runs on Amazon's Fire TV. This means access to apps like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and more is much easier. You'll find them all, plus a number of live TV options, all on one easy-to-navigate home screen.

Get this TV deal from Amazon now.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is heavily discounted at Amazon — save over $200

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 10:02:57 +0000

SAVE $269.99: As of July 9, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is on sale for $1,030 at Amazon. That's a 21% discount on the list price.

Credit: Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

$1,030 at Amazon
$1,299.99 Save $269.99

There's a new deal on the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra at Amazon. If you've been looking for a new phone, right now you can save $269.99 on one of the best.

As of July 9, the price has dropped to $1,030 from $1,299.99, but only for one color. To get this price, you'll need to order the black phone. Other colors are reduced in price too (including cobalt violet, white, and sky blue), but not as much as the black handset.

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This is an incredibly impressive smartphone (just check out our full review to see how impressed we were). It has a whole range of advanced features, including Nightography which takes clearer photos and videos in low light, and a wider front camera makes it easier to fit everyone into group selfies. Galaxy AI-powered Photo Assist also lets you edit images simply by typing or tapping, so you can restore details, remove mess, or just apply different filters or creative styles in a few seconds.

It's powered by Samsung's fastest Galaxy processor yet, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, so it's built to handle demanding apps, multitasking, and AI features with no issues at all.

Upgrade for less now at Amazon.

The Dyson Supersonic Nural is still at its best-ever price — save $100 right now at Amazon

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 10:00:06 +0000

SAVE $100.99: As of July 9, the Dyson Supersonic Nural is on sale for $349 at Amazon. That's a 22% discount on the list price.

Credit: Dyson

Dyson Supersonic Nural

$349 at Amazon
$449.99 Save $100.99

For high-quality hair styling, you can't go wrong with a Dyson product. From the Airwrap to the Airstrait, its impressive technology is transforming how we style our hair. And as of July 9, the popular Dyson Supersonic Nural is on sale for its best-ever price, now just $349 at Amazon.

So, how does it work? This hair dryer uses a network of Nural sensors that automatically adapt settings as you dry your hair. It has special features like a Scalp Protect mode which monitors the distance between the dryer and your scalp, automatically adjusting the temperature to maintain a comfortable 130°F for close-up drying while helping to protect your scalp from excessive heat.

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It also features Attachment Learning, which recognizes each styling attachment and remembers your preferred airflow and heat settings, so every time you switch attachments the dryer automatically adjusts to your saved preferences. It has three airflow speeds, four precise heat settings, and an 82°F cold shot. It even has a color changing light to indicate your current heat setting, helping you visualize just how much heat you're actually using.

Find this deal on the Supersonic Nural at Amazon now.

Anna DeGuzman explains how she became a professional magician through content creation

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Social media changed the game for magicians, and Anna DeGuzman knows that better than most.

The professional close-up magician, illusionist, and card artist got her start as a teen, teaching herself through YouTube videos and magic books. Some 12 years later, she's become a Magic Castle member, a runner-up on America's Got Talent, and the host of her own interview show on Complex's YouTube channel. Then, of course, there's her successful TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube channel that earned her the title of Featured Creator at VidCon 2026.

Having come into her own while posting online, DeGuzman's seen how more magicians making content ups the ante for the art form.

"Magic is so much more accessible now, which also makes the art need to elevate, to keep up," DeGuzman told Mashable. "Because now you're like, OK, how do I make sure this is 360-proof, and if people play it back in slow motion, they still don't figure it out?"

Her social media savvy also influences her IRL live performances.

"I think in visuals. If someone were to watch your story of my show, and they only saw 15 seconds, is that a captivating visual that makes you go, oh, that's interesting, what's happening?" DeGuzman said.

I can personally attest to DeGuzman's skills, as she combined her mentalism techniques and card artistry during our interview to determine the birthday of my childhood crush (a member of a certain Disney Channel boy band). I can't lie — it felt just like magic.

The Coleman Pro hard cooler is on sale for its lowest-ever price at Amazon — save $74

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:52:22 +0000

SAVE OVER $70: As of July 9, select colors of the Coleman Pro 45qt hard cooler are on sale at their lowest-ever price of $125.99 at Amazon. That's $74 off the full price of $199.99.

Credit: Coleman

Coleman Pro Heavy-Duty 45qt Ultra-Light Premium Hard Cooler

$125.99 at Amazon
$199.99 Save $74.00

Summer is in full swing, and Amazon has been offering up some great outdoor deals for shoppers hoping to get out and enjoy the sunshine. In particular, Coleman outdoor products have popped up at the retailer with some very nice discounts. The Coleman Pro 45qt hard cooler is one that's crossed our radar, as select color variants are currently sitting at their lowest-ever price.

As of July 9, the 45qt Coleman Pro cooler — in the delightfully bright blue sky and neptune colors — has dropped from $199.99 to $125.99 at Amazon, making for just over $70 in savings. Both colors are only available at this price for a limited time, so don't wait too long to take advantage of this offer.

To give you a good idea of how spacious this Coleman Pro cooler is, its 45-quart build can hold up to 74 cans without ice in the mix. That gives you plenty of room for your favorite drinks, whether you're out camping or hosting a party. What's inside can stay cold for up to four days as well, thanks to a fully insulated lid and body.

It's also quite durable, with walls that are up to two inches thick. This makes for a sturdy design around the cooler, but it also helps with ice retention. It's actually lighter than you'd expect as well. According to the store page, its 30% lighter than rotomolded coolers of the same capacity, so you can easily move it between locations. And speaking of moving it, there's also handles on the side you can grab onto for carrying it around.

A sturdy cooler is great to have on-hand during the summer months, so don't miss out on this great deal on the Coleman Pro 45qt hard cooler 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.

Elon Musk to pay SEC $1.5 million settlement, judge signs off despite serious misgivings

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:46:26 +0000

A U.S. federal judge has approved a settlement that will see Elon Musk pay $1.5 million to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for failing to disclose his 2022 Twitter stock purchases within the legally required period. Even so, she was not happy about it. The penalty is a mere fraction of the amount Musk gained from the alleged violation, which he is apparently free to keep.

In her order filed in a Columbia District Court on Wednesday, Judge Sparkle Sooknanan expressed "significant misgivings" about the deal between Musk and the SEC. Under the agreement, Musk will pay $1.5 million to the SEC — literally one percent of the $150 million he allegedly saved due to his late disclosure.

Further, the penalty will technically be paid by a trust in Musk's name rather than directly by the billionaire himself, a manoeuvre that the court noted appeared "for the sole purpose of Mr. Musk being able to say that no relief was entered against him in his personal capacity."

However, as the court's role is only to assess whether the agreement meets "minimum standards of fairness and reasonableness," Sooknanan stated that it is therefore obligated to accept the deal.

"[T]he Court may not step in the shoes of the SEC, notwithstanding that the SEC's decision-making in this case raises red flags," Sooknanan wrote in her order on Wednesday. "So mindful of that principle and, as always, its proper role, the Court is constrained to accept the Parties’ agreement despite its significant misgivings."

Sooknanan also questioned whether Musk was receiving special treatment.

"The Court is left to wonder whether the SEC will afford other alleged securities-law violators such solicitude," she wrote. "Or is this a one-time deal designed for Mr. Musk negotiated without the involvement of the SEC lawyers litigating this case?"

The SEC filed the case in January last year, suing Musk for late disclosure of his Twitter stock purchases in 2022. Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Musk was legally required to notify the SEC within 10 days of acquiring enough shares to own more than five percent of the company.

Instead, Musk allegedly waited 21 days, finally notifying the SEC of his purchase 11 days past the deadline. Musk also reportedly bought even more Twitter stock within those 21 days, spending an additional $500 million to increase his stake to 9.2 percent.

According to the SEC's lawsuit, this delay had a significant financial impact not only on Musk, but on other shareholders as well. Twitter's stock price shot up after Musk finally reported his purchase, the value of his shares jumping to $2.89 billion as news of his investment became public. The billionaire allegedly saved at least $150 million on his additional share purchases as well, as he was able to buy them at a lower price than if he fulfilled his reporting obligations.

In addition to this, the SEC alleged that Musk's failure to report his Twitter stock purchase within the legally mandated period caused other investors "substantial economic harm," as those that sold their shares during his delay were denied the benefit of the increased price.

The SEC initially sought to fine Musk, as well as have him give up the profit he gained from his alleged violation. Now it's singing a much different tune, agreeing to the comparatively small $1.5 million penalty and apparently allowing Musk to keep the millions he gained through his alleged violation. Further, none of the money will go to investors who allegedly lost out due to Musk's delay.

"The SEC has decided not to press for relief that could compensate Mr. Musk’s alleged victims, instead settling on a form of relief that would go into the government’s pocket," said Sooknanan.

"Whether the Executive Branch (through the SEC) has done enough to hold Mr. Musk to account for his alleged violation is, like many other issues, for our citizenry to decide at the ballot box."

Though the SEC filed the case during the Biden administration, it looks as though it doesn't want to come down on Musk quite as hard under Trump. Musk has had a tumultuous relationship with the president, appearing to swing wildly between a close ally or a bitter enemy. Considering this slap on the wrist, it seems reasonable to wonder whether their on-and-off again flirtation may have helped swing the situation in the billionaire's favour.

Tiffany Haddish responds to a White House spokesperson saying: Who the hell is Tiffany Haddish?

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:40:12 +0000

Tiffany Haddish is guest hosting for Jimmy Kimmel this week, and she's cheerfully taken on the role of Donald Trump mocker-in-chief.

She's also apparently caught the attention of the White House. When asked about a joke Haddish made about Trump, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle responded to USA Today by asking: "Who the hell is Tiffany Haddish?"

"Who am I? Huh, huh? I'm the bitch you walk past to get to your coach seat, motherf***er," responds Haddish in the clip above. "Who am I? I'm a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, that's who I am. Who am I? Who the f*** is Davis Ingle, huh? Is that a new character in Little House on the Prairie, but yo ass in the White House? You in the wrong house!"

"But this is exciting, the White House is mad at me y'all," she continues. "This is the day that I finally become Jimmy Kimmel! I do got one question, though, if the president pulls me off the air, do I still get paid for the whole week?"

Want more of the best of late night? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter.

T-Mobile is giving away the new Motorola Razr for free — how to qualify

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:19:00 +0000

TL;DR: The new Motorola Razr is available for free with T-Mobile. Activate a new line on an Experience More plan to qualify for this limited-time offer.

Credit: Motorola

Motorola Razr

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

Want to know a truly 10/10 life experience? No, we're not talking about marrying the love of your life or witnessing the birth of your child. We're talking about slamming shut a foldable phone.

The good news for anyone interesting in making this ultimate power move is that flip phones are back. And mobile carriers like T-Mobile are giving away some of the best flip phones for free. For a limited time, T-Mobile is giving away the new Motorola Razr for free. You don't need to trade anything in to qualify. You just need to activate a new line on T-Mobile's Experience More plan.

Each month, your statement will display a standard finance charge for the phone, immediately followed by an equal promotional credit that balances that charge down to nothing. Essentially, you are entering a two-year commitment with the network. If you decide to cancel your service, move to a competing carrier, or try to upgrade to next year's model before those 24 months are completed, the remaining unpaid balance on the phone's retail value will become due immediately.

You will also need to pay tax on the full retail value of the device upfront, plus a $35 connection charge. That's a small price to pay for a premium foldable phone that goes for over $700.

The Motorola Razr offers a massive 3.6-inch Extreme AMOLED cover screen with a 90Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1,700 nits. Motorola also upgraded the camera suite, packing a massive 50-megapixel main sensor alongside a highly capable 50-megapixel ultrawide lens. It's all powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7450X processor, with 8GB of RAM, 256GB of built-in storage, and a robust 4,800mAh battery that delivers 36 hours of regular use.

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

The unconventional advice creator Michael Tchao swears by

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Michael Tchao's content creation journey started with one essential thing: a business plan.

Before he ever hit publish, the food creator mapped out exactly what he wanted his career to look like — from making a full-time living through content creation to working with his dream brands. That sense of intention still shapes the way he approaches every opportunity today. As he puts it, creators can either "sit under the tree and wait for an apple to fall," or "find a way to climb the tree and pick that apple."

At VidCon 2026, Tchao sat down with Mashable Culture Editor Crystal Bell to discuss the strategy that's guided his career from the beginning: why he started pitching brands before he even had 2,000 followers, why he believes creators shouldn't wait for opportunities to find them, and why he's skeptical of one of the creator economy's most common pieces of advice: be more niche.

Conventional creator wisdom says to pick a lane and stay there. As social platforms become more crowded, marketers have increasingly gravitated toward niche creators with highly engaged audiences, and industry analysts predict demand for niche creators will continue to rise.

Tchao doesn't necessarily disagree with the premise, but he does question the long-term strategy.

"If you want to have short-term growth, I think niching is super smart," he says. "But a lot of times what I see with creators is they niche, niche, niche... and they get pigeonholed. They can't get out. And if you have other interests, like we all do, I think that's a recipe for burnout."

Instead, Tchao encourages creators to think less about locking themselves into a single content category and more about identifying the underlying value they provide. For him, that isn't simply "food" — it's making complicated cooking concepts easy to understand. That broader mission gives him the flexibility to experiment while staying recognizable to his audience.

He also reflects on the importance of finding community in a profession that can often feel isolating, why even a single conversation at an event like VidCon can change the trajectory of a creator's career, and the philosophy that guides every video he makes: "No one really cares about me," he says. "They care about how the content can help themselves as a viewer."

Watch the full interview above.

FIFA World Cup schedule today: Games, kickoff times, livestream info for July 9

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

The 2026 World Cup has entered the quater-final stage. France and Morocco kick off the festivities.

France are tipped to win the tournament but Morocco will prove their toughest opposition so far. Is this the moment that France come unstuck? Or will Mbappé lead them to another thrilling win?

It all kicks off at 4 p.m. ET today. Here's all the information you need to watch today's soccer action.

FIFA World Cup schedule today: July 9

France vs. Morocco (Boston Stadium) — kickoff at 4 p.m. ET

How to watch FIFA World Cup games today

Watch France vs. Morocco

France had to fight and claw their way through the Round of 16, with opponents Paraguay relying on underhanded tactics to rattle the French. But Mbappé and the rest of the team kept their heads and eked out a 1-0 win. It was a testament to their skill and teamwork, but it wasn't the dominant performance fans expected for the World Cup contenders — proof that France aren't totally dominant. Morocco, meanwhile, have been on fine form, eliminating the Netherlands on penalties and easily dispatching co-hosts Canada.

Live coverage will be on Fox and Fox One. Peacock will carry the live Spanish-language coverage.

More live streaming options

Live TV cable replacement

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

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

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

Watch the World Cup for free with a VPN

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

Credit: ExpresVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.99 only at ExpressVPN

The World Cup is getting its own YouTube creator all-star game, led by iShowSpeed

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

The 2026 FIFA World Cup isn't just happening on official grass anymore.

On Sunday, July 12, FIFA and YouTube will host the inaugural YouTube FIFA Creator Cup, a creator-led exhibition match that brings some of the platform's biggest personalities together with soccer legends for a livestream from New York City's Central Park.

Leading the event is YouTube megastar iShowSpeed, whose World Cup livestreams have made him one of the tournament's defining internet personalities. And with over 57 million YouTube subscribers, he's also one of the platform's most recognizable faces. He'll be joined by creators including Celine Dept, TBJZL of the Sidemen, Jasontheween, Zhong, Zias, Coringa, AboFlah, Brittany Wilson, Mercedes Roa, and more, alongside FIFA legends and coached by Cafu and Marco Materazzi.

"The World Cup is the biggest stage in the world and we're bringing that same energy to Central Park," Speed said in a statement. "Football brings everybody together, and that's what I love about it. To do this with YouTube and FIFA, live in New York City, with fans watching from all over the world, it's going to be special."

The match will take place at Wollman Rink and stream live globally on FIFA's official YouTube channel, with a simulcast on Speed's own YouTube channel beginning at 5 p.m. ET.

The Creator Cup marks the latest sign that FIFA is treating YouTube creators as more than influencers covering the tournament. Increasingly, they've become part of the programming itself. Throughout the World Cup, creators have livestreamed matches from the stands, interviewed players, and generated massive attention around the competition. According to YouTube, videos from its FIFA creator roster have already surpassed 1 billion views during the tournament.

For FIFA, the exhibition is another way to reach younger audiences who are more likely to experience major sporting events through creators rather than traditional broadcasters. And for Speed, whose streams have drawn massive crowds at stadiums throughout the tournament, it further cements his status as one of the World Cup's biggest personalities, even if he isn't playing for a national team.

That role has extended beyond livestreaming. Speed's song "Champions" was included on the official 2026 FIFA World Cup soundtrack after initially being released as an unofficial anthem, making the Creator Cup the latest step in his transformation from superfan to World Cup fixture.

Legendary referee Pierluigi Collina will oversee the match, while Sam Mewis and Kristie Mewis of The Women's Game and Zach Misischia and Brian Conforth of The Makeshift Project will report from the sidelines. Veteran broadcaster Max Bretos will handle play-by-play commentary.

This year's World Cup has made one thing clear: creators are no longer just spectators. They're lacing up, kitting out, and hitting the pitch.

A NASA spacecraft just woke up from a nearly yearlong nap

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

After 321 days of sleep, a NASA spacecraft woke up in the cold outer fringes of the solar system.

New Horizons, the spacecraft that flew past Pluto in 2015, entered hibernation on purpose to save energy as it drifted deeper into the Kuiper Belt, a disk beyond Neptune of comets and tiny icy worlds.

At some 6 billion miles from Earth, a wakeup call from mission control would have taken nine hours to travel through space. Instead, the spacecraft woke itself up on June 23 from a previously scheduled command.

New Horizons needs its strength. The intrepid explorer is expected to continue operating into the 2050s over a distance perhaps 100 times farther from the sun than Earth. During its travels, it will visit one more Kuiper Belt rock, following its flyby of Arrokoth seven years ago. The team is now using the Vera C. Rubin Observatory to figure out its next destination, said Alan Stern, the mission's principal investigator, in a comment on X.

Scientists have used New Horizons to measure how solar wind — the stream of charged particles flowing away from the sun — changes as it moves toward the edge of the solar system.

They found that the solar wind gradually slows as it travels outward because it collides with atoms drifting in from interstellar space. New measurements show the solar wind is 13 to 15 percent slower out there than it is near Earth. The spacecraft's data was published in The Astrophysical Journal.

New Horizons delivered this composite image of Kuiper Belt object Arrokoth when it flew by in January 2019. Credit: NASA / Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory / Southwest Research Institute / Roman Tkachenko

Scientists predict the solar wind will slow much more dramatically when New Horizons reaches the so-called "termination shock," where the sun's particles suddenly lose speed. Voyager 2, which is now 13.3 billion miles away from Earth in interstellar space, previously measured a 46-percent drop in solar wind speed when it had reached that point. It was then about 84 times farther from the sun than Earth.

Learning how the solar wind changes helps scientists map the edge of the sun's influence, said Heather Elliott, a researcher at the Texas-based Southwest Research Institute. And despite the Voyager twins having already left the solar system, the "edge" of the heliosphere — this region in space affected by the sun — is still mysterious.

"Not only do we learn more about how the sun's influence ends," said Elliott, first author of the paper, in a statement, "but we also gain a deeper understanding of the boundary between our solar system and interstellar space — a critical step toward planning future interstellar travel."

New Horizons launched 20 years ago and flew past Jupiter in 2007 for a gravity boost and scientific observations. It became the first spacecraft to explore Pluto and its moons. New Horizons also detected a previously unknown population of distant objects beyond the known Kuiper Belt with its long-range camera. The discovery could mean the belt extends much farther than expected or that a second, more-distant belt of icy bodies exists beyond it.

Everything we know about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Apple is likely to join the foldable market this year — but Samsung is gearing up to have a competitor in place before the iPhone Ultra even launches.

Samsung is set to show off its latest wares at a Galaxy Unpacked event in London on July 22, and it's widely expected that the company will announce a third foldable to add onto the Fold and Flip form factors it has already been selling for years now.

This new foldable will reportedly be a shorter, wider device, similar in shape to the still-unannounced iPhone Ultra.

Here's everything you need to know about the wide Samsung foldable before its likely launch later this month.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide: When is it coming?

As previously mentioned, Samsung's next Galaxy Unpacked event is on July 22. The phone will likely not hit shelves that day, but it should be available within a few weeks, if precedent holds.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide: What is it called?

This is where things get confusing. While we expect that the new wide foldable will be called Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, it is not a true successor to the Z Fold 7 (launched in 2025), at least not in terms of design.

There will be a successor to the Z Fold 7 launched alongside the new wide foldable, but it's reportedly called the Z Fold 8 Ultra. Hopefully Samsung will clear up the confusion on why that should be.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide: Design and specs

Samsung hasn't officially announced the Z Fold 8, but we have a decent idea of what to expect based on various leaks over the past several months.

For example, prominent leaker Sonny Dickson posted images on X back in April purporting to show dummy cases for the new batch of foldables.

Two of them look familiar to fans of Samsung phones, but one of them is clearly more squat and more wide than anything the company has made yet. We are pretty sure that's the Z Fold 8.

There are now official details yet, but leaker Tarun Vats recently posted specs on X. They include:

5.5-inch cover display with 120Hz refresh rate
7.6-inch inner display with 120Hz refresh rate
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset
12GB RAM
256GB/512GB/1TB storage
4,800mAh battery

Based on the dummy units seen above, those display dimensions sound about right. The idea, evidently, is to have a roughly 4:3 aspect ratio in the inner display, which is what Apple is reportedly going to do with its foldable.

This was recently corroborated even more by Android Authority, which found alleged images of the phone in One UI 9 files.

Yeah, that's not a regular Samsung foldable. Credit: Android Authority

As for the other specs offered by Tarun Vats, there are no real surprises here. The RAM and storage counts are pretty normal for what will likely be an expensive phone, while the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset has been used in other recent Samsung devices.

All that should keep the phone performing smoothly. A 4,800mAh battery is also roughly what we would expect from a device like this. Hopefully, it'll be able to keep a charge for at least 24 hours.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide: Cameras

This is one area where it seems like Samsung is making compromises. In the render above from Android Authority, there are only two rear cameras on the Z Fold 8. That's not ideal: the Z Fold 7 had three, and we expect the same of the Z Fold 8 Ultra.

Tarun Vats' specs list suggests they won't be the most powerful lenses in the world, either. A 50MP wide and 50MP ultrawide lens, with two 10MP selfie cameras, may sound impressive — but it's a far cry from the 200MP main lens we got on the Z Fold 7.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide: Price

It's impossible to say what this phone will cost prior to its announcement. RAMageddon is very real, and foldables were already in the neighborhood of $2,000 before memory became impossible to come by.

Do not be shocked if this phone, even with its weaker cameras, is out of your price range.

How to unblock XNXX for free

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Unblock porn sites for free with a VPN. The best service for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.

The online world is full of content restrictions and blockades. It might not always seem like that, but look around. More and more restrictions on your movement are coming into force.

Porn naturally comes with a lot of restrictions, but there's really nothing wrong with adults visiting their favorite sites at entirely appropriate moments. When the time is right, you should be able to bypass content restrictions to access sites like XNXX from any network and location. And fortunately, you can do exactly that with a quick and easy hack.

If you want to unblock porn sites like XNXX from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

How to unblock XNXX for free

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

Unblock porn sites like XNXX by following these simple steps:

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

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

The best VPNs for bypassing content restrictions are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites like XNXX without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can retain access to porn sites when temporarily away from a secure network.

If you want to retain permanent access to everything the online world has to offer, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for porn is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for porn?

ExpressVPN is the best service for fast and reliable unblocking of porn sites like XNXX, for a number of reasons:

Servers in 105 countries
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy
Fast streaming speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $78.18 and includes an extra four months for free — 78% 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).

Unblock XNXX for free with ExpressVPN.

How to unblock Pornhub for free in Australia

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

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

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

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

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

How to unblock Pornhub for free in Australia

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

Unblock Pornhub from Australia by following these simple steps:

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

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.99 only at ExpressVPN

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

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

What is the best VPN for Pornhub?

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

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

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).

Unblock Pornhub for free in Australia with ExpressVPN.

How to watch Muchová vs. Gauff online for free

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Live stream Muchová vs. Gauff in Wimbledon 2026 for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Wimbledon finals are fast approaching. We're down to the final four players in both singles draws, with some fascinating matchups on the schedule.

Muchová vs. Gauff is a particularly interesting contest. Both players have looked really slick making it to this stage. Muchová battled to beat Osaka in the last round. Gauff needed three sets to beat Pegula. Now they face off for a spot in the final.

If you want to watch Muchová vs. Gauff in Wimbledon 2026 for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

How to watch Muchová vs. Gauff for free

Muchová vs. Gauff in Wimbledon 2026 is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

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

Live stream Wimbledon 2026 for free by following these simple steps:

Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
Visit BBC iPlayer
Live stream Wimbledon 2026 for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.99 only at ExpressVPN

What is the best VPN for Wimbledon?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for streaming live sport on free platforms like BBC iPlayer, for a number of reasons:

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

Whats new to streaming this week? (July 10, 2026)

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Looking for something great to watch at home? Streaming subscribers are spoiled for choice between Hulu, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Apple TV, Prime Video, Shudder, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. And that's before you even look at the vast libraries of movies and television programs within each streamer!

Don't be overwhelmed or waste an hour scrolling through your services to determine what to watch. We've got your back, whatever your mood. Mashable offers watch guides for all of the above, broken down by genre: comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, and animation, among others. But if you're seeking something brand new (or just new to streaming), we've got you covered there, too.

11. Reminders of Him

Another day, another Colleen Hoover novel adaptation, with Reminders of Him set for home release this week. Directed by Vanessa Caswill (Love at First Sight) and co-written by Hoover and Lauren Levine, this drama is all about processing guilt and finding a path forward in unthinkable circumstances. Longlegs star Maika Monroe plays Kenna, a woman who serves time for the vehicular manslaughter of her boyfriend, Scotty (Outer Banks' Rudy Pankow).

Having given birth to a daughter named Diem (Zoe Kosovic) in prison, Kenna's freedom comes with getting to know this now-six-year-old stranger, the apprehension and complexity of reconnecting with Scotty's parents and best friend Ledger (I Know What You Did Last Summer's Tyriq Withers), and the all-too-present consequences of her past. Tear-jerker for sure.* — Shannon Connellan, Senior Editor

Starring: Maika Monroe, Tyriq Withers, Rudy Pankow, Lainey Wilson, Lauren Graham, and Bradley Whitford

How to watch: Reminders of Him is begins streaming on Peacock on July 10.

10. The Long Walk

One of several high-profile Stephen King adaptations to be hitting screens this year — hi, The Running Man and IT: Welcome to Derry! — The Long Walk conjures up a nightmarish dystopian future in which the U.S. hosts a yearly death march for young men. The last walker standing wins any wish that their heart desires, but at what cost?

Director Francis Lawrence, who helmed four of the five Hunger Games films, pulls no punches in The Long Walk. The result is a relentlessly bleak saga buoyed by a talented young cast that includes Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, and Ben Wang. Serious emphasis on bleak, as this movie is not for the faint of heart (or anyone looking for a happy watch). As I wrote in my review, "After almost two hours of being immersed in this string of deaths, you may find yourself begging, 'Enough already!' The Long Walk, however, does not let up, trapping you in a never-ending nightmare of bloodied feet and fraying minds." — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

Starring: Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Joshua Odjick, Roman Griffin Davis, Josh Hamilton, Judy Greer, and Mark Hamill

How to watch: The Long Walk debuts on HBO Max on July 10.

9. Faces of Death

The absolute nightmare that is content moderation lies at the heart of Faces of Death, the Barbie Ferreira–starring horror that feels way too real. It's inspired by the 1978 VHS exploitation film or "video nasty" of the same name, which had people unsure whether the extreme violence on screen was real or not. It was banned in several countries — you should really watch British horror film Censor to understand this era of film vetting — but it turns up on the shelf of a character in Daniel Goldhaber's new film.

But now, we're in 2026, the age of the internet. The Euphoria star plays Margot, who works not at a movie censorship body but a social media company like TikTok or YouTube. Alongside co-workers (like one played by constant movie star Charli XCX), Margot is part of the department where content is screened against community guidelines and either blocked or left up to feed the attention economy. However, some of those violent videos look super-real, and influencers are going missing...* — S.C.

Starring: Barbie Ferreira, Charli XCX, Jermaine Fowler, Aaron Holliday, Dacre Montgomery, Josie Totah

How to watch: Faces of Death debuts on Shudder on July 10.

8. Summer Sparks

Hungering for a light-hearted romantic comedy? Roku has got you a seasonal treat with Summer Sparks.

Jesse Metcalfe stars as Adam, a single dad looking to reconnect with his teen son during their time at Camp Evergreen. Perhaps the annual cook-off will prove the perfect place to bond? However, Adam's craving for competition catches the eye of Monica (Kathryn Davis), a single mom who's looking to share the camp she loved in her childhood with her own kids. Over cooking and talking childcare, the two develop a spark all their own. — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

Starring: Jesse Metcalfe, Kathryn Davis, and Max Baribeau

How to watch: Summer Sparks is now streaming on Roku.

7. The Man Will Burn

First kicking off in 1986, Burning Man is a week-long event held in the sprawling Nevada desert that becomes a canvas of self-expression for a jubilant community of participants. But while the vibes are party, a lot of planning goes into its mounting each year.

From filmmakers Jehane Noujaim and Vikram Gandhi comes The Man Will Burn, a four-part documentary series that digs into all things Burning Man. As you can see from the trailer, the docuseries will feature interviews with the revelers and the organizers. So, you'll see the highs, lows, and obstacles that are part of "the burn." — K.P.

How to watch: The Man Will Burn is now streaming on HBO Max.

6. The Five-Star Weekend

The small-screen adaptation of Elin Hilderbrand's novel The Five-Star Weekend arrives on Peacock this week, bringing summery vibes and an all-star cast along with it. Jennifer Garner plays Hollis Shaw, a cook and food blogger trying to recover from a devastating loss. As part of her grieving process, she decides to host a weekend getaway at her Nantucket house. Her guests? Friends from different stages of her life (and one extra surprise invitee), played by D’Arcy Carden, Gemma Chan, Regina Hall, and Chloë Sevigny.* — B.E.

Starring: Jennifer Garner, Chloë Sevigny, Regina Hall, Gemma Chan, D'Arcy Carden, Harlow Jane, and Timothy Olyphant

How to watch: The Five-Star Weekend is now streaming on Peacock.

5. The Mountain

If Moana coming to theaters has you craving more stories out of Polynesia, don't miss The Mountain. Rachel House, who played Moana's grandmother in the 2016 film, directs this coming-of-age adventure, produced by her Hunt For the Wilderpeople director, Taika Waititi.

Written by House and Tom Furniss, The Mountain centers on Sam (Elizabeth Atkinson), a young Maori girl with cancer and a big plan to defeat it. Tapping into her roots, Sam is convinced that if she summits the Taranaki mountain, communing with nature will heal her. Along the way, she teams up with a couple of misfits, and together this trio of kids treks to a better future. Meanwhile, their parents understandably freak out about their children going AWOL. Funny and bittersweet, this Kiwi offering is a great pick for a family movie night. — K.P.

Starring: Elizabeth Atkinson, Reuben Francis, Terence Daniel, Byron Coll, Troy Kingi, Fern Sutherland, and Sukena Shah

How to watch: The Mountain is now available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.

4. Obsession

Audiences went feral for writer/director Curry Barker's ultra-creepy Obsession. The film turns rom-com expectations on its head by presenting a lovelorn protagonist named Bear (Michael Johnston), who might seem like a nice guy but is actually the movie's villain.

Obsessed with his friend Nikki (a riveting Inde Navarrette), he makes a wish that she'll not only notice him, but will love him more than anyone else. In the way of the mythic monkey's paw, this wish goes horribly wrong, transforming Bear's dream girl into a nightmare. Obsession is thoroughly chilling, especially thanks to Navarrette's harrowing performance. But Barker's exploration of sexual politics ultimately feels juvenile because of a flubbed final act. As I explained more in-depth in my review, "This makes the finale of Obsession unnerving — not so much for what it shows, but for the empathy it ultimately lacks."* — K.P.

Starring: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, and Andy Richter

How to watch: Obsession is now available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.

3. Backrooms

The concept of the Backrooms began with a 4chan post, which then-teenager Kane Parsons masterfully expanded into a series of extremely viral short horror films. Backrooms is his full-length feature adaptation, and it's about a bitter furniture shop owner (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who discovers the doorway to another world in the basement of his store. So, does Parsons manage to land the jump to feature? For the most part, yes. Backrooms uses uncanny spaces and an ominous soundscape to chilling effect, dragging us into a world that's as unsettling as it is endless. The movie's only real issue is its third act, which loses some tension after we see the face of the thing that's been chasing the characters through this hellish labyrinth.

"Despite this, Backrooms is still well worth a watch. The ending isn't enough to spoil what came before," I wrote in my Mashable review. "If anything, Parsons has managed to prove himself as an incredibly talented emerging filmmaker while also establishing the first chapter in what will surely end up becoming a brand-new horror franchise."* — Sam Haysom, General Assignment Editor, UK

Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, and Lukita Maxwell

How to watch: Backrooms is now available for pre-order on Prime Video.

2. Amores Perros

Alejandro González Iñárritu's debut feature is over 25 years old now, but it seems to have cemented its place as a cult classic. Running over two-and-a-half hours long, the sprawling drama follows three different sets of characters whose lives are brought together by a car crash in Mexico. To say too much more would probably be doing it a disservice, but the film's Rotten Tomatoes rating — 93 percent critic, 94 percent audience — pretty much speaks for itself. If it's been on your list for a while but you haven't got round to watching it, maybe now's the time. — S.H.

Starring: Emilio Echevarría, Gael García Bernal, Goya Toledo, Álvaro Guerrero, Vanessa Bauche, Jorge Salinas, Adriana Barraza, and Humberto Busto

How to watch: Amores Perros begins streaming on MUBI on July 10.

Best of streaming this week: Little House on the Prairie

A childhood classic comes to Netflix this summer with Little House on the Prairie, based on the beloved series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Like the books, the TV series introduces the Ingalls family, who uproot their lives in the big woods of Wisconsin and begin a new life on the prairie. The show looks to introduce Wilder's work to a new generation, but let's be real: Plenty of adults will also be checking it out to make sure it stays true to the story they grew up loving.* — B.E.

Starring: Alice Halsey, Skywalker Hughes, Luke Bracey, and Crosby Fitzgerald

How to watch: Little House on the Prairie is now streaming on Netflix.

(*) denotes a blurb came from a prior list.

Make one $1,000 payment and get 100TB of cloud storage for life with Internxt Cloud Storage

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Pay once and get enough cloud storage for life with this 100TB Internxt Cloud Storage lifetime subscription, now $999.99 (reg. $9,900).

Credit: Internxt

Internxt Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription: 100TB

$999.99
$9,900 Save $8,900.01

Cloud storage seems affordable until you realize you’ll be paying for it every month for the rest of your life. If you want to give your wallet a break, you might want to check out a more permanent option.

Internxt Cloud Storage lets you own your storage space rather than rent it, and right now, 100 TB of storage is on sale for just $999.99.

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It feels like everything comes with a subscription fee these days. Internxt Cloud Storage lets you knock one of these subscriptions off your monthly budget, allowing you to pay once and secure enough space for life.

This 100TB of space gives you enough room for your photos, videos, files, and then some. You can also rest easy knowing your data is secure, as Internxt provides end-to-end encryption. That means not even the company itself can access your files — which can’t be said for the competitors, who not only access but also profit from your data.

Internxt Cloud Storage offers post-quantum encryption — well beyond the AES-256 standard used by most providers —so you’re protected against future quantum computing threats, too. It’s also GDPR-compliant, independently audited by Securitum, and the full codebase is available on GitHub.

Transferring your data is simple thanks to Internxt’s cross-platform compatibility, which lets you store, share, and send from any device or operating system you own. There are also apps for Android, iOS, web browsers, and desktop for easy access.

Lock in this 100TB Internxt Cloud Storage lifetime subscription for only $999.99 (reg. $9,900) today.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

This flip phone offers fewer distractions for just $112

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Simplify your cell phone with this Kyocera DuraXE Epic E4830 Flip Phone, on sale now for just $111.99 (reg. $269.99) while supplies last.

Credit: Kyocera

Kyocera DuraXE Epic E4830 Flip Phone AT&T + GSM Unlocked (Refurbished)

$111.99
$269.99 Save $158

Sometimes it’s best to go back to basics. If you’ve been looking for an easier way to stay connected, with fewer distractions and more reliability, it may be time to return to a good old flip phone.

The Kyocera DuraXE Epic E4830 Flip Phone gives you a simple way to stay connected, and right now you can snag one for only $111.99 (reg. $269.99).

Mashable Deals

Be the first to know!

Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone!

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It’s time to step away from the apps. We need to stay connected to our loved ones, but that doesn’t have to come with a device that keeps you doomscrolling until midnight. The Kyocera DuraXE Epic E4830 Flip Phone makes it easier to talk and text, while remaining rugged enough to keep up with your busy life.

Our smartphones today aren’t exactly life-proof. From shattered screens to water incompatibility, it’s easy for one to be out of commission. But you don’t have to worry about this Kyocera DuraXE; it’s shock-resistant and ready to withstand drops, dust, and even water exposure.

The Kyocera DuraXE’s battery offers 10 hours of talk time and 16 days of standby time. When you need to power it back up, it charges via USB-C. The battery is also removable, so it can be swapped on the go for longer device life.

While this flip phone simplifies your communication, it’s not slacking in the power department. A 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 215 processor can keep up with your calls, messages, and other basic phone functions.

You can use this phone with AT&T, or if you’re with another carrier, it’s GSM-compatible. It has a 5MP camera to snap photos, and you can save them with 16GB of storage. The Kyocera DuraXE also offers expandable memory support up to 512GB via microSD if you need it.

You’re saving big on this Kyocera DuraXE thanks to its Grade A refurbished rating, which means it will arrive on your doorstep in near-mint condition while you score the low price.

Snag a Kyocera DuraXE Epic E4830 Flip Phone for only $111.99 today.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Legos huge Insiders Days event is live — freebies, deals, and extra loyalty points on offer

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 08:54:27 +0000

An advertiser paid for editorial consideration of this deal. Our editorial experts vetted the deal based on our independent expertise. Because we determined that the deal will save money for the consumer, we wrote the content.

Whether you're the parent of a Lego-obsessed child or an avid builder and collector yourself, there's no better time to shop for new sets than the Lego Insiders Days event.

Conceived of as a thank-you to Lego loyalists, the Insiders Days sale runs from July 9-12 and unlocks special privileges for Lego Insiders including exclusive sets, special discounts, and double or even quadruple the usual loyalty points on select offers. There are even special perks you can unlock with each order, from free shipping on orders over $35 to special gift sets unlocked with purchases over $100 (a Lego Airplane) or $180 (a Lego Sea Serpent ship).

Not a member yet? No problem: you can sign up here to unlock access to the sales event. Being a member is totally free (though you must be 18+ to register) and a no-brainer if you like Lego and want to be rewarded for every new purchase or gain access to member-exclusive sets.

Here are some of our favorite Insiders Days picks for Lego builders of all ages and abilities:

Team Spidey Webquarters

Credit: LEGO

Team Spidey Webquarters

$49.99 at LEGO

Suitable for ages: 2+

If you're shopping for a toddler, safety and simplicity are your top priorities, followed by something that appeals to their imagination. We love this Team Spidey Webquarters set, inspired by the popular kids show Spidey and His Amazing Friends. This 65-piece set features miniatures of Spidey, Miles Morales, and their arch-nemesis Rhino, plus two vehicles — Rhino's Wrecker and a motorbike, as well as a host of fun, thematic accessories, from a giant web to a full pizza. Your toddler can recreate scenes from the show or imagine new adventures for these budding superheros.

Buy now for $49.99 at LEGO.com

Moon Mission Science Kit

Credit: LEGO

Moon Mission Science Kit

$49.99 at LEGO

Suitable for ages: 8+

This relatively simple set, suitable for young children, nonetheless allows parents to teach some pretty complex concepts to their kids, and maybe even instill in them a love of science. It centers around two astronaut figurines and a space ship, with plenty of accessory pieces like a lunar greenhouse and a launchpad with a moving lever that are sure to stoke imaginations and encourage exploration and problem solving.

Buy now for $49.99 at LEGO.com

Elphaba & Glinda Figures from Wicked

Credit: LEGO

Elphaba & Glinda Figures

$54.99 at LEGO

Suitable for ages: 10+

Part musical, part fantasy adventure, Wicked has been nothing short of a sensation, and fans of the movie will love this Elphaba and Glinda figurine set. Don't be fooled by the seemingly simple setup: each figurine comes with moving limbs and multiple accessories, including Glinda's tiara and handbag and Elphaba's broom and witch's hat. There's even a hidden QR code that, once scanned, lets users sing along to the movie's hallmark song, "Defying Gravity."

Buy now for $54.99 at LEGO.com

Dinosaur Fossils: Tyrannosaurus rex

Credit: LEGO

Dinosaur Fossils: Tyrannosaurus rex

$249.99 at LEGO

Suitable for ages: 18+

Inspired by the Jurassic Park film franchise and featuring history's most famous apex predator, this Tyrannosaurus rex fossil set features more than 3,000 pieces plus two figurines based on characters from the first film. Once built, this 1:12 scale model stands more than 12.5 inches/33 centimeters tall and would complement any desk or bookshelf. Lego even included a plaque with important dino facts as well as some film references hidden in the display stand.

Buy now for $249.99 at LEGO.com

Hogsmeade Village – Collectors' Edition

Credit: LEGO

Hogsmeade Village – Collectors' Edition

$399.99 at LEGO

Suitable for ages: 18+

Every true Harry Potter fan has spent some time daydreaming about a stroll through the winter wonderland that is Hogsmeade Village, so being able to bring the set to life through Lego is incredible. And with more than 3,000 individual pieces, three buildings and 12 figurines, there's an endless variety of possible scenarios to play out in your mind, from a shopping trip to Zonko’s Joke Shop or a shared pint of Butterbeer at the Hog's Head pub. Iconic characters featured in this set include Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Dumbledore and Draco Malfoy, but one of the set's best features is its two-way design: from the front, you get the exterior of each building, but flip it around and you get a cutout view into the interior, where the real magic happens.

Buy now for $399.99 at LEGO.com

OpenAIs GPT-Live can keep a real conversation

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 08:45:14 +0000

OpenAI's ChatGPT revolutionized the artificial intelligence industry with an intelligent bot that can chat with you. However, chatting with ChatGPT (as with most competitor models) doesn't feel like a real conversation; it's more of a Q&A session with a really knowledgeable nerd.

On Wednesday, OpenAI launched GPT-Live, a new model that has a "full-duplex architecture," allowing it to listen and speak at the same time. This enables it to keep a far more realistic conversation, including giving you faster answers, and letting you know it's paying attention with an occasional "mhmm."

We haven't been able to test it out yet, though OpenAI posted a video showing the model's capabilities. The conversation does sound more natural, though the additional chatter probably takes some getting used to.

Google has a similar feature called Gemini Live, which can also keep up a longer conversation, though it doesn't seem to be as chatty as GPT-Live.

OpenAI says GPT-Live is the smartest voice model it has launched. Currently, it uses GPT-5.5 in the background, but the company says that will be "continuously updated" as new models are released. This is notable, as OpenAI is scheduled to launch its most powerful model yet, GPT-5.6, today.

Right now, GPT-Live is being rolled out to users globally, in two flavors: GPT-Live-1 and GPT-Live-1 mini (it's not yet available for us). OpenAI says it'll bring these models to its API "soon."

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

NYT Mini crossword answers, hints for July 9, 2026

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 06:21:26 +0000

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

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

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

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

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Thursday, July 9, 2026:

Across

Something to look for while circling the block

The answer is Spot.

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

Grow weary

The answer is Tire.

This clue number x 2

The answer is Dozen.

Rice-shaped pasta

The answer is Orzo.

December 25th, for short

The answer is Xmas.

Down

Calm before the ___

The answer is Storm.

Favorite food of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The answer is Pizza.

Black-and-white cookies

The answer is Oreos.

(This clue number x 2) + 2

The answer is Ten.

Release personal information about, informally

The answer is Dox.

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 the latest Mini Crossword.

Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on July 9

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 06:18:49 +0000

The Moon has now entered its final stretch of the lunar cycle before the New Moon. Over the next few nights, the illuminated portion visible from Earth will continue to decrease until it disappears completely from view.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Thursday, July 9, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon phase is in its Waning Crescent phase, with 34% of its surface visible.

Tonight when you look up without any visual aids you'll see just the Oceanus Procellarum and the Kepler Crater. With binoculars or a telescope, you'll see this plus the Grimaldi Basin, Mare Humorum, and the Gassendi Crater.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on July 29.

What are Moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes roughly 29.5 days to orbit Earth, passing through eight distinct phases during that time. While the same hemisphere of the Moon is always turned toward Earth, the portion lit by the Sun changes as it moves along its orbit. This shifting illumination makes the Moon look like it’s changing shape over the course of the month, cycling through crescents, quarter phases, and the bright Full Moon. This regular sequence is known as the lunar cycle.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hurdle hints and answers for July 9, 2026

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

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

A ringed treat.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

DONUT

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Hello!

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

HOWDY

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Copy.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

CLONE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Sway.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

SWING

Final Hurdle hint

A chump.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

PATSY

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

NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 9, 2026

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 02:00:00 +0000

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you watch 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.

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

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

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

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

Yellow: Hit it with a net
Green: Pro wideouts
Blue: Lacrosse
Purple: How to spell FIFA

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

Yellow: Racket/Paddle Sports
Green: NFL Wide Receivers
Blue: Lacrosse Terms
Purple: FIFA

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 #653 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

Racket/Paddle Sports: BADMINTON, PADEL, SQUASH, TENNIS
NFL Wide Receivers: HIGGINS, LAMB, OLAVE, WADDLE
Lacrosse Terms: CLEAR, CRADLE, CREASE, RIDE
FIFA: ASSOCIATION, FOOTBALL, FEDERATION, INTERNATIONALE

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 the latest Connections.

NYT Pips hints, answers for July 9, 2026

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 02:00:00 +0000

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

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

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

How to play Pips

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

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

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

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

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

Easy difficulty hints, answers for July 9 Pips

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

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 2-3, placed vertically; 1-5, placed vertically; 4-0, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 4-0, placed horizontally; 6-4, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 6-4, placed vertically; 4-5, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 51-5, placed vertically; 4-5, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for July 9 Pips

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 6-2, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 4-3, placed vertically; 6-2, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (7): Everything in this space must be greater than 7. The answer is 6-4, placed vertically.

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically; 1-5, placed horizontally.

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

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

Hard difficulty hints, answers for July 9 Pips

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 4-0, placed horizontally.

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

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

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

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 22-3, placed vertically.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Greater Than (7): Everything in this space must be greater than 7. The answer is 3-1, placed horizontally; 5-4, placed vertically.

Number (6): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 6. The answer is 5-4, placed vertically; 2-6, placed horizontally.

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

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

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

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

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for July 9, 2026

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 02:00:00 +0000

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

What is Connections?

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

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

Yellow: Sober
Green: Media outlets
Blue: Floor coverings
Purple: Car types

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: Non-alcoholic designators
Green: Music publications
Blue: Kinds of rugs
Purple: Pontiac models

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 #1124 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

Non-alcoholic designators: NA, SPIRIT-FREE, VIRGIN, ZERO-PROOF
Music publications: BILLBOARD, PITCHFORK, ROLLING STONE, SPIN
Kinds of rugs: PERSIAN, PRAYER, SHAG, THROW
Pontiac models: FIREBIRD, G6, GRAND PRIX, TRANS AM

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.

NYT Strands hints, answers for July 9, 2026

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 02:00:00 +0000

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you love a full beat.

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: On the lips

The words are related to beauty.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe mouth makeup.

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 Kiss and Makeup.

NYT Strands word list for July 9

Stick
Liner
Stain
Gloss
Kiss and Makeup
Balm
Tint
Plumper

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.

Wordle today: Answer, hints for July 9, 2026

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 02:00:00 +0000

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

Where did Wordle come from?

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?

What happened to the Wordle archive?

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 change.

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 A.

The Wordle answer today is...

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

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

AMEND

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.

Obsession is now available to watch on digital. When will it be streaming?

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 22:46:17 +0000

YouTuber turned feature filmmaker Curry Barker's indie horror movie Obsession has been a surprise hit of the season. Not only has it surpassed box office expectations, raking in over $400 million globally, but it has also become the highest-grossing Focus Features film ever.

The best ways to watch 'Obsession' at a glance:

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Leading lady Inde Navarrette's performance as Nikki has been celebrated by audiences and critics alike (including Mashable's own Kristy Puchko). Even horror icon Stephen King said he can't stop thinking about the film's blend of horror and humor.

If you missed out on the twisted flick in theaters, it's officially available to watch at home this month. But you'll have to hold off a little longer for its streaming debut. Here are all the details you need to know to watch Obsession.

What is Obsession about?

Obsession is a classic case of "be careful what you wish for." It follows lonely young man Bear (Michael Johnston) who's ~~crushing on~~ obsesssing over his friend Nikki (Navarrette). He's not very skilled in talking to women, let alone dating, so when he gets his hands on a "One Wish Willow" that promises to make his dream come true, he wishes for Nikki to love him more than anyone else. As you can imagine, things don't go as planned.

Check out the official trailer below.

How to watch Obsession at home

Credit: Focus Features

As of June 30, Obsession is available to watch at home. You can buy it or rent it at digital-on-demand retailers for as low as $19.99, or you can wait a little while to stream it on Peacock. See all the details below.

Buy or rent it on digital

A little over a month after its theatrical release, Obsession made its digital debut on June 30, 2026. That means you can buy or rent the movie from on-demand retailers. If you choose to rent, you'll get 30 days to watch the film and just 48 hours to finish it once you start. If you choose to buy it, then it's yours to keep and watch forever.

Here are some quick links to rent or purchase the film:

Apple TV — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99
Fandango at Home — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99
Google Play — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99
Prime Video — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99
YouTube — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99

Stream it on Peacock

While we don't have an exact streaming release date yet for Obsession, we do know that it will make its debut on Peacock. The NBC Universal streaming service is the first stop for Focus Features films out of the theater. Based on other recent Focus Features films (Song Sung Blue, Hamnet, Bugonia), we can make an educated guess that Obsession will be streaming in August 2026 on Peacock.

Note that Focus Features' licensing deal gives Netflix a 10-month streaming window after the film's initial Peacock debut, before sending it back to Peacock. If you have a Netflix subscription, you could wait a little longer and stream Obsession without having to sign up for another service.

While the cheapest Peacock subscription costs just $7.99 per month, it unfortunately won't grant you access to theatrical releases. Instead, you'll need at least Peacock Premium, which costs $10.99 per month. Before you sign up, be sure to check out the best ways to save some money on a subscription below.

The best Peacock streaming deals

Best Peacock deal: Save up to $33 on an annual subscription

Credit: Peacock

Peacock Premium annual subscription

$109.99 per year or $169.99 per year (save 17%)

Paying for a year of Peacock Premium or Premium Plus up front can save you up to $33.89. Premium (with ads) costs $10.99 monthly, which adds up to $131.88. If you pay for the annual plan, however, it'll only cost you $109.99 — a savings of $21.89.

Likewise, the Premium Plus plan costs $16.99 per month, which adds up to $203.88. The annual plan, on the other hand, costs just $169.99 — a savings of $33.89. You'll essentially be getting two months of streaming for free by opting for an annual subscription.

Best Peacock deal for Xfinity customers: Free Peacock Premium for eligible accounts

Credit: Peacock / Xfinity

Peacock Premium

Free for select Xfinity customers

If you're an Xfinity customer, there's a good chance you can get Peacock for free. Here's a breakdown of who is eligible (head to Xfinity.com for more details):

Xfinity Internet customers who are Diamond or Platinum Xfinity Rewards members can get Peacock Premium for free by redeeming a reward for it. Sign in at xfinity.com/rewards and choose Peacock as a reward. Then, wait for your email (it may take a few hours) with instructions on activating the offer.
NOW TV customers can also receive Peacock Premium as part of their service.
New customers with Xfinity Internet and an X1 TV Box, Flex streaming TV Box, or a Xumo Stream Box from Xfinity can get Peacock Premium for free for six months.

Best Peacock deal for students and young adults: Save $5/month for one year

Credit: Peacock

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$5.99/month for 12 months (save $5/month)

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Peacock Premium for young adults

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Both students and young adults (ages 18 to 24) can take $5 per month off a Peacock Premium subscription all year long. Verify your student status or age through SheerID, and you'll receive a unique promo code to knock the price down to just $5.99 instead of $10.99. Just note that once the promo year is up, you'll be charged full price unless you cancel.

Best for first responders, medical professionals, military, and teachers: Save $4/month

Credit: Peacock

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$6.99 per month (save $4 per month)

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Peacock Premium for Military

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Peacock Premium for Teachers

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First responders, medical professionals, teachers, and military personnel can all unlock Peacock Premium subscriptions (with ads) for a discounted rate of $6.99 per month by verifying professional status through SheerID. Those who continue to meet verification qualifications can renew their subscription at a discounted rate each year. Prices are subject to change year to year.

Best for Instacart users: Free Peacock Premium with Instacart+ subscription

Credit: Instacart / Peacock

Peacock Premium annual subscription

Free for Instacart+ subscribers (save $109.99/year)

An Instacart+ membership ($99.99 per year) unlocks a free Peacock Premium subscription ($109.99 per year value) on top of free grocery delivery, lower fees, and credit back on eligible pickup orders. You'll even get a free two-week trial to kick things off. If you time your trial to match up with the release of Obsession on Peacock, you can easily watch it for free. Just be sure to cancel before you're charged the full amount. We recommend setting a calendar alert to remind you.

Best for Walmart shoppers: Free Peacock Premium for Walmart+ members

Credit: Walmart

Walmart+

$98 per year

One of the best ways to score streaming services for free is by signing up for a Walmart+ membership. With a $98 Walmart+ subscription, you can choose either Peacock Premium or Paramount+ Essential as a free perk — and you can switch every few months. Since Peacock Premium is a $109.99 value, the $98 Walmart+ membership is already a better deal than paying for Peacock on its own. Of course, you'll also get free shipping with no order minimums, fuel discounts, a Scan & Go checkout tool, and early access to deals during Walmart's major shopping events.

Transfer files of any size for life for a one-time $80 through July 19

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 22:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Send unlimited files of any size with lifetime access to Transfr Pro for $79.97 through July 19.

Credit: Drime

Transfr Pro Fast & Secure File Transfer Subscriptions: Lifetime Subscription

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If your work involves large files, you’ve probably run into upload limits, expired download links, or another monthly subscription just to send a project. Transfr Pro takes a simpler approach: unlimited file transfers, professional sharing tools, and a one-time payment instead of recurring fees.

Through July 19, you can get lifetime access to Transfr Pro Fast & Secure File Transfer for a one-time $79.97 (reg. $499).

Designed for freelancers, photographers, videographers, agencies, designers, and anyone who regularly shares large files, Transfr Pro lets you send files of any size without the restrictions that often come with traditional file-sharing services. Instead of juggling multiple upload services, everything happens in one browser-based platform.

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It also goes beyond basic file delivery. Built-in Send & Track analytics show when recipients view or download your files, along with transfer activity and visitor locations. If you’re waiting on client feedback or confirming a delivery, those extra insights can save a few follow-up emails.

Files are protected with end-to-end encryption, and the platform runs on GDPR-compliant European infrastructure developed by the team behind Drime. You can also customize transfer pages with your own branding, preview supported files before download, and store shared files for up to 60 days.

One thing worth noting: this isn’t a cloud storage replacement for long-term archiving. It’s designed primarily for fast, professional file delivery and collaboration.

If you regularly send creative projects, presentations, videos, or other oversized files, Transfr Pro offers a practical alternative to subscription-based transfer services.

Get lifetime access to Transfr Pro for a one-time payment of $79.97 (reg. $499) through July 19.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Justin Bieber is joining FIFA’s first-ever World Cup final halftime show

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 21:38:52 +0000

FIFA officially has Bieber fever.

The World Cup governing body and the action platform Global Citizen announced July 8 that Justin Bieber will co-headline the World Cup final halftime show on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium. He'll share the stage with Madonna, Shakira, and BTS in support of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.

The 11-minute show will also feature Burna Boy, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, and the PS22 Chorus, the Staten Island elementary school choir, performing alongside Coldplay. The show is also set to feature Sesame Street characters, including Kermit, Miss Piggy, and other Muppets, as part of the broadcast's education-focused message. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin is curating the performance.

"The FIFA World Cup brings the world together in a way nothing else can," Bieber said in a statement. "I'm grateful to be part of this Halftime Show, and even more grateful knowing it's already helping expand access to education for children around the world."

The halftime show is the first of its kind in FIFA World Cup history. While major soccer events often include opening ceremonies or pre-match performances, FIFA is introducing a halftime performance for this year's final.

The show will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which is raising $100 million to expand access to education and soccer for children worldwide. According to Global Citizen, the fund has already raised more than $50 million. Throughout the tournament, $1 from every ticket sold to FIFA World Cup 2026 matches is being donated to the fund.

Bieber's addition expands a lineup that already included several major global artists. Madonna, Shakira, and BTS were previously announced as headliners for the show back in May, while Burna Boy brings another connection to the tournament through "Dai Dai," the official song of the 2026 World Cup, which he performs with Shakira.

"The FIFA World Cup is one of the few moments that truly brings the entire world together," Burna Boy said in a statement. "To represent Africa on the first-ever FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show is a privilege and a responsibility that I don’t take lightly."

The announcement has not been universally embraced, especially among soccer fans who already feel this World Cup has been "Americanized," especially with the addition of brand-sponsored hydration breaks that interrupt the usual rhythm of matches. Adding a Super Bowl-style performance in the middle of the New Jersey final feels, to some, like another step in that direction.

That experiment will get its first test next week, and FIFA is hoping they don't have to say "Sorry."

Google saw record-breaking number of searches after Messi and Argentinas comeback World Cup win

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 21:33:23 +0000

Between match attendance and the sheer number of viewers watching at home or at fan events, there's no doubt that this year's World Cup is going to break many records.

However, this latest record-breaking achievement from the 2026 World Cup is truly astonishing.

According to Google, Google Search saw its highest usage ever on Tuesday immediately after Argentina scored the winning goal in its comeback victory against Egypt in the World Cup Round of 16 match. This moment surpassed all prior Google Search usage periods in the company's near-28 year history.

"Google Search broke all prior usage records and saw its highest usage in history right after Argentina scored their winning goal in yesterday’s match!" said Google SVP of Knowledge & Information Nick Fox alongside the exploding head emoji in a post on X.

Google confirmed to Mashable that the measure is based on the number of search queries per second that occurred on its search engine during the game, immediately following Argentina's third goal.

Argentina, the defending World Cup champions, were on the brink of elimination as Messi and the rest of the team were losing 2-0 up until the 79th minute of the game. Argentina pulled off a miraculous comeback, scoring three goals within 14 minutes, with the winning goal scored in the third minute of extra time after the 90th minute.

Google tells Mashable that the top search query after Argentina’s winning goal was “argentina vs egypt,” with users ostensibly searching for results of the match.

Google also shared global Google Trends data with Mashable that shows other search queries that contributed to the record-breaking Google Search usage after Argentina's third goal.

In addition to “argentina vs egypt,” these queries include:

argentina x colombia
how many world cup goals does messi have
who else is playing in the world cup today
how many world cups have argentina won
what is it called when a player hits another player in game
is it messi's last world cup
where is the final world cup game being played
how many assists does messi have in world cup 2026
who is the best football player in the world
who will argentina play in the world cup

As you can see, there was clearly lots of interest in Messi specifically, who scored the second goal and was credited with the assist for the first goal. Messi's goal was his eighth overall in this World Cup tournament so far. Also, based on the search data, it appears many users thought Argentina would go on to face Colombia next. However, later that day, Switzerland eliminated Colombia in penalties.

There is still plenty of World Cup left — and plenty more records to potentially break — with four quarterfinal matches, two semifinals, and then the final game left to go.

Argentina will now face Switzerland next on Saturday, July 11.

The Odyssey sails into rave reviews and online backlash

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 19:43:44 +0000

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey has finally completed its first voyage in front of critics, and the early reaction is basically: find the biggest screen near you.

The first social reactions to Nolan's adaptation of Homer's epic arrived after the film's London world premiere and early press screenings. The movie, shot entirely with IMAX film cameras, opens in theaters July 17.

That last part is not just marketing copy. The Odyssey is the first feature film shot entirely with IMAX cameras, and Nolan's commitment to scale appears to be a major part of the early conversation. The nearly three-hour film was shot across six countries, including Morocco, Greece, and Iceland, with real ships, practical effects, and large-scale crowd scenes. Matt Damon, who stars as Odysseus, called the experience "much harder than anything I've ever done."

The movie follows Odysseus after the Trojan War as he tries to return home to Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and their son, Telemachus (Tom Holland). Along the way, because this is The Odyssey, there are gods, monsters, witches, temptation, punishment, and the kind of journey that has been tormenting high school English students for generations.

Zendaya plays Athena, while the stacked ensemble also includes Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, John Leguizamo, Jon Bernthal, Samantha Morton, Himesh Patel, Elliot Page, and Benny Safdie.

Early reactions suggest Nolan has leaned fully into both the myth and the machinery needed to make it feel enormous, with the cast matching the scale around them. Holland, Damon, Hathaway, Leguizamo, Pattinson, and Nyong’o have all received praise for their performances.

For movie lovers online, the first reactions are exactly what they were hoping to hear.

Not every reaction around The Odyssey has been glowing. Before the first critical reactions arrived, Nolan's film had already become the latest blockbuster pulled into an online fight over casting, historical accuracy, and what counts as loyalty to a centuries-old text.

Some of the backlash has focused on the film's ensemble, including Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy, Elliot Page as Sinon, Himesh Patel as Eurylochus, and Travis Scott as a bard. Right-wing commentators have accused Nolan of modernizing the story too aggressively, with Elon Musk repeatedly criticizing the film's casting and claiming Nolan had "desecrated" Homer's epic to appeal to awards voters, prompting a response from Tom Holland (the historian, not the actor).

Other complaints have been about the film's look and language, including costumes some viewers called anachronistic, American accents, and Holland's Telemachus referring to Odysseus as his "dad." Nyong'o, for her part, has defended Nolan's approach, stating she supports "the version of this story that he is telling" and that the cast is "representative of the world" in a recent interview. Notably, Nolan has cited Emily Wilson's more modern 2017 translation of the Greek epic as one of his many inspirations.

All of this buzz, both good and bad, arrives with unusually high expectations. The Odyssey is Nolan's follow-up to Oppenheimer, the 2023 blockbuster that won Best Picture and turned a talky, three-hour biographical drama about J. Robert Oppenheimer into a genuine pop-cultural event (with a little help from Barbie). The Odyssey cost $250 million to make, and box office forecasters expect it to open between $80 million and $130 million in the U.S. and Canada.

The hype has been building for a while. Select IMAX tickets went on sale a year in advance and were snapped up quickly. Now that the first reactions are out, the message from critics and film journalists is fairly consistent: This is not the movie to casually half-watch later on a laptop while answering emails.

Odysseus may be trying to get home, but we'll be trekking toward the nearest IMAX.

Erling Haaland is somehow a Love and Deepspace star now

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 19:39:35 +0000

Erling Haaland has become one of the 2026 World Cup’s biggest characters in China, and not just because he keeps scoring.

The Norwegian striker has spent the past few weeks dominating the field, terrifying defenders, and helping push Norway deep into the 2026 FIFA World Cup. But online, especially on Chinese social media, he has become many other things: a “Nordic Cyborg,” Majin Buu, a goofy giant, a Viking warrior, and, somehow, the romantic lead on Love and Deepspace.

The fixation has been building for weeks. In early June, Haaland became a global brand ambassador for Walovi, the international arm of Wang Lao Ji, a popular Chinese herbal drink brand. The campaign featured Haaland speaking Mandarin in scenes built around football, summer heat, and a jingle that plays on the sound of his name.

Chinese fans quickly ran with it.

Since joining Weibo, China’s major microblogging platform, and Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, a month ago, Haaland has amassed over 1 million followers on Weibo and more than 5 million on Douyin. Hashtags related to the striker have also generated hundreds of millions of views on Weibo, where fans have been clipping his ads, remixing his image, and turning him into a running joke.

A lot of the appeal comes from how different Haaland is on the field versus online. On the field, he’s a 6-foot-5 Manchester City forward with a mechanical scoring record. Online, Chinese fans have nicknamed these two personalities: “Nordic Cyborg” on the pitch, and “Habao” or “Baby Ha” off of it.

One of the most unexpected versions of Halaand has been...a digital love interest? The popular Chinese sci-fi romance mobile game Love and Deepspace lets players form relationships with fictional male characters, and fan-made Haaland posts have styled him like a collectible love interest and comparing him to the characters players already know.

The romance-game jokes are only one corner of the larger Haaland meme boom in China. Fans have also turned him into a Viking, an anime hero, and the subject of song edits built around his name. One popular fan song, “Haaland (Ha Ha Ha),” is set to the tune of “Moskau,” the 1979 track by German Eurodisco group Dschinghis Khan.

These aren't the only versions of Haaland circulating online.

Last week, a video circulated on X appearing to show Haaland sitting in a restaurant, eating, then flinching at his own reflection. One post sharing the clip racked up more than 31 million views in a matter of days. The video was debunked — fact checkers traced the original footage to a slapstick skit by Chinese comedian Jin Long, posted to TikTok in mid-June, with Haaland’s face later swapped in using AI.

But, Haaland himself makes these digital depictions easier to believe. His own social media presence is famously unpolished, especially on Snapchat, where he posts casual selfies, filters, jokes, Q&As, and strange little updates that give fans more material to work with.

He also engages in many of the memes, leaving comments on edits and AI footage.

He is not the only footballer getting AI treatment. Videos have reimagined Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, and David Beckham as K-pop idols, complete with idol styling and choreography.

There is plenty more content that has kept the internet entertained during the past few weeks of back-to-back World Cup programming, some with full scripts.

At this point, the World Cup has a knockout bracket and a fan-edit bracket. Haaland seems to be doing pretty well in both.

Meta Ray-Ban glasses brick the camera if you mess with recording light

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 19:31:34 +0000

Meta smart glasses automatically disable recording if users attempt to disable the devices' recording indicator light, the company has revealed in the wake of mounting privacy concerns.

Announced in a blog post on July 7, the safety feature detects when a user has tampered with or covered the wearable's capture LED, a blinking white light on the edge of the frame that alerts others the wearer is using the glasses' camera.

If the light is no longer visible, Meta says, the glasses will disable use of the camera until the device detects the light is visible again.

The safety feature is available immediately on second generation devices. It will roll out across the line of wearables — including the new Meta Glasses by Kylie line — and is mandatory for all device users.

Mark Zuckerberg's company is also going after third-party sellers who advertise devices with disabled LEDs, including banning accounts on Meta platforms.

Meta's line of sleek smart glasses have sparked online debate about the ethics of filming others in public without their express consent. On the one hand, the glasses' hands-free video has revolutionized content creation, making it easier than ever to film yourself on the go. But on the other, they have led to a sub-genre of content featuring rampant harassment of people, mainly women, in public spaces.

Critics note the easy-to-miss LED is a key problem, and have urged Meta to update its devices with more explicit indicators.

But in the blog post, Meta explained its rationale for the small white light — which offers the "best combination of visibility and [user] experience" during both day and night filming.

As for why the device couldn't make a recording sound audible to anyone in the vicinity of a recording? "It’s simply not practical to make that sound be heard at a distance," claims the company.

New Meta AI tool lets users alter photos on public Instagram accounts

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 18:58:08 +0000

Meta is facing a fresh wave of criticism over a new AI image generator — which encourages users to generate AI images using other people's public photos.

On Tuesday, Facebook and Instagram's parent company, Meta, introduced an AI tool called Muse Image, created by its AI division, Superintelligence Labs.

Muse Image is available via Meta's AI app, as well as WhatsApp and Instagram Stories. According to Meta, Muse Image "uses advanced reasoning to understand complex prompts, seamlessly blending multiple photos into high-quality creations you can download and share anywhere."

So far, so normal — but the AI image generator also lets users @ mention a specific Instagram account within the Meta AI app in order to add that Instagram account to the Muse Image creator.

In other words, Muse Image can add an Instagram user to their AI creations without the Instagram user's awareness.

"Tagging a username lets Meta AI use public photos to build a visual that’s ready to post," Meta says. Any public Instagram profile can be used by Muse Image, unless that user explicitly opts-out.

Not surprisingly, privacy experts and watchdog groups are criticizing Meta over the feature. The nonprofit consumer advocacy group Public Citizen called the feature "an egregious invasion of user privacy."

"Meta has once again chosen the creepiest possible path," said J.B. Branch, the Public Citizen's director of federal AI governance and technology policy, in a statement. "People should not wake up to discover their face has become raw material for someone else's AI experiment.

"This is another invasion of consumers' privacy. Instead of asking for meaningful consent, Meta quietly defaults users into the system and buries the opt-out in account settings. It’s a playbook we've come to expect from a company with a long history of putting its business interests ahead of the public."

How to opt-out of Meta's Muse Image

Speaking of opting-out, there are two ways to make sure your public Instagram images and likeness aren't used by the @ mention Muse Image feature.

If your Instagram profile is set to private, Instagram respects that privacy setting as Muse Image requires access to Instagram account's public photos in order for the tool to generate AI images. Muse Image will inform a user that they cannot use your Instagram account likeness if they try to @ mention your account to generate an image.

If you have a public Instagram profile, however, you do now need to opt-out in your account settings.

Open the Instagram app on your phone. Head to your Profile. From there, tap the menu button in the top-right hand corner and then tap on Sharing and Reuse. On that page, scroll down to the "Allow people to reuse your content on Instagram and with AI features at Meta" section.

There are two settings, Posts and Reels, each with their own toggle. Turn both of them off if you don't want Meta's AI tools to use either your Posts, which include images, or your Reels, in order to generate content for Muse Image.

Emmy snubs: Dropout gets overlooked for legacy and mediocrity

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 18:25:55 +0000

When it comes to Emmy snubs, the Mashable team is most dismayed by Dropout walking away with nothing in this morning's nominations.

Game Changer isn't just a program on Dropout; it's also a fitting description of the platform itself. CEO and game show host Sam Reich has been rewriting the rules of Hollywood with labor practices that include paying for auditions and profit-sharing. Plus, with his comedy collaborators, he's launched inventive TV shows like Game Changer, Dimension 20, and Very Important People.

And yet the Television Academy has recognized none of the above.

Earlier this year, for Mashable 101, I interviewed Dropout stars, including Reich, Brennan Lee Mulligan, and Vic Michaelis. As Michaelis said of the indie streamer's Emmy nomination potential, "It does really feel like we are at a tipping point right now."

Michaelis, who performs across several Dropout shows and hosts the comedy show Very Important People, noted, "The Oscars are moving to YouTube," and "There's a podcast category now for the Golden Globes. Things are starting to change."

So, what happened?

Why did Dropout get snubbed at the Emmys?

Last April, Variety reported that Dropout had submitted for 11 categories for the Emmy Awards. Very Important People was submitted for Outstanding Variety Series, and Michaelis for Lead Comedy Actress. Meanwhile, Game Changer pitched for Outstanding Game Show and Outstanding Host for a Game Show, for Reich. Other submissions were in the creative Emmys categories, including direction, costumes, make-up, and picture editing.

For Dropout fans, this seemed like a strong strategy. On Very Important People, Michaelis plays a version of themself who is a desperate journalist, seeking to impress at all costs. Each week, as they welcome a new surprise guest — a prosthetics-covered comedian who improvises a character "on the spot" — Michaels is challenged to create an arc with her collaborator, while keeping in character and going off the rails for comedy greatness wherever possible.

Who did get nominated for the Emmys Dropout was aiming for?

The make-up accomplishments alone should have made Very Important People a lock. But instead, the nominations for Outstanding Makeup For A Variety, Nonfiction Or Reality Program went to Dancing with the Stars, the Oscars, and Saturday Night Live. This hints at an issue critics of the Emmys have pointed to over and over: The Emmys favor legacy over innovation.

This year, the Emmy nominations for Outstanding Variety Series went to The Daily Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Last Week with John Oliver, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Saturday Night Live. Each is an institution for comedy, leaving no room for the new voices that are cracking up audiences.

Outstanding Game Show nominees include Celebrity Family Feud, Jeopardy!, The Price is Right, Wheel of Fortune, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Once more, all legacy shows.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series nominees are Quinta Brunson for Abbott Elementary, Ayo Edebiri for The Bear, Elle Fanning for Margo's Got Money Troubles, Lisa Kudrow for The Comeback, and Jean Smart for Hacks. None are underserving of this honor. But all are in more traditional comedy shows than what Michaelis creates with the VIP team.

Outstanding Host for a Game Show nominees include Steve Harvey for Celebrity Family Feud, Ken Jennings for Jeopardy!, Colin Jost for Pop Culture Jeopardy!, Jimmy Kimmel for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and Martin Short for Match Game. No real surprises, but also in this bunch, no one who hosted a different game every week and then unexpectedly became a contestant when his collaborators turned the tables. (See the epic "Samalamadingdong," and tell me Jost could pull that off.)

Dropout defies easy categorization.

In an interview with Mashable, Reich spoke about the challenge of picking episodes for submission that would get across what makes Game Changer special.

At the time, he said, "'Rulette' is a pretty good bet. It's very funny, [a] very well-celebrated episode. It's very in the spirit of our show, despite even feeling a little bit basic for the show. It's like a great introduction to our show, and it's almost traditional enough that your average Emmy voter could look at it and go like, 'Oh, I understand how this is a game show like the game shows I'm used to, and how it's different.'"

A similar debate went into where to submit Very Important People, a parody talk show. As Michaelis put it, "Do [our shows] fit perfectly into those boxes? No."

But as Dropout grows, it seems the Emmys are an almost inevitable next step. And some progress has been made for creator representation, as fellow Mash 101 honoree Kareem Rahma’s "Subway Takes" earned an nomination in "Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama Or Variety Series."

It took years for the Emmys to acknowledge the excellent shows coming out of streaming studios like Netflix over traditional broadcast programs. Now, indie streamers like Dropout are facing that same uphill climb. How will it take for the Television Academy to recognize the incredible craftsmanship, creativity, and comedy that's coming out of Dropout? At least one more year.

Glorious Dune: Part Three trailer teases Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya at war

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 18:00:37 +0000

Craving desert power with a side of devastation? Then you're in luck, because Warner Bros. has released a new trailer for Dune: Part Three.

The film concludes director Denis Villeneuve's acclaimed sci-fi trilogy, which took Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) from young duke to Emperor of the universe. His ascent was paved with bloodshed, and by the looks of the trailer, his reign is no less bloody. (Dune Messiah readers know that Paul and his followers' jihad claims a whopping 61 billion lives.)

Dune: Part Three takes place 17 years after the end of Dune: Part Two, which saw Paul become Emperor, meet his future wife Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh), and lose his lover Chani (Zendaya). In a huge deviation from Frank Herbert's novels, Chani fled into the desert after witnessing Paul's brutality, setting up a major rift between the two.

In addition to focusing on Paul and Chani's evolving relationship, Dune: Part Three brings several key new characters into the fold.

Irulan will take on a much more prominent role, as will Paul's sister Alia (Anya Taylor-Joy). Now an adult, Alia must reckon with the extraordinary powers she gained when her mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) drank the water of life while pregnant. Also joining the cast of characters is Face Dancer Scytale, who can shape-shift thanks to genetic alterations from the Bene Tleilax order, and who's apparently got a plan to kill Paul and usher in a regime change.

Finally, Jason Momoa returns, but not as the late Duncan Idaho. Instead, he's Hayt, an artificial human, or ghola, also created by the Bene Tleilax.

To witness these characters in action and witness what's next for Paul and Chani, check out the full trailer above.

Dune: Part Three hits theaters Dec. 18.

Connor Storries Emmy nod delights Heated Rivalry fans

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:41:22 +0000

Connor Storrie just earned his first Emmy nomination — but not for the role that turned him into one of the internet's newest heartthrobs.

The 26-year-old actor received the nod Wednesday for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. That was for hosting Saturday Night Live earlier this year.

While many fans had hoped to see Storrie recognized for his breakout performance as Ilya Rozanov in Heated Rivalry, the queer hockey drama wasn't actually eligible for the Primetime Emmys — because it was entirely financed in Canada.

Still, the nomination felt like a victory to fans, many of whom celebrated it as overdue recognition for an actor whose career has skyrocketed since Heated Rivalry premiered. Over the past year, Storrie has gone from breakout star to awards-season regular, appearing at the Golden Globes, making his Met Gala debut alongside co-star Hudson Williams, landing luxury campaigns with Saint Laurent and Tiffany & Co., and preparing for the show's anticipated second season.

While Heated Rivalry couldn't compete at the Emmys, it dominated Canada's awards season, taking home 16 Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Drama Series. Because Storrie is American, he wasn't eligible for an individual acting prize there either, making Wednesday's nomination his first major acting nomination tied to the Heated Rivalry era, even if it came through an unexpected role.

Fans were quick to celebrate the news, with many joking that the universe had found a loophole to honor the actor after Heated Rivalry was shut out of eligibility. They also declared they couldn't wait to watch "Emmy-nominated Connor Storrie" return for Heated Rivalry Season 2.

The excitement also reignited calls for broader recognition of Heated Rivalry, with fans lamenting that one of the year's most talked-about new dramas couldn't compete at the Emmys because of eligibility rules rather than a lack of acclaim.

The moment also seemed like a full circle for the actor, who spent his adolescent years uploading videos to YouTube under the name "Actorboy222," chronicling his ambitions of making it in Hollywood. On Wednesday, many pointed out that the younger version of Storrie had finally gotten the recognition he'd always dreamed about.

Whether or not Storrie takes home the trophy, the nomination marks another milestone in what's been a meteoric rise. With Heated Rivalry already renewed for a second season and production expected to begin soon — not to mention an A24 project in the works — fans won't have to wait long to see him back on screen, Emmy nominee status included.

Capture all the action this summer with 40% off the GoPro MAX2 Action Camera

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:09:38 +0000

SAVE $200.99: As of July 8, get the GoPro MAX2 Action Camera for $299 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $499.99. That's a discount of 40%.

Credit: Amazon

GoPro MAX2 Action Camera

$299 at Amazon
$499.99 Save $200.99

If you've been trying to figure out the best way to capture all your action-oriented footage this summer, your phone is a great option, but a GoPro is an even better one. There are several models out there, but we've found one that's on sale that you won't want to pass up.

As of July 8, get the GoPro MAX2 Action Camera for $299 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $499.99. That's $200.99 off and a discount of 40%.

No matter what you're getting up to throughout the rest of the summer, the GoPro MAX2 can be your constant companion. Not only can it film a 360-degree view in 8K resolution, but it's small enough to travel anywhere you do. Whether you're surfing, swimming, jogging, or climbing throughout the rest of the year, you can take it with you to capture every single feat you pull off.

Use the accompanying app to get the best possible footage, edit within the app, and put together a highlight reel of your perfect, active summer. And if you're planning on being by the water all season long, don't worry about getting it wet. It's durable and waterproof up to 5 meters, so you're covered.

This is a great way to share everything you're doing throughout the season, with a durable and perfectly portable camera that's built for an active lifestyle. You can use it long after summer has come and gone, so splurge on one now and see how you can capture some positively sweet footage all year round with it.

Skullcandys Crusher Evo headphones are down to $99.99 right now

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 16:31:55 +0000

SAVE 52%: As of July 8, you can get the Skullcandy Crusher Evo wireless Bluetooth headphones at Amazon for $99.99, down from $209.99.

Skullcandy Crusher Evo Wireless Over-Ear Headphone

$99.99 at Amazon
$209.99 Save $110.00

If you're looking for a pair of budget headphones that don't sound like budget headphones, you should check out Skullcandy. While I don't think everyone wants to physically feel their music vibrating against their head (especially if you're easily overstimulated), there's definitely a market for it.

Right now, you can get the Skullcandy Crusher Evo wireless Bluetooth headphones at Amazon for $99.99, down from $209.99. That's a 52% discount or $110 savings. It's also just a few bucks above their all-time low of $94.99.

These over-ear headphones feature patented "Multi-Sensory Crusher Bass Technology," which is just a fancy way of saying that they have extra dual bass drivers that let you physically feel your music and movies. If the idea of skull-rattling bass sounds a bit too intense, you can use the Skullcandy app to run a quick hearing analysis to auto-adjust the sound profile specifically for your ears.

The Crusher Evo are also built for travel; just fold them in half and throw them in your bag. You'll get up to 40 hours of battery life on a single charge, plus an additional four hours of listening time from a quick 10-minute charge. They also feature a built-in microphone and on-device buttons, so you can answer calls, adjust the volume, or skip tracks without pulling out your phone.

The Segway Navimow i110N robot lawn mower just dropped to a record-low price at Amazon — save over $500

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 16:26:53 +0000

SAVE $510: The Segway Navimow i110N robot lawn mower is on sale at Amazon for $789, down from the list price of $1,299. That's a 39% discount and the lowest price we've seen at Amazon.

Credit: Segway

Segway Navimow i110N robot lawn mower

$789 at Amazon
$1,299 Save $510

Life is short. Unless you get joy from mowing the lawn, it's a tedious task that genuinely never ends. In the same way that we've employed robot vacuums to keep the floors clean inside, a robot lawn mower can take care of keeping the grass well maintained outside. Check out this Amazon deal on a robot lawn mower.

As of July 8, the Segway Navimow i110N robot lawn mower is on sale at Amazon for $789, marked down from the list price of $1,299. That's a 39% discount that takes $510 off the normal price. It's the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon.

Without requiring a perimeter wire fence, the Segway Navimow will tackle mowing lawns of up to a quarter of an acre. It uses RTK+ vision to navigate its way around your yard, mowing to your desired height between 2 and 3.6 inches. Its cutting width measures 7.1 inches, and it'll mow for up to 120 minutes per charge.

From the app, you'll be able to set a mowing schedule, as well as monitor recharging status, and set up zones within your yard. Tell the Navimow to mow the backyard once a week and the side lawn once every 10 days. Plus, Segway mentions the maximum sound from the robot mower is just 58 decibels. For comparison, Segway says some push-style mowers reach 90 decibels.

Spend the rest of summer enjoying a well manicured lawn instead of working away on keeping it mowed. Since the Segway Navimow i110N robot lawn mower is on sale at Amazon for the lowest price we've ever seen, now is a great time to make the upgrade.

Evil Dead Burn review: Im so bored

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 16:26:47 +0000

From Nia DaCosta's 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, to Curry Barker's Obsession, to Sam Raimi's Send Help, and Lee Cronin's The Mummy, 2026 has had no shortage of gloppy, gory carnage for horror fans. But graphic violence and buckets of blood alone aren't enough to make for a satisfying or even scary film. Sadly, the team behind Evil Dead Burn missed the memo, which is wild because Raimi and Cronin are both producers on this one.

Evil Dead Burn director Sébastien Vaniček broke through in 2023 with Infested, a goosebump-inducing creature feature about a wickedly aggressive nest of spiders taking over an apartment building. For his crack at the Evil Dead franchise, Vaniček reteamed with his Infested co-writer Florent Bernard, crafting a story similarly vicious, violent, and thin on character development.

However, since the 2013 Fede Álvarez reboot of Evil Dead, the ties to the original trilogy have gotten thinner and thinner as this franchise limps along. Yes, the evil dead rise, beckoned by an ancient artifact. They cause chaos and lots of grisly assaults on everyday friends and family. And they may be beaten down, but they're never truly out — not as long as audiences will still come to theaters to see the barrage of blood, guts, and bile.

What is lost in these subsequent sequels are the humor and heart that Raimi and his leading man Bruce Campbell (also a producer on this sequel) brought to the original trilogy, to thrilling effect. Those movies were wild, not only for their outrageous violence but also for the sheer glee of their audacity.

Decades later, I can still remember the shock of seeing those trees chasing after Cheryl, the thrill of seeing Ash battle with himself in the mirror, and the excitement when his chainsaw arm revs into action. Yet all the sequels that followed lack this macabre silliness. This twisted glee keeps Raimi's filmmaking fresh even in 2026. (Again, see Send Help.) Without it, no matter what edgy horror filmmaker they plug and play into the franchise, the result is a sequel that feels tedious, gray, and soulless.

What's Evil Dead Burn about?

A Deadite stands on a boat in "Evil Dead Burn." Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Vaniček and Bernard thrust audiences into a nondescript rural vacation home, where an American family is grieving the loss of their eldest son, Will (George Pullar). With some help from a Deadite, Will dies in a car accident after fleeing a public argument with his French wife Alice (Souheila Yacoub) at their — uh — restaurant.

Okay, to be clear, his mom Susan (Tandi Wright) insists it's a restaurant. But the only scene set there begins with an extreme close-up on a Black woman's behind as she shakes it for the camera, which then tilts up to reveal a packed dance floor, flooded with writhing bodies, red mood lighting, and loud music. So, does Susan not know her son as well as she thinks she does? Or is Will's restaurant less about the French cuisine he reportedly adored and more about overpriced cocktails and nightclub vibes? It doesn't really matter because nothing in Evil Dead Burn does.

These movies are about the hapless folks who are plagued by Deadites, usually through an idle mistake or no fault of their own. Raimi has made magic with this premise even beyond the franchise. (Drag Me to Hell is still a wild ride.) In the case of Evil Dead Burn, Will's younger brother Joseph (Hunter Doohan) accidentally unearths a hidden artifact that awakens the evil dead. How? Well, he was doing research for his novel, of course!

Maude Davey in "Evil Dead Burn." Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Yes, it's a cliché that the sensitive guy is an aspiring author. Evil Dead Burn is full of such clichés, with little else to build character. So, we meet restaurateur/nightclub owner Will, who is belligerent to his French wife Alice, who we know is deep because she likes taking black-and-white photographs. And Joseph has a girlfriend Thya (Luciane Buchanan), who presumably has interests beyond him. But before we'll learn any of these, she's turned Deadite. C'est la mort.

Also in the mix are Joseph and Will's sneering mom Susan and glaring dad Edgar (Erroll Shand), and their one-legged grandmother Polly (Maude Davey), who has dementia. Polly might be intended for comic relief, but the closest she comes to a joke are bits about her memory loss and racism.

Souheila Yacoub is engaging, but can't elevate this mess of a movie.

Souheila Yacoub plays Alice in "Evil Dead Burn." Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Were the first three Evil Dead movies a mess? Absolutely. But Bruce Campbell, with a lantern-shaped jaw as outsized as his charisma, made that mess undeniably entertaining. He was electrifyingly alive in moments serious, scary, and deeply stupid. The vibe of Evil Dead Burn never allows Yacoub to showcase such range.

Instead, she is a woman gripped by grief and trauma, forced to play nice to in-laws who openly resent her — and then try to murder her with an array of homewares and power tools. Why does she stick around, even before the Deadite business begins? Evil Dead Burn will not even attempt to get that deep into a motivation. So, her in-laws spew not only spittle, blood, mashed potatoes, and more blood, but also vile sentiments about her and her not-so-loving relationship with Will.

There might have been a version of this where the barbs were witty in their cruelty, like in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? or Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? There might have been an execution where the characters felt distinct instead of people-shaped wallpaper, set up only to be torn to shreds. But Vaniček shows no interest in complexity, depth, or genre-bending.

The most lively moments of the film have nothing to do with the central characters. The film opens on a fishing trip, where two friends (Keanu Karim and Victory Ndukwe) razz each other before their hobby turns to homicide. Later, a carefree crematorium employee (Shyamal Singh) dances to a rap song while going about his duties, moments before being brutally slain offscreen. These are lively, enjoying laughs and something specific before being ripped into ribbons, which is more than can be said for the family at the film's core. However, it is troubling that all these tertiary characters set up for early slaughter are people of color, as is the first victim in the house, whose face is battered until all that's left is a row of teeth and mush of blood and brain.

Into all this, Yacoub brings a Final Girl resilience. To Vaniček's credit, he doesn't slide her into a skin-tight white tank top or otherwise offer an outfit that urges audiences to leer at her body, even as it's being abused. Dressed in a simple sweatsuit, she wears her weariness plain from the start, even at her husband's sparsely attended funeral. But as the family around her crumbles into pain or possession, she grits her teeth and drags us all through Evil Dead Burn's grueling final act. She's compelling. But a film so resolute in dealing in cliché and cruelty only gives her so much room to play, explore, or shine.

Raimi unknowingly built a sandbox in the 1981 Evil Dead, one he'd return to twice more, twisting horror into comedy, outrageousness, and epic action. He found his voice in those films. But given the same chance, a new generation of horror filmmakers (Fede Álvarez with 2013's Evil Dead, Lee Cronin with Evil Dead Rise, and now Sébastien Vaniček with Evil Dead Burn) have delivered movies that are mean, ugly, and lifeless. They are more interested in shocking than they are provoking us to revel in the weird space where humor and horror collide. Instead, they are just a pastiche that lacks the color, creativity, and verve of the original trilogy. So, yeah, I'm bored.

Evil Dead Burn opens in theaters on July 10.

Store all your important files for less with 10% off a Lexar ES3 1TB External SSD

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 16:19:45 +0000

SAVE $17: As of July 8, get the Lexar ES3 1TB External SSD for $152.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $169.99. That's a discount of 10%.

Credit: Amazon

Lexar ES3 1TB External SSD

$152.99 at Amazon
$169.99 Save $17

When it comes to computer components like RAM and hard drives, everything's getting a little more expensive here and there. So if you're looking for storage that you can use to keep all your important files, photos, or games on, it's good to hop on it while it's still affordable. Luckily, if you're in the need of a hard drive for some expandable space but don't want to have to install it internally, you can snap up a deal from Lexar through Amazon right now that should buy you a bit more time before you're out of space completely.

As of July 8, get the Lexar ES3 1TB External SSD for $152.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $169.99. That's $17 off and a discount of 10%.

This 1TB hard drive is external, so it doesn't need to be installed. You can also tote it around or store it wherever is convenient when you're not using it. It features high-speed data transfer speeds with 1050MB/s read speeds and 1000MB/s write speeds, so transferring files is quick and easy work.

If you don't plan on using it as a more permanent external fixture with your computer at home, this is a great portable opton as well. It's thin, lightweight, and attractive at just 42k and 10.5mm tickness. It's smaller than a card and can fit in your pocket for easy transportation -- just throw it in a bag and go. And if you're concerned about needing encryption for your files, it uses Lexar DataShield 256-bit AES encryption so all your documents are safe within.

Whether you just need a bit more leeway with how you store things or you're hitting critical mass with your computer, more storage is never a bad idea. Be sure to grab one before this Lightning Deal comes to an end.

Grieving people prefer AI bots that speak as dead loved ones, study suggests

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 16:19:22 +0000

A new study from the University of Colorado Boulder examined how people emotionally engage with "generative ghosts" — AI chatbots trained to simulate deceased loved ones.

The study found that users generally preferred bots that spoke as the deceased in the first person ("reincarnation") over those that merely described them ("representation"), despite acknowledging the risk of becoming too attached.

First author and information science doctoral candidate Jack Manuel Manning presented the research at the Association for Computing Machinery's Designing Interactive Systems Conference in June.

Researchers conducted a qualitative study with 16 participants aged 22 to 50. Each of them interacted with two chatbot versions of a deceased loved one: one that spoke in the first person, mimicking the deceased directly, and one that described the person in the third person, more like a narrator.

According to the study, participants found the first-person "reincarnation" mode more emotionally vivid and comforting, though some worried about the psychological risks of relying on it too heavily. One participant, referred to as P4, described the experience as offering unexpected closure. "In the [reincarnation], it just feels like I'm getting the closure I needed so bad," she told researchers.

Another participant, P11, expressed more caution, saying, "I am worried that over time I will come to be reliant on the voice... it's going to end up very similar to how people are falling in love with AI characters."

The researchers also found that participants cared more about whether a chatbot's tone and phrasing "felt right" emotionally than whether it was factually accurate.

In several cases, participants continued treating the third-person "representation" chatbot as though it were speaking directly as their loved one, effectively ignoring the distinction the researchers had built into the study design. One participant, P12, explained, "I don't see this chatbot as a person, but I still say 'you.' I think it's just thinking about what you would ask the person and conflating that with what you were asking the chatbot."

The study's authors were upfront about its limitations, chief among them its small sample size. With only 16 participants, the researchers acknowledged that their findings don't capture "the full range of cultural, religious, and individual perspectives on grief and technology" and noted that mourning practices vary widely across communities, in ways that could shape how people respond to these tools.

The study also focused on single, short-term sessions rather than repeated or long-term use, leaving open questions about how attachment might build or fade over time.

The paper argues that future development of these systems needs to weigh emotional benefits against the risk of unhealthy dependency, and calls for careful consideration of consent and family governance before such tools are deployed for bereaved users.

Arbys just dropped a $45 Bedazzled Tumbler

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 16:09:28 +0000

If you haven't circled July 13 on your calendar to line up outside your nearest Starbucks to fight for the Pink Drink Bearista Cold Cup (literally, what are you doing?), maybe you just prefer a different kind of emotional-support water bottle.

For reasons I cannot fully explain, Arby's is currently selling a 20-ounce Bedazzled Tumbler. It's encrusted with rhinestones and features the restaurant's logo down at the bottom. I'm not a huge fan of Arby's (when the Jalapeño Bites were pulled from my local menu, I lost interest), but this is so flashy and unnecessary that I honestly kind of respect the commitment to the bit.

At $45, it's definitely on the pricey side for fast-food merch. But, hilariously enough, if you don't want to drop all that cash at once, Arby's will let you finance your rhinestone cup in two interest-free installments of $22.50 using Shop Pay.

Just keep in mind you have to hand-wash this thing to protect the rhinestones. You can grab one right now at the official Arby's Shop.

Credit: Arby's

Arby's Bedazzled Tumbler

$45 at Arby's