Lifehacker

More movies to watch if you liked The Hawk

Need even more athletic chaos in your movie rotation? Here are a few more movies that absolutely fit the vibe that The Hawk is laying down.

Caddyshack (1980)

If you love the “snobs versus slobs” thread embedded in The Hawk, go watch this all-time great golf comedy. With a behind-the-scenes production almost as insane as the comedy on the screen, Caddyshack represents a high-water mark for Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, and Rodney Dangerfield (with able support by an absolutely deranged Ted Knight) as they (sometimes literally) chew the scenery at the uber-fancy Bushwood Country Club There’s a story somewhere in there, but mainly this is just a few comedy geniuses having a great time on the golf course, and fans of The Hawk will love it—especially Dangerfield’s loud and proud Al Czervik. Rent Caddyshack on Prime Video.

Caddyshack (1980)

$5.99 at Prime Video

Happy Gilmore (1996)

If you want more golf comedy that dances over the line of absurdity with what scientists call enthusiasm, this Adam Sandler classic is required viewing. Sandler plays the title character, an aspiring hockey player with a powerful slapshot, no other skills, and a serious anger problem. When he needs to make a bucket of money to save his grandmother’s house, he discovers that his slapshot skills translate to an ability to drive a golf ball—and begins hustling golfers for cash. When he’s recruited by former golf star Chubbs Peterson (Carl Weathers) to compete professionally, Happy has to up his game and control his anger—and since this is an Adam Sandler film, you can guess how badly the latter goes. If for no other reason, watch this to witness Sandler and Bob Barker have a ridiculously extended fistfight. Rent Happy Gilmore on Prime Video.

Happy Gilmore (1996)

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

If you came for Will Ferrell’s brand of insanity in The Hawk, you might as well lean in. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is the best of Ferrell’s sports-themed comedies, fusing Ferrell’s trademark absurdity with a surprisingly sophisticated take on professional racing. You can tell everyone involved actually likes NASCAR, and thus knows exactly how to make a little fun of it, and everyone is at the top of their game, from Ferrell to John C. Reilly to Sacha Baron Cohen as Ricky Bobby’s nemesis, the very French Jean Girard. Rent Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby on Prime Video.

DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story (2004)

Tin Cup (1996)

If you’re looking for a golf comedy with a slightly gentler and less-deranged sensibility, check out Tin Cup. Kevin Costner plays Roy McAvoy, a former pro golfer who blew his big chance and now wallows in alcoholic mediocrity. When he meets and falls for Dr. Molly Griswold (Renee Russo), who is dating his former peer David Simms (Don Johnson), Roy decides to take a (very) long shot at getting into the U.S. Open. It’s a different kind of funny, just as golfy, and a slightly more serious take on a similar storyline. Rent Tin Cup on Prime Video.

Tin Cup (1996)

$4.99 at Prime Video

DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story (2004)

On the other hand, if you want a more deranged sports comedy, this is it. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story takes what might be the most despised schoolyard game of all time and generates hilarity. To save his failing gym, Peter LaFleur (Vince Vaughn) and his friends enter a dodgeball competition in Las Vegas, and find themselves playing against Peter’s enemy, rival gym owner White Goodman (a very caffeinated Ben Stiller) and his team of ringers. If you hear the phrase “Rip Torn in a wheelchair throwing wrenches at people” and laugh instinctively, this is the movie for you. Stream Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story on Hulu or rent it on Prime Video.

Amazon Fire HD 8 64GB Tablet With Lockscreen Ads (2024 Release, Black)

The Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablet Is on Sale for $90 Right Now

Daniel Oropeza — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 17:00:00 +0000

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Fire tablets started as budget tablets with their initial release many moons ago. The 2024 Fire HD 8 is the latest iteration of their mid-tier tablet, and you can find it for 31% off right now. If you're looking for a budget tablet to do some streaming or social media doomscrolling, the 64GB Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet is $89.99 (originally $129.99), a great value for your money. If you want the experience with no ads on the lock screen, that version is $104.99 (originally $144.99).

8” HD Display, 4GB memory, 64GB, responsive and vibrant, designed for portable entertainment, Black

The previous Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet came out in 2022, with this latest version adding two extra GBs of RAM for a total of 4GB. The Fire HD 8 gets its name from the 8-inch screen display with 1,280 by 800 pixels; it also has a Hexa-core 2.0 GHz processor, a resolution of 1,280 by 800 pixels, about 13 hours of battery life, a brighter screen than the older version, and a 64GB storage capacity with the possibility to expand it to 1TB if you want to buy more separately. The front camera is the same 2MP with 720p HD video recording, but the rear camera is now a 5MP lens with 1080p HD video recording.

The high-definition touch screen is not amazing by any means, but for an $89.99 tablet, you'll get great value for your money if you're just looking for something you can carry around to watch your shows or browse online. This is a great budget tablet, but keep in mind that since it is a Fire Tablet, you'll be limited in terms of apps within Amazon's own app store (unless you download the Google Play Store).

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Sony WH-1000XM5 — $248.00 (List Price $399.99)

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 With $50 Amazon Gift Card (40mm, Bluetooth, Graphite Band) — $379.99 (List Price $429.99)

Google Pixel 11 Pro 256GB Unlocked Phone With $200 Amazon Gift Card (Obsidian) — $1,099.00 (List Price $1,299.00)

Google Pixel Watch 5 (41mm, Wi-Fi, Obsidian) — $399.99 (List Price $399.99)

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10 Shows Like 'Lucky' You Should Watch Next

Ross Johnson — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 16:38:01 +0000

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The latest from Reese Witherspoon's production powerhouse Hello Sunshine is another buzzy hit: the crime thriller Lucky, based on Marissa Stapley's bestselling novel, has been solidly within Apple TV's top ten since its release. Anya Taylor-Joy stars as Luciana "Lucky" Armstrong, con-artist forced to go on the run when a heist goes sideways. And we do love a caper—especially when it goes off the rails. When you're done watching that and are craving more, here's what the stream next.

Good Girls (2018 – 2021)

Beth, Ruby, and Annie (Christina Hendricks, Retta, and Mae Whitman, respectively) are three moms in suburban Michigan, and they are all having serious money troubles. They're not exactly criminal masterminds, so they concoct a scheme to rob the local grocery store to solve them—a store that just happens to serve as a front for a money-laundering operation. They make off with $500,000, but the gang leader whose money they unknowingly stole wants it back, and the store manager who spotted one of their tattoos is threatening blackmail. It's definitely not a sitcom, but it's a solid comedy-drama with a talented cast of characters who keep finding themselves in deeper and deeper over the course of four seasons. Stream Good Girls on Netflix.

Good Girls (2018 – 2021)

Poker Face (2023 – 2025)

Poker Face, created by Knives Out writer/director Rian Johnson and starring Natasha Lyonne, pays tribute to Columbo in its mystery-anthology format: One-time cocktail waitress Charlie Cale, on the run from a ruthless casino magnate, travels the backroads of North America and encounters murder pretty much everywhere she goes. Fortunately, Charlie has an uncanny ability to tell when people are lying, as well as a very handy penchant for finding under-the-table work. Like Columbo, the audience is given all the details of the murder up front, and so the mystery isn’t whodunnit so much as how is Charlie going to solve it? Lyonne’s self-effacing, no-bullshit persona is perfect here, and she’s well-matched with a top-tier array of guest stars. She's not a con artist so much, but, like Lucky, she's on the run from criminals and the law at the same time. Stream Poker Face on Peacock.

Poker Face (2023 – 2025)

at Peacock

Confidence Queen (2025)

She's a con artist with a heart of gold (more or less), so it's easy to sit back and have some fun with this South Korean import. Yoon Yi-rang (Park Min-young) leads a three-person team of confident tricksters who prey exclusively on other criminals and crooked business-types. As the series starts, things are starting to come apart: Yi-rang's childhood friend Gu-ho wants out, no longer sure that he's cut out for a life of crime. When the team breaks up, the more experienced James sets out on his own—only to turn up later, beaten nearly to death at the hands of a famous corporate CEO, known publicly for his philanthropy but is secretly a vicious loan shark. And so, Yi-rang's schemes are no longer just a lark: she's out for justice, pursued with a great deal of style. Stream Confidence Queen on Prime Video.

Confidence Queen (2025)

Barracuda Queens (2023 – )

Barracuda Queens (2023 – )

Rob from the rich and give to the...rich? Is the gist of this Swedish import, as we follow four mostly wealthy, privileged, and largely unsympathetic young women who wake up after a night of partying to discover that they've run up rather massive bills that their parents aren't going to be responsible for. Coming up with a plan to steal from the home of another very rich family in the neighborhood, they're very nearly caught before circumstances lead them into stealing not just to cover up their own indiscretions, but to get back at some assholes who've wronged them. There are some clever choices here that set the show apart from other heist dramas: It's unclear whether we should actually be rooting for these women, even if their targets are deserving, and, similarly, they're not particularly good at what they do. These aren't master criminals, so the likelihood that they're going to mess up and get caught is pretty much 100%. Stream Barracuda Queens on Netflix.

Steal (2026)

Sophie Turner stars here as Zara Dunne, a trade processor (which is a job, apparently) at a major London pension management company. Which all sounds terribly boring, but not for long: A group of well-trained and armed individuals take the office staff hostage and arrange for trades to the tune of around £4 billion—nearly every penny to the firm's name. During the heist, Zara interacts with the firm's bank in order to confirm the transactions or, at least, so it seems. When co-workers discuss the possibility of an inside job at the end of the first episode, Zara's rather cheeky smile might well suggest to you that she knows quite a bit more than she's letting on. Stream Steal on Prime Video.

Steal (2026)

Queen of the South (2016 – 2021)

Queen of the South (2016 – 2021)

Very loosely based on true events, Queen stars Alice Braga as Teresa Mendoza, who we meet as the head of a vast drug empire, before we flash back to witness her rise (think Narcos). A poor girl in Sinaloa, Mexico, she becomes the girlfriend of a drug dealer who ends up on the wrong side of his bosses. Teresa flees the country, setting out on an action-fueled journey to the top of her own criminal empire. The show is based on a telenovela (which was, itself, based on a non-fiction work), so the tone here is rather impressively unique: Teresa is as clever as she is good in a fight, the show highlighting the character's charisma and brains alongside her facility with getting herself out of scrapes. Initially, the high-octane action feels a little silly, but once the show finds a balance, it's pretty addictive. Buy Queen of the South from Prime Video.

Inventing Anna (2022)

TV’s reigning monarch Shonda Rhimes brought us this true-crime drama about Anna Sorokin, aka Anna Delvey, a Russian émigré who posed as a wealthy German heiress and eventually scammed New York City’s wealthy elite out of hundreds of thousands of dollars (because rich people are, after all, at least as stupid as the rest of us). Julia Garner plays the con-artist with a brilliantly whackadoo accent and an appropriately high level of commitment. The show's non-linear narrative reveals the elements of the scam in such a way as to emphasize the ways in which people were very keen to believe her even when doing so began to seem very dumb. Stream Inventing Anna on Netflix.

Inventing Anna (2022)

Big Little Lies (2017 – )

Big Little Lies (2017 – )

These rich ladies are going through it, and just because they've got beautiful homes and nice clothes doesn't mean they're not getting the full treatment. As the series opens, five women (played by Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, and Zoë Kravitz) become involved in a murder investigation connected to a school fundraiser that threatens to bring all of their private dirt out into the open—and there are secrets aplenty to uncover. Toxic relationships come into the light, and others become toxic under pressure. In their social strata, any threat to the status quo can lead to big drama. This one is part crime drama, part dark comedy, part psychological thriller, and, where Lucky is the most recent hit from Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine production company, this was the first. Stream Big Little Lies on HBO Max.

Killing Eve (2018 – 2022)

Killing Eve (2018 – 2022)

Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer star as the two halves of television's great cat-and-mouse, will-they-won't-they narratives, with Oh as Eve Polastri, a bored MI5 analyst who becomes obsessed with hunting down the brutal, notorious assassin known only as Villanelle. It starts as a professional compulsion before it gets personal, and it soon becomes clear that the fascination goes both ways. This is a spy drama more than a crime thriller, but the complex relationship between two women on opposite (but shifting) sides of the law is enthralling. Stream Killing Eve on Prime Video, Paramount+, Britbox, and Netflix.

The Brothers Sun (2024)

A fun crime comedy, The Brothers Sun stars Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh as Eileen Sun, the exiled head of a family of Taiwanese gangsters. She'd come to Los Angeles years before, taking one son, Bruce (Sam Song Li), who grew up knowing little of his origins and who has few ambitions beyond being really great at improv comedy—which his mom isn't thrilled about, but she's happy to have her criminal past behind her. An assassination attempt sends the older brother, still in the family business, to L.A., drawing Eileen and Bruce back into the fold—and into plenty of danger. Stream The Brothers Sun on Netflix.

The Brothers Sun (2024)

Sony 48-Inch OLED TV is more than $400 off

Six Emergency Features You Should Enable on Your iPhone

Emily Long — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000

We all carry our phones everywhere—which means your device is a lifeline in the event of an emergency. Apple has a host of built-in features on iOS to facilitate getting help when it's needed, and you should take the time to turn on these critical settings on your iPhone (and know how to use them) before an emergency happens.

Adjust your Medical ID settings

If you're ever in an accident or experience an emergency in which you're unable to communicate, you will likely want first responders to have quick access to important medical information, such as allergies, medications, and health conditions. You can enter all of this into your Medical ID in the Health app and add a shortcut to your lock screen so responders can see it even if they can't unlock your device.

In the Health app, tap your profile picture and go to Medical ID. Add any relevant information about your health, including your blood type and any detailed notes. Toggle on Show When Locked—this will allow responders to pull up the information from your iPhone passcode screen via Emergency > Medical ID. You can also enable Share During Emergency Call, which will share your Medical ID if you call or text emergency services.

Add emergency contacts

While you're filling out your Medical ID, enter at least one emergency contact. Click Edit > Add Emergency Contact and select from your existing Contacts list. Tap the contact to add the relationship, such as a spouse or parent. There are also options for unrelated individuals like manager, teacher, social worker, or daycare. Your emergency contacts will be visible to first responders with your Medical ID. Your iPhone can also send a message to your contacts as part of Crash Detection and Emergency SOS, which we'll get into below.

Toggle Emergency Bypass on

If you're using Focus modes that silence notifications, you may still want to receive alerts from people you're close to in the event of an emergency—for example, your kid's school (or your actual kid). Emergency Bypass allows sounds and vibrations to break through even when your device is on silent. Emergency contacts in your Medical ID get this treatment by default, but you can enable it for others independently in their individual contact card. Tap Edit > Ringtone/Text Tone and toggle Emergency Bypass on.

Change settings for Emergency SOS

Emergency SOS is a long-standing iPhone feature that allows you to quickly call or text emergency services (and, if you're in the U.S., share your Medical ID when doing so). You don't specifically need to enable it, but you can change the mechanism for initiating the call under Settings > Emergency SOS and switch the toggle next to Call with Hold and Release and/or Call with 5 Button Presses. You can also initiate an emergency call from your iPhone passcode screen and text emergency services from Messages.

You can also use Emergency SOS via satellite if you're out of service. This newer feature connects you to the closest first responders wherever you are, and it is only available when there's no cellular or wifi connection. If your call won't connect, tap Emergency Text via Satellite > Report Emergency and follow the prompts. Your device will send information to responders, such as your location, remaining iPhone battery life, and Medical ID. Ensure location sharing for Emergency Calls & SOS is on under Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > System Services. For the time being, Emergency SOS via satellite is free, though it's not available worldwide. Satellite is also available for requesting roadside assistance in the U.S., UK, and Australia.

Turn on Crash Detection

Crash Detection is an iPhone and Apple Watch feature that can call emergency services and alert your emergency contacts if your vehicle has been in a severe crash, such as a collision or rollover. You'll hear an alarm and get a display alert on your device with an emergency call slider, and you can either complete the call or dismiss the alert if you don't need emergency services. If you don't do either within 10 seconds, your device will automatically make the call after another 30-second countdown. It will also send your location to your emergency contacts and display a Medical ID slider for emergency responders, which is why it's important to set both of these up. Crash detection is on by default, but you can turn it off under Settings > Emergency SOS.

Make sure your emergency alerts are active

Your iPhone can also notify you when there are safety issues, extreme weather, or other critical incidents in your area. You don't actually need to turn these on, as government alerts—public safety, emergency, and AMBER—are enabled by default, but you should ensure yours are active under Settings > Notifications (scroll all the way to the bottom). Click into the Enhance Safety Alerts menu for additional settings for earthquake and "imminent threat" alerts, which may include supplemental alerts for floods and other natural disasters.

This Sony 48-Inch OLED TV Is $400 Off Right Now

Amanda Chatel — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 13:30:21 +0000

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

If you’re in the market for a new Sony OLED Smart TV, this Sony 48-inch A90K 4K HDR TV OLED Smart Google TV is now $998, down from $1,399.99, its lowest price ever, according to price-tracking tools. It has 4K resolution, a 120 Hz refresh rate, and its 8.5ms response time makes it perfect for playing a PlayStation 5 and other games. Amazon also offers delivery to your specified room and an unpacking service, for $19.99 and $29.99, respectively. If you want your old TV hauled away, Amazon charges $69.99 for that service.

Sony 48-Inch OLED TV

$998.00 at Amazon

$1,399.99 Save $401.99

$998.00 at Amazon

$1,399.99 Save $401.99

Its OLED and XR Triluminos Pro technology allows for billions of colors, so each picture is clear and bright, and it has a maximum speaker output of 25 watts. As a Google TV, you get over 700k movies and series and access to more than 10,000 apps, including Netflix, Peacock, HBO Max, Prime Video, and more. The TV’s Bravia Core also lets you redeem 10 movies and enjoy 24 months of unlimited, high-quality streaming.

For connectivity, you have ports for Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI, and USB. It comes with a one-year manufacturer's warranty.

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Sony WH-1000XM5 — $248.00 (List Price $399.99)

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 With $50 Amazon Gift Card (40mm, Bluetooth, Graphite Band) — $379.99 (List Price $429.99)

Google Pixel 11 Pro 256GB Unlocked Phone With $200 Amazon Gift Card (Obsidian) — $1,099.00 (List Price $1,299.00)

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The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Is a Solid Alternative to the Pixel 10a, and It's on Sale for $449

Pradershika Sharma — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 13:00:09 +0000

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Amazon currently has the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro in silver with 128GB of storage for $449, down from $499, and price trackers show that as its lowest price so far—helping it make a stronger case for itself against more conventional midrange Android phones, especially if you want something that feels a little less generic. That said, the Pixel 10a is the alternative I would look at if you want something more conventional. It costs $499, has a smaller 6.3-inch 120Hz display, and does not have the same visual personality, but it offers broader U.S. carrier support, Google’s more established camera processing, and seven years of software and security updates.

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro’s 6.83-inch AMOLED display is one of the highlights, with a 1,260-by-2,800 resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate that makes scrolling and animations feel especially smooth. Nothing also claims up to 5,000 nits of peak brightness, so the screen should hold up well outdoors. Around back, the updated Glyph Matrix uses micro-LEDs for visual alerts and other information, while the aluminum unibody gives the phone a more premium feel than the plastic-heavy builds you typically still see in this price range. The tradeoff is that the unibody design hurts repairability, and there is no wireless charging, notes this PCMag review.

For everyday performance, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 and 8GB of RAM of the (4a) Pro should comfortably handle messaging, streaming, navigation, social apps, and regular multitasking. I would not choose it specifically for demanding mobile games, but that is unlikely to be a problem for most people shopping in this price range. As for its camera setup, it gives you a 50MP main camera, another 50MP camera, an 8MP ultrawide, and a 32MP front camera, so there is enough flexibility for travel, family photos, and everyday shooting without making this a camera-first phone. Battery life is also one of its stronger points, with PCMag’s testing showing more than 15 hours of use, which should make getting through a normal day fairly easy. You also get dual-SIM support with eSIM, an in-display fingerprint sensor, and IP65 resistance against dust and water.

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Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds — $189.99 (List Price $249.00)

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Sony WH-1000XM5 — $248.00 (List Price $399.99)

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 With $50 Amazon Gift Card (40mm, Bluetooth, Graphite Band) — $379.99 (List Price $429.99)

Google Pixel 11 Pro 256GB Unlocked Phone With $200 Amazon Gift Card (Obsidian) — $1,099.00 (List Price $1,299.00)

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This Anker Smart-Display Fast Charger Is 35% Off Right Now

Pradershika Sharma — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 12:30:00 +0000

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

A phone charger doesn't usually offer much to look at, but Anker’s Nano Smart Display Charger tries to make charging a little more informative—it shows real-time charging power, battery status, and temperature information, and on supported iPhones and iPads, it can also recognize the device and adjust charging accordingly. The recognition feature is limited, though; Samsung, Pixel, and other phones will still charge but without getting the same device-specific information. If those extra insights sound useful, Amazon currently has this 45W charger for $25.99, down from $39.99, which price trackers show is its lowest price so far.

45W Fast Charging USB-C Wall Charger

Anker Nano Smart Display Charger

30W USB-C GaN Charger

Anker Nano Phone Charger

$15.99 at Amazon

The 45W output should be enough to fast-charge many phones and tablets, although the actual speed will depend on the device and cable you use. Under its test conditions, an iPhone 17 Pro reached 50% in about 20 minutes (according to the manufacturer), so there is enough power here for a quick top-up before heading out. There’s also a Care Mode, which is an interesting feature, especially if you tend to leave your phone plugged in overnight—Anker says it can keep a phone’s battery temperature up to nine degrees Fahrenheit cooler, potentially helping extend its battery life. As for the display, it's informative but not touch-enabled—you navigate it by tapping or holding the charger itself—and it can rotate 180 degrees (not 90 degrees).

For travel, the compact design may end up being more useful than the screen. The charger is 47% smaller and 36% lighter than Anker’s original 30W model, and the folding prongs make it easier to fit into crowded outlets or power strips. You only get one USB-C port, so it is not ideal if you want to charge several devices at once, and there is no cable included in the box. Samsung users should also check their phone’s charging requirements before buying, since some Galaxy models need 5A PPS support to reach their fastest charging speeds, and this charger does not provide that.

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Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds — $189.99 (List Price $249.00)

Apple iPad 11" A16 128GB Wi-Fi Tablet (Silver, 2025) — $399.99 (List Price $449.00)

Sony WH-1000XM5 — $248.00 (List Price $399.99)

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 With $50 Amazon Gift Card (40mm, Bluetooth, Graphite Band) — $379.99 (List Price $429.99)

Google Pixel 11 Pro 256GB Unlocked Phone With $200 Amazon Gift Card (Obsidian) — $1,099.00 (List Price $1,299.00)

Google Pixel Watch 5 (41mm, Wi-Fi, Obsidian) — $399.99 (List Price $399.99)

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Social Media Platforms Are Training Their AI Models on Your Content, but You Can Stop Them (Sometimes)

Eric Ravenscraft — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 21:30:00 +0000

Recently, the Amazon-owned Twitch made headlines for announcing that it would allow users to opt out of having their streams, VODs, and chats fed into an AI training machine. This, understandably, made a lot of people upset. But, it turns out, Twitch might be one of the more moderate social media sites on this front. Most social media apps are training some kind of AI on your data, and few make it as easy as a single toggle to opt out at all.

Almost every social media site out there makes it extremely hard to know exactly how your data is used these days. Training generative AI models like Google’s Gemini are often lumped in with more mundane (but still machine learning-powered) features like, say, YouTube’s algorithm. Sifting through privacy policies to even find out whether a social app contributes to the kind of generative AI that’s proven so controversial is an undertaking that would deter most lawyers.

Even if you find out how your data’s being used, many sites simply don’t offer you the ability to opt out. And of all the ones I looked at, not a single one that trains AI offers an opt-in model. Put simply, if you logged on today, tech companies took that as your consent to be part of their training data. If there is a way to opt out of even some AI training from a social media site, though, you’ll find instructions in our list below, sorted by alphabetical order.

Bluesky

What training do they do? Officially, Bluesky doesn't train any AI models—although it does employ AI in its development and builds AI features. However, since Bluesky uses the decentralized AT Protocol, your posts (and a lot of other data, like who you block) are public. So it’s possible for just about anyone to scrape your posts and use them to train AI.

What can you do to stop it? You don’t need to do anything; Bluesky itself doesn’t use your posts to train AI. However, if you’re worried about a third party scraping your data, you might want to hold off on posting to it.

Facebook

What training do they do? It might be easier to ask what data Facebook doesn’t use for training AI. After spending a small country’s GDP worth of money on a metaverse that never materialized, Facebook’s parent company Meta is pivoting to AI and rushing to catch up to companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google in the process. The company’s policy on training AI with your data is extremely broad, not only encompassing your posts, photos, and interactions on Facebook, but also data collected from third-party brokers, and “information that is available on the internet.” That's a phrase so all-encompassing that it’s hard to imagine any data Facebook is technically capable of scooping up that it would refrain from collecting. Facebook says it stops just short of training AI on private messages with friends or family, “unless you or someone in the chat chooses to share those messages with our AIs.”

What can you do to stop it? Unfortunately, unless you’re in the EU, Facebook makes it impossible to opt out of training AI with your data. The company carves out a narrow exception (where it is obligated to by law) for the specific scenario where you find personally identifying information about you included in a response from one of its AI tools. If that happens, you can submit a complaint, which Facebook will then review to decide if it will do anything about it.

However, keep in mind that Meta considers interacting with Facebook’s AI tools in the first place as consent to train future AI models on your interactions with it. So, even trying to figure out whether your personal information has been scooped up at all could expose you further. In general, it seems the only winning move with Facebook is not to play. Though it’s worth noting that even deleting your Facebook account won’t necessarily stop Facebook from training AI with your data—it will just prevent them from getting any data from your Facebook account directly.

Instagram

What training do they do? Instagram is owned by Facebook’s parent company Meta, so many of its policies are the same as what we covered for Facebook in the section above. That said, Instagram has some specific issues of its own, such as the Muse feature, which briefly let users create AI-generated images of other users without their consent, before immediately removing that feature after realizing it was a terrible, horrible idea.

What can you do to stop it? Similar to Facebook, you can file an objection if you find your private info included in AI responses, and if you’re in the EU, you can opt out of training entirely. Alternatively, your only real option is to either delete your Instagram account or at least make it private.

What training do they do? LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft, and Microsoft famously is all-in on AI (for "entertainment purposes only"), so you should be wary about the site using your data to train AI. According to LinkedIn’s official policy, users’ posts, comments, profile data, resumes, and group activity, among other types of data, can all be used to train AI models. Unofficially, it should be noted that last year LinkedIn was sued over allegations that it was training AI on private DMs±an allegation LinkedIn denies.

What can you do to stop it? While LinkedIn uses the same “better to ask forgiveness than permission” model most companies employ, the site at least allows you to revoke your permission. On the site, head to Settings and Privacy > Data Privacy > How LinkedIn uses your data > Data for Generative AI Improvement. Here, you’ll find a toggle that’s on by default labeled “Use my data for training content creation AI models.” Switch this off. Note: This only applies to data collected on LinkedIn, not the broader Microsoft ecosystem.

What training do they do? Reddit is complicated: The company doesn’t train its own AI models, but it does have deals with both OpenAI and Google to train their models on its data. Reportedly, Reddit has at least considered ending those deals (at least in part because, like everyone else, the company has seen a drop in traffic as AI eats search’s lunch). But AI models were also training on Reddit data long before these deals were official, so it’s hard to say whether ending an official partnership would prevent AI companies from scooping up as much publicly-available data as possible.

What can you do to stop it? Short of deleting your Reddit account and never posting on the site, there’s nothing you can do. Reddit doesn’t have any tool to opt out of AI training at the moment. And even if it did, AI companies have been scraping publicly available posts for a while anyway.

Snapchat

What training do they do? Like most social media apps, Snapchat uses your public images, video, and audio to train its generative AI models. The company says it uses these to develop features like AI Snaps and AI Lenses. Snapchat also briefly had a deal to integrate Perplexity’s AI tools to its search, although that deal was “amicably ended” last year before a broad rollout, so it’s unclear if any user data was ever shared or trained with Perplexity.

What can you do to stop it? Unlike most social media apps, Snapchat’s opt out is relatively straightforward (if a little buried). Inside the app, open Settings and under Privacy Controls tap Generative AI Settings. Here, disable the toggle that says “Allow Use of Public Content.” That’s it. As usual, it’s not impossible for third-parties to scrape publicly available data, though Snapchat’s design makes it a little more difficult. If you want to be extra-safe, avoid leaving any persistent, public content up on your profile.

Threads

What training do they do? Once again, Threads is owned by Facebook parent company Meta, so it shares the same data training policies as Facebook. Which is to say, unless absolutely required by law, publicly available data on Threads will be used to train AI regardless of your consent and you can’t opt out of it.

What can you do to stop it? If you’re in the EU, you can submit an objection claim using the same process for your Facebook account. For U.S. users, you’ll need to submit a complaint that demonstrates your personal information has shown up in AI responses in order to have some of your data removed. Beyond that, your only option is to either make your Threads account private, or delete it entirely.

TikTok

What training do they do? TikTok’s AI training policies are an even bigger nightmare to navigate than Facebook, owing to the fact that the company had to spin off U.S. operations earlier this year into a separate entity. In general, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance trains AI models on user data, though if you’re in the U.S., that data might be used for different purposes like training recommendation systems, but isn’t allowed to be used for ByteDance’s more general AI model training.

What can you do to stop it? Like Facebook, if you want to opt out of training AI with your data, you need to submit a specific objection about a privacy breach in violation of your local laws. In other words, you can’t simply say “please don’t train on my data.” You can head to this page to be redirected to the appropriate form for your location.

This would normally be the part where we would say that making your account private is a good fallback defense, but there have been some reports that TikTok even trains on private videos and unsaved drafts. The most foolproof way to guarantee TikTok doesn’t train AI on your data, then, is to delete your account.

Twitch

What training do they do? Twitch’s policies allow it to use your streams, VODs, clips, stream chats, and even the images and text on your channel to train generative AI models. It’s unclear exactly what kind of features Twitch would use this data to develop. The company makes mention of features like captions in its FAQ page, though obviously automatic caption features long pre-date generative AI models as we know them today.

What can you do to stop it? If you run a Twitch channel, you can head to your Twitch security settings, scroll down to Training for Generative AI and switch the toggle off. Yes, this is on by default, and yes, Twitch knows this is unpopular. It’s important to note that this setting will only cover your channel. If you appear on another person’s stream or type in their chat, then their opt-out preferences will govern any data you generate.

X

What training do they do? X not only uses your public posts and data to train its Grok AI, but since the company merged with xAI and SpaceX, your data can be used to train AI models across the entire company. I can only gauge based on what the site’s public policies are, though it’s worth noting that SpaceXAI CEO Elon Musk is known for his disregard for legal or even safety procedures. So, factor that into your risk assessment while deciding what to do with your data.

What can you do to stop it? Fortunately, X does have a method to opt out of training AI on your data. Head to Settings > Privacy & Safety and scroll down to Data sharing and personalization. Here, select Grok & Third-party Collaborators. On this page, there will be several boxes to uncheck, most notably, the verbose “Allow your public data as well as your interactions, inputs, and results with Grok and xAI to be used for training and fine-tuning.”

YouTube

What training do they do? YouTube is a particular privacy nightmare when it comes to AI training because your YouTube account is tied to a broader Google account, and Google is one of the biggest players in the AI space. It would take a much larger, longer guide to go through all of the ways Google trains AI on your data (even outside your Google account), and how to stop it. But even on the narrow slice of YouTube, Google has been found to train video-generation models on the videos uploaded to it, without YouTubers’ knowledge or consent.

What can you do to stop it? If you’re a regular YouTube user, you’ll want to look into opting out of training Google AI on your data (as much as you’re able) at the Google account level. However, if you upload videos to YouTube, you’re in a different situation. Currently, Google doesn’t offer any option to prevent training its own AI models on your videos at all.

Ironically, however, Google does offer the ability to opt out of training third-party models on your data. To do this, open up the YouTube Creator Studio, and head to Settings > Channel > Advanced Settings then scroll down to Third-party training. Here, you can uncheck “Allow third-party companies to train AI models using my channel content.”

How Much Recovery Do You Really Need Between Workouts?

Beth Skwarecki — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 21:00:00 +0000

We may earn a commission from links on this page.

Recovery is important, and it gets more important the harder (and more often) you work out. Some wearables like Whoop put a number on your recovery, and others, like Garmin watches, even estimate how long a workout will take you to recover from. But in reality, recovery isn't as straightforward as that. It's normal to work out on Monday and be a bit fatigued on Tuesday, but that doesn't mean you need to take Tuesday off. Let's talk about what recovery really means, and how to get it.

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Frequent rest days are a simple way to pace yourself, but they’re not the only way

If you’re just getting started with an exercise program, resting a day between workouts is often recommended. Couch to 5K asks beginning runners to rest every other day; so do Starting Strength and Stronglifts 5x5, which are aimed at people new to powerlifting (training the squat, bench, and deadlift).

This is a good strategy for beginners, mainly because it limits the number of hard training days. Every training day is a hard day at first, and this way you get a good mix of working hard and taking it easy.

But after a few months of working out regularly, you’ll be able to handle more than zero work on your light days. Experienced runners often think nothing of doing a light jog every day, much like we all have a baseline level of activity (standing around at work, walking the dog) that our body barely registers. This is true for lifting, too. One strategy is to alternate upper-body and lower-body days, so you’re not working the same body part twice in a row. But you can work your whole body every day if you want to.

You can do easy workouts before you're fully recovered

The important thing is to keep an eye on how much work you’re asking your body to do, in total. Even during times I was lifting five or more days a week, the intensity varied. For example, heavy deadlifts are the hardest to recover from, so I usually only do those once a week. Most workouts for me are full body, but medium intensity, and often at least one day is a “fun” day where I’ll do lighter work: some accessories and cardio, for example, or technique work that doesn’t leave me feeling too fatigued.

For an endurance athlete, the principle is the same, but the schedule might look different. For example, during marathon training, a runner might do speedwork or strength training on Wednesday, and a long run on Saturday. The other weekdays would be short, easy runs. Think about it: you need to run a 15-miler at some point in your training, but most of us would be exhausted if we tried to do a 15-miler every day.

Varying the length and intensity of workouts through the week can keep the total demands on your body to reasonable levels. That’s why it helps to use a training plan, written by a coach or other professional, that gives you a sense of when to go hard and when to go easy. Couch to 5K and Starting Strength do this for beginners; when you get more advanced, the idea is the same, but the specifics of the training plan will adapt to keep challenging you.

A little fatigue during training is normal

So, here’s a puzzle. If you’re new to exercise, or if you’re ramping up your schedule to include more workouts, you might notice that you can’t do as much in the gym on your second day as you could on your first. You’re working harder, and yet your performance declines. You might conclude that you worked too hard and need to back off, but that's not the best solution.

You might be right that you're a bit fatigued from the first workout, but that doesn't mean you did anything wrong. It’s important to keep perspective: if you’re feeling fatigued all the time, you may need more rest days. Or if you just doubled your workload from one week to the next, then yeah, you’re probably doing too much too soon. But most of the time, the ups and downs of training are just part of life.

Slight differences from one workout to the next aren’t a big deal. If you could do ten pushups on Monday, but then on Wednesday and Friday you can barely get to seven, that’s fine. That’s normal. Keep working on it, and soon the sevens will become eights, and the eights will become tens, and before you know it you’ll be able to bang out 15 on a day you’re well-rested.

Full recovery is a tool you can use occasionally for a performance boost

The truth is that every workout makes us stronger in the long term, but slightly fatigued in the short term. If you were to wait until you were totally, fully recovered before hitting the gym again, you’d barely train at all and you wouldn’t make much progress.

Instead, we train through it. If you’re preparing for something where performance matters, like a race or a powerlifting meet, your training will get harder and harder, up to a point. Shortly before the competition, you’ll ease up just enough to allow your gains to shine.

For a marathon, that’s a three-week-long taper. For a 5K (a three-mile race), it’s just a day or two of rest beforehand. If you’re heading into a powerlifting meet, you’ll lift a bit less than usual for probably a week or two before meet day.

Every workout that you skip during this taper sacrifices a little bit of long-term improvement, but also frees you from short-term fatigue. If you want to test your max number of pushups on your own, for example, you can accomplish the same by just taking a few days off before the day you plan to test. And chances are, you’ll get a lot more reps after proper training and rest than you ever did the first time around.

The Best Tech Deals From Best Buy's 60th Anniversary Sale

Daniel Oropeza — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 20:25:46 +0000

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Back in 1966, a store named Sound of Music first opened its doors. All these years later, that same store—long since renamed "Best Buy"— is celebrating its 60th anniversary with a big sale. And some of the deals can only be found in person.

How long will Best Buy's "60th Anniversary Sale" last?

Best Buy's 60th Anniversary Sale will run from Monday, Aug. 17 through Sunday, Aug. 23. The sale will be both in-store and online, with fresh deals on the weekend from Aug. 21-23.

Do you need to be a member to shop Best Buy's sale?

You don't need to be any kind of member to shop Best Buy's 60th Anniversary Sale; however, it is free to sign up for a My Best Buy membership, which will get you free shipping. If you join one of their paid subscriptions (My Best Buy Plus for $49.99 per year or My Best Buy Total for $179.99 per year), you'll get faster free shipping, exclusive prices and deals, an extended 60-day return window on most products, and early access to select sales. Paid members will also earn extra rewards from both the current sale and the upcoming sales.

What deals can I expect during Best Buy's 60th Anniversary Sale?

You can find deals on TVs, laptops, headphones, video games, electric bikes, and other tech products like back-to-school deals, headphones, and laptops. On Saturday, Aug. 22, Best Buy will have six in-person exclusive deals, including a deal on gift cards, that will be limited while supplies last.

The best deals during Best Buy's 60th Anniversary Sale (so far)

Here are some of the best deals I've found so far during the sale. I'll update this list as new deals come in every day:

Free $25 Starbucks Gift Card

MacBook Neo 13-inch Laptop A18 Pro chip with 6‑core CPU and 5‑core GPU - 8GB Memory - 256GB SSD

$699.00 at Best Buy

Intel Core Ultra 7 256V 2024 - 16GB Memory - 1TB SSD - Copilot+ PC

HP - OmniBook X Flip 2-in-1 - 16" 2K Touchscreen Laptop

$749.99 at Best Buy

$1,199.99 Save $450.00

$749.99 at Best Buy

$1,199.99 Save $450.00

Acer - Refurbished (Excellent)

15.6" IPS FHD FreeSync Portable Monitor (DisplayPort, HDMI)

180Hz 1ms AMD FreeSync Gaming Monitor with HDR10 (DisplayPort, HDMI)

Samsung - 32" Odyssey G51F QHD

Apple - Refurbished (Excellent)

10.2-Inch iPad (9th Generation) with Wi-Fi - 64GB - Space Gray

Hi-QLED Series 4K UHD Smart Roku TV (2026)

Hisense - 58" Class QD50 TV

4K UHD QLED Mini-LED Smart TV with Fire TV

Insignia 55" Class F70 Series TV

True RGB 4K HDR Google TV with Gemini

Sony - 65" Class BRAVIA 7 II TV

$1,799.99 at Best Buy

$2,599.99 Save $800.00

$1,799.99 at Best Buy

$2,599.99 Save $800.00

20W Magnetic Wireless Qi/Qi2.0/MagSafe PowerBank, Portable Charger, 2 Outputs, LED Display, & USB-C

Energizer - 10,000mAh SLIM METAL Power Bank

Wireless Active Noise Cancelling Earbuds with Heart Rate Sensing Feature - White

Apple - AirPods Pro 3

Best Apple deals

AirPods

AirPods 4 without ANC — $99.99 (originally $129.99)
AirPods 4 with ANC — $149.99 (originally $179.99)
AirPods Pro 3 — $189.99 (originally $249.99)
AirPods Max — $429 (originally $549)

Airtags

Apple AirTag, 4-pack (2nd gen) — $89 (originally $99)

iPads

Apple A16 iPad, 11-inch (WiFi, 128GB) — $399 (originally $449)
Apple M4 iPad Air, 11-inch (WiFi, 256GB) — $749 (originally $849)
Apple M5 iPad Pro, 13-inch (WiFi, 512GB) — $1,599 (originally $1,699)

iPhones

Apple iPhone 16e (128GB, unlocked) — $489.99 (originally $599.99)
Apple iPhone Air (512GB, unlocked) — $1,039.99 (originally $1,199.99)
Apple iPhone Air (1TB, unlocked) — $1,239.99 (originally $1,399.99)

MacBooks

Get a free $25 Starbucks gift card with purchase of Apple MacBook Neo — starting at $699
Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,499 (originally $1,599)
Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,849 (originally $1,999)
Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M4 Pro, 48GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $2,499 (originally $2,899)
Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M4 Max, 36GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,999 (originally $3,399)
Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M4 Max, 48GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $3,399 (originally $3,899)

Best TV deal

Hisense 65-inch U6 Pro Mini LED QLED 4K TV

$598.99 at Best Buy

$1,099.99 Save $501.00

$598.99 at Best Buy

$1,099.99 Save $501.00

More deals for TVs under 60 inches

Hisense 58-inch QD50 Hi-QLED 4K TV — $189.99 (originally $399.99)
Insignia 55-inch F50 LED 4K TV — $199.99 (originally $349.99)
Hisense 43-inch QD6 QLED 4K Fire TV — $209.99 (originally $299.99)
Samsung 55-inch M70H Mini LED 4K TV — $349.99 (originally $449.99)
LG 55-inch 75B QNED 4K TV — $379.99 (originally $599.99)
Hisense 55-inch S7 Canvas QLED 4K Art TV — $799.99 (originally $1,499.99)
Hisense 55-inch UR8 RGB Mini LED 4K TV — $999.99 (originally $1,499.99)
Sony 55-inch Bravia 7 II RGB 4K TV — $1,499.99 (originally $2,099.99)

Deals on 65-inch TVs

LG 65-inch 75B QNED 4K TV — $479.99 (originally $699.99)
TCL 65-inch QM6K QD-Mini LED 4K TV — $699.99 (originally $999.99)
Hisense 65-inch S7N Canvas QLED 4K Art TV — $800.99 (originally $1,299.99)
Hisense 65-inch U7 Mini LED QLED 4K TV — $899.99 (originally $1,499.99)
Samsung 65-inch S90F OLED 4K TV — $1,399.99 (originally $2,499.99)
TCL 65-inch QM8L SQD-Mini LED 4K TV — $1,399.99 (originally $2,499.99)
Hisense 65-inch UR8 RGB Mini LED 4K TV — $1,499.99 (originally $1,999.99)
LG 65-inch C5 OLED 4K TV — $1,499.99 (originally $2,699.99)
LG 65-inch B6 OLED 4K TV — $1,699.99 (originally $1,999.99)
Samsung 65-inch S85H OLED 4K TV — $1,699.99 (originally $1,999.99)
LG 65-inch C6 OLED 4K TV — $1,799.99 (originally $2,699.99)
Sony 65-inch Bravia 7 II RGB 4K TV — $1,799.99 (originally $2,599.99)

Deals on 75-inch TVs and bigger

Samsung 75-inch U7900 LED 4K TV — $399.99 (originally $649.99)
LG 75-inch 75B QNED 4K TV — $649.99 (originally $999.99)
Hisense 75-inch U7 Mini LED 4K TV — $1,199.99 (originally $1,999.99)
TCL 75-inch QM7L SQD-Mini LED 4K TV — $1,299.99 (originally $1,999.99)
LG 77-inch B5 OLED 4K TV — $1,399.99 (originally $2,999.99)
Hisense 75-inch UR8 RGB Mini LED 4K TV — $1,899.99 (originally $2,499.99)
Samsung 77-inch S90F OLED 4K TV — $1,999.99 (originally $3,499.99)
LG 77-inch C5 OLED 4K TV — $1,899.99 (originally $3,699.99)
Samsung 75-inch R85H Micro RGB 4K TV — $1,999.99 (originally $2,799.99)
Insignia 85-inch Class F50 Series 4K Fire TV — $599.99 (originally $899.99)
Insignia 85-inch QF QLED 4K TV — $659.99 (originally $1,099.99)
Hisense 85-inch UR9 RGB Mini LED 4K TV — $3,999.99 (originally $4,499.99)

Best laptop deal

ASUS Zenbook A14 (Snapdragon X2 Elite, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)

$999.99 at Best Buy

$1,349.99 Save $350.00

$999.99 at Best Buy

$1,349.99 Save $350.00

More laptop deals

HP 14-inch Laptop (Intel N150, 4GB RAM, 128GB UFS) — $199.99 (originally $349.99)
HP Omnibook 3 16 (AMD Ryzen 5 40, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $399.99 (originally $779.99)
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i (Intel Core i5-1335U, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $499.99 (originally $899.99)
HP OmniBook X Flip 2-in-1 (Intel Core Ultra 7 256V, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $749.99 (originally $1,199.99)
Microsoft Surface Pro, 12-inch (Snapdragon X Plus, 8GB RAM, 256GB UFS) — $749.99 (originally $849.99)
Acer Swift Go 16 (Intel Core Ultra 7 355, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,199.99 (originally $1,549.99)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13 (Snapdragon X2 Elite, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,599.99 (originally $1,999.99)
ASUS ROG Flow Z13 (AMD Ryzen AI Max+, 64GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,099.99 (originally $2,999.99)

Best robot vacuum deal

Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop

More robot vacuum deals

Roborock Q10 Series — $299.99 (originally $399.99)
Ecovacs DEEBOT T80S Omni — $479.99 (originally $649.99)
Roborock Qrevo Series — $499.99 (originally $629.99)
Dreame X40 — $499.99 (originally $799.99)
Shark PowerDetect — $749.99 (originally $1,199.99)
Roborock Saros Z70 — $999.99 (originally $1,999.99)

Best earbuds deal

Beats Powerbeats Pro 2

More earbud deals

JBL Tune 245NC — $49.95 (originally $109.95)
JBL Tune Flex 2 — $69.95 (originally $109.95)
Sony WF-C710N— $89.99 (originally $129.99)
Beats Powerbeats — $169.99 (originally $199.99)
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 — $189 (originally $229)

Best headphones deal

More headphone deals

Sony WH-CH520 — $39.99 (originally $68)
Marshall Major V — $89.99 (originally $159.99)
Beats Solo 4— $129.99 (originally $199.99)
Sony WH-1000XM6— $399.99 (originally $458)

Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now

Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds — $189.99 (List Price $249.00)

Apple iPad 11" A16 128GB Wi-Fi Tablet (Silver, 2025) — $399.99 (List Price $449.00)

Sony WH-1000XM5 — $248.00 (List Price $399.99)

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 With $50 Amazon Gift Card (40mm, Bluetooth, Graphite Band) — $379.99 (List Price $429.99)

Google Pixel 11 Pro 256GB Unlocked Phone With $200 Amazon Gift Card (Obsidian) — $1,099.00 (List Price $1,299.00)

Google Pixel Watch 5 (41mm, Wi-Fi, Obsidian) — $399.99 (List Price $399.99)

Deals are selected by our commerce team

‘Outlier’ Is a New Word-Search Game That Makes Me Feel Smart

Beth Skwarecki — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 19:17:34 +0000

I love finding daily games that let you play with words in new ways, and my latest favorite is Outlier. We’ve seen daily word searches before (maybe you use our daily Strands hints?), but this one is a bit different. Instead of finding specific words—or the most words—you’re asked to find the rarest words you can.

When you play Outlier, you’re given a grid of letters. The grid isn’t the important part; you don’t have to worry about which letters touch each other. Think of them more like a pile of Scrabble tiles, and use as many as you like, in any order, to create a word.

You’ll be scored on how unusual your picks are, compared to their frequency in the English language. If you go for the obvious words—RATS, STAR, TARS—you won’t score very highly. But if you can find rare words, you’ll gain more points. Each possible word has a rarity score, and you’re judged on how good your total score is compared to the 10 best (rarest) words that you could have potentially found.

But besides that scoring, there’s also the question of whether you’re finding words that other players have found. After your game finishes, you’ll find out about those. The first time I played, I found three words that nobody else had found that day (yet): SKIVE, WHOLES, and WAIN. I knew “wain” from reading old books; it was the medieval name for the Big Dipper constellation, referring to a farming wagon. My best word that day was GLOWERS, which only 38 people in the entire history of Outlier had found in any puzzle. In total, I scored 806, which is pretty good.

How to play Outlier

To play the daily game, go to playoutlier.com and peruse the grid for words of four letters or more. The letters don’t have to touch; you’re just using the letters you want, not looking for connections.

Type a word into the box at the bottom, and the letters you type will be highlighted on the board so you can keep track of which ones you’ve used. Hit enter when you’re done typing your word. You’ll get a score for the word’s rarity, and then you can start again with another word.

After you play 10 words, you’re done, and your score will be tallied up along with some statistics—this is where I learned about the words I was the first to find that day. Outlier also keeps a few lists. For example, pioneers are people who found a word before anyone else in the history of the game, and there’s a leaderboard ranked by how many firsts each person has found.

If you’d like to go head-to-head with others, there’s also Outlier Live. Instead of the daily board, you’ll get a board just for your game, and just 60 seconds to play a round against the other people in the room.

How to win at Outlier

Take your time. Some words may jump out at you right away, but the point isn’t to be the fastest or guess the most—it’s to skip the easy and obvious words, and try to find something special.

Take a look at the board type, which will be named above the board, right under today’s date. Click that and you’ll get a sense of how hard or easy the board is to play. If it’s Deep Water, there aren’t a lot of valid words available, but the ones that are there tend to score pretty high. The opposite is the Open Field, a “generous” board with lots of words to find. Watch out for the Decoy boards, which “look generous and play mean.” On those, make an extra effort to skip the easy words and keep looking for rarer ones.

To find rare words, sometimes I’ll scan the board to see what pops out, and then ask myself if I know any rarer words that use similar letters. For example, if you see WRITE, don't stop there—that's a common word, and so is WRITES. But subtract a letter, and you can have WRIT, which is uncommon, or WRITS, which is rare. If UNDERWRITE is also on the board, that's another rare one, and you can do even better with UNDERWRITES, which ranks as "epic."

Credit: Beth Skwarecki/Outlier

There’s a guide to finding rare words on the Outlier website, and it points out that there are two types of rare words. One type is made up of words for rare things, where you don’t see that word often because its meaning isn’t often needed. (We don't UNDERWRITE things as often as we WRITE things.) The other is where an unusual word has the same meaning as a plainer word: we say "document" or "court order" more often than we say WRIT. So think about unusual synonyms for words you already know.

Outlier’s guide also suggests rearranging the letters of a word you’ve found, and asking what else it might spell—similar to my tip above. The guide also points out that once you’ve played the game, you’ll start noticing rare words in everyday life, and you may want to keep a list to help yourself remember them.

Does Outlier require a subscription?

Outlier doesn’t require a subscription, but creating an account means you can get onto the leaderboards like Pioneers and see statistics for how well you’ve played over time. If you’d like to support the game financially, there’s a Patreon or the option to make a donation. But the game itself is free to play.

Firefox Can Now Block Ads on iOS (but You Have to Enable It)

Emily Long — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 18:45:23 +0000

Firefox users on iOS can now get rid of a lot of ad noise when browsing on their mobile device. Mozilla is slowly rolling out native ad blocking, which you can enable once the tool is available on your account.

According to Mozilla's support page detailing the new feature, Firefox will block third-party ad networks and exchanges along with many third-party ads served on websites at the network level. It will also block ad-related trackers, pop-ups, and overlays. The platform is still letting some ads through, though: For example, you'll still see ads in search results from engines like Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo, as well as sponsored content on the Firefox Home and New Tab pages. There may also be ads that aren't covered by the EasyList filter list.

Of course, Firefox isn't the only browser to natively block ads on iOS. For example, both DuckDuckGo and Brave have built-in ad blocking in their mobile apps and also allow you to disable their own search ads. Note that ad-blocking functionality doesn't extend outside of the Firefox iOS app, but URL filters in iOS 26, along with a third-party app like Wipr 2, can block ads in other apps.

How to turn on Firefox's ad blocker on iOS

Ad blocking in Firefox will be off by default. To enable it, open the iOS app, tap the three dots, and go to Settings > Browsing. Under the Content header, toggle on Ad Blocker. You can do this from the Site menu by tapping Ad Blocker (underneath the site name and URL), which will open the Browsing menu directly. The site menu will show you at a glance whether ad blocking is on or off.

Firefox says this feature is currently "experimental," meaning it hasn't yet been made available to all users, so you may not see these options in your browser settings.

10 Shows Like 'The 100' You Should Watch Next

Ross Johnson — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 18:00:28 +0000

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At seven seasons, The CW’s YA The 100 became our most deeply explored TV apocalypse, telling the story of the descendants of refugees of nuclear devastation who return to Earth from their habitat in space to encounter the remnants of humanity that has survived. Naturally, the first people sent to scope things out are the juvenile delinquents, and they discover that three civilizations have risen up in the aftermath of the apocalypse—all pretty darned scary (including one populated by cannibals, naturally). After a rocky first few episodes, it evolved into something impressively smart and complex, a reminder that YA doesn't need to lack depth. In its absence, enjoy these other shows that explore dystopias near and distant, particularly when they involve throwing teenagers at apocalyptic problems.

Silo (2023 – )

This futuristic neo-noir (kicking off, as it does, with a murder mystery) inverts, to a point, the premise of The 100: While that show finds people from a space station visiting a blasted Earth, Silo finds the remnants of humanity trapped underground. Rebecca Ferguson stars as Juliette Nichols, an engineer who gets wrapped up in an investigation involving the local sheriff (played by David Oyelowo). The usual stuff—except that the characters all inhabit a massive silo, 144 levels deep, protecting the remaining 10,000 humans from the allegedly poisoned world above. Those running the silo have managed to convince everyone left that only strict adherence to rules and procedures will keep them safe from the dangers outside. The tones are very different, but both 100 and Silo turn on the significance of manipulations and lies that keep the lead characters from ever understanding the full picture. Stream Silo on Apple TV.

Silo (2023 – )

Snowpiercer (2020 – 2024)

Snowpiercer (2020 – 2024)

Though initially feeling like an unnecessary extension of Bong Joon Ho's allegorical post-apocalyptic film, Snowpiercer (the show) ultimately takes on a life of its own, a clever sci-fi melodrama that realizes there are no heroes and few true villains at the end of the world, but mostly just people doing whatever they can to survive. In a frozen future (2026, to be precise), humanity survives on an extremely long train that circumnavigates the globe. If it stops, the power will go out and everyone (literally everyone) will die. Those who came aboard with wealth live near the front in relative luxury, while the poor live on scraps (or worse) in the tail. Daveed Diggs stars as former detective Andre Layton, a "Tailie" deputized by Jennifer Connelly's Melanie Cavill (engineer and the train's head of hospitality) to solve a series of murders. The inevitable uprising that follows sets the two of them on different sides of a violent conflict, as each comes to realize they're just pawns of the elites—same as it ever was. Stream Snowpiercer on Peacock, Hulu, and Prime Video.

at Peacock

The Wilds (2020 – 2022)

Situated between flashbacks and flash-forwards, mystery/thriller The Wilds sees an airplane full of teenage girls crash on the way to an empowerment program in Hawaii. It quickly becomes clear that the accident was engineered and that the whole thing is some sort of social experiment, and the survivors are forced to compete against each other if they want to live—it's reminiscent of the manipulations at the heart of The 100, even if the setting is less overtly sci-fi. The show understands the ways in which young women are exploited and expected to compete against each other in the real world, making clear that a Lord of the Flies-esque scenario with women at its center isn't going to go any better, even if it would play out differently. Stream The Wilds on Prime Video.

The Wilds (2020 – 2022)

Tribes of Europa (2021)

We've got just a few short years before the global technological collapse, posits Tribes of Europa, and I for one am here for it—it's set in 2074, and it's been 45 years since we all lost access to Insta. Except that the shows sees it as a bad thing, with a complete societal breakdown and the dissolution of governments into a bunch of warring micro-states. Three groups are important here: the aggressive Crows; the militaristic and politically minded Crimsons; and the peaceful Origines, three of whom happen upon advanced technology that makes the teenagers targets for just about everyone. Stream Tribes of Europa on Netflix.

Tribes of Europa (2021)

Shadowhunters (2016 – 2019)

Shadowhunters (2016 – 2019)

A lot of streaming dystopias are more adult-oriented (which isn't necessarily to say smarter or more mature), so this urban fantasy is a match largely by demographic, being, like 100, adapted from a popular YA novel series. Both series likewise put young women as reluctant warriors at the front, fighting for their families and friends in the face of world-ending consequences. From the long-running Cassandra Clare-written Mortal Instruments series, Shadowhunters finds Clary Fray (Katherine McNamara) discovering that her mom's been lying to her for her whole life: She's the daughter of a rogue Shadowhunter who split off to form his own group of, like, magical bigots, going extreme in his mission to defend people from demons and supernatural beings, not all of who are bad. Though cancelled after three seasons, the show adapts the initial run of books and comes to a perfectly satisfying conclusion. Stream Shadowhunters on Hulu.

at Hulu

12 Monkeys (2015 – 2018)

Another future dystopia involving the aftermath of global catastrophe—only here we're counting on time travel to save us. James Cole, a scavenger from 2043, travels back in time to 2015 to stop a deadly plague. Though the series at first felt like a retread of the Terry Gilliam film (and of La Jetée, on which that was based), it eventually began to luxuriate in its extended timeline and use it to ruminate on ideas of free will versus predetermination, even while throwing in plenty of action and mystery; extended plot-lines, complex character dynamics, and impossible choices are points of convergence. It’s sort of a pre-apocalypse story, dealing with a bleak past and an even darker future. Stream 12 Monkeys on Prime Video.

12 Monkeys (2015 – 2018)

Heavenly Delusion (Tengoku Daimakyō) (2023)

We follow two parallel narratives in this (deeply weird) post-apocalyptic anime: In one, a group of children live in a confined, sterile, closely monitored school environment called "Heaven" and are protected from what we quickly learn is the monster-filled devastation outside; in the other, bodyguard Kiruko and their companion Maru travel across a devastated Japan. Those relatively straightforward dystopian strands soon give way to some wild twists and turns as the plot lines dovetail into a story involving gender and sexual politics, as well as a whole lot of dark secrets. Think of it as the psychedelic anime take on the kids' apocalypse, in which some people have seeming safety while others have to face brutal reality. Stream Heavenly Delusion on Hulu.

Heavenly Delusion (2023)

at Hulu

3% (2016 – 2020)

It would be tempting to see this as a metaphor for the American dream, but, of course, it’s a Brazilian show, and it’s not as though inequality was invented in the United States—we’re just particularly good at it. In 3%, the impoverished young Inlanders have one shot at success: completing “The Process,” a series of interviews, puzzles, and escape rooms designed to test their worthiness to join a futuristic offshore utopia. Most fail, and many don’t survive, leaving a success rate of...3%. This is very much Hunger Games territory, but there's also a very 100%-esque sense of young people being seen as expendable, particularly when they don't occupy the right spot in the social order. Stream 3% on Netflix.

3% (2016 – 2020)

The Rain (2018 – 2020)

Welcome to the apocalypse, but, you know...wetter. In this three-season Danish import, a virus spread by rainfall wipes out most of the population of Scandinavia. Siblings Simone and Rasmus emerge from their bunker six years later, setting off across the countryside with the hope of finding a safe haven, and maybe tracking down their father. It turns out that one of them holds the key to wiping out the virus and saving the world. It’s not the most original premise (The Last of Us game came out five years earlier), but the setting gives it a unique feel, and the series comes to a decisive ending. Stream The Rain on Netflix.

The Rain (2018 – 2020)

All of Us Are Dead (2022 – )

All of Us Are Dead (2022 – )

In All of Us Are Dead, high school becomes hell, almost literally, when a viral outbreak causes a Hyosan school to become ground zero for a strange plague. The teenage students soon realize they've been quarantined from the rest of the city, and help isn't coming (adults can't be trusted in the apocalypse, is what I'm getting from these shows). Nihilism isn't uncommon in zombie narratives, nor are themes involving the breakdown of social structures. But All of Us Are Dead explores the world of a cloistered high school under constant threat as a parallel to our own: Class and background continue to be potent forces, even (or especially) amid the trauma of the attacks, and arbitrary social hierarchies solidify under the constant trauma. In contrast to the wide-open world of The 100 (at least when we're on the ground and outside), the closed school location is brilliantly utilized, and there's some appropriately soapy drama, too. Stream All of Us Are Dead on Netflix.

TCL 85 Inch Class QM8L Series

One of the Best QLED TVs of 2026 Is $1,100 Off Right Now

Daniel Oropeza — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 17:30:00 +0000

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TCL has been pushing the boundaries of QLED TVs, making some of the best in the market at very competitive prices. This year, the company released its QM8L model, introducing a new design and impressive features and specs to a series that isn't even their flagship. Right now, the 65-inch QM8L is $1,397.99 (originally $2,499.99), its lowest price since it launched in April, according to price-tracking tools. Larger sizes are also seeing good discounts.

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TCL 98 Inch Class QM8L Series

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One of the first things you'll notice about the QM8L is the “Zero Border” bezel design, which gives it a modern, minimalistic look. When you turn it on, you'll likely note how bright this TV gets, which is a huge advantage QLEDs have over OLEDs. TCL claims it reaches 6,000 nits, and seeing as the brightest OLED TV on the market only reaches 700 nits, no OLED can come close to this unit's brightness. Another important spec to note here is the local dimming zones: TCL claims this TV has up to 4,000, which means it gets top-tier backlight control, limited light blooming (thanks in part to TCL's "Halo Control"), and incredible contrast levels that some might not be able to distinguish from an OLED.

While many of us won't manually calibrate our TVs, the picture modes you can switch to in the settings will be most people's go-to. This TV's "Filmmaker mode" provides accurate color and picture, and if you're a gamer, you can use the native 144Hz high-refresh rate. If you don't already have a surround sound system at home and want to keep a minimalist setup, the QM8L comes with Dolby Atmos-ready Bang & Olufsen speakers, which offer above-average audio output compared to most TVs. You can read more about these features in CNET's 8.8/10 review. If 65 inches isn't quite right for your home theater setup, take a look at the QM8L's other sizes, which are also discounted right now.

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This Is Our First Look at Apple's Rumored AirPods With Cameras

Jake Peterson — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 17:23:13 +0000

For nearly two years, the rumor mill has speculated that Apple is planning to embed cameras into a future pair of AirPods. While that might sound at first like Apple is looking to turn its popular earbuds into a sort of smart glasses-inspired device—with all the privacy caveats that come with it—that doesn't appear to be the case. Instead, should Apple's camera-enabled AirPods be real, its lenses will likely be used by Siri AI to better assist you when your iPhone isn't around.

In effect, your AirPods would become a new type of AI device, with the same effect as taking out your iPhone and opening Visual Intelligence, or launching Voice Mode on ChatGPT. Instead of pointing your iPhone's camera at something in the real world and asking Siri AI questions about it, you could instead utilize your AirPods' cameras. It'd make Siri AI a bit more like how smart assistants are depicted in the movie Her—whether you think that's a good or bad thing.

AI AirPods with cameras appear to be on their way

While we won't know for sure whether or not "seeing AirPods" are in the works until Apple officially announces them, this latest discovery does seem to confirm their existence. While diving through the Release Candidate for macOS 26.7, MacRumors found a video file showing off what appears to be a demonstration of AirPods running Visual Intelligence on their own. In the video, a man holds up the book Could Should Might Don't: How We Think About the Future by Nick Foster. As he does, a voiceover says: "With Visual Intelligence, your world becomes savable. See something you like? Just ask me to save it for later." You can see the video attached to the following post on X:

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

MacRumors also found a reference to the user setting up Visual Intelligence on these camera-equipped AirPods. If something is blocking the camera on your AirPods, like your hair, you might receive the following message: "To get the most accurate information about things in your environment, make sure AirPods are not covered." Reportedly, Apple is calling the upcoming AirPods with cameras "B790" internally. MacRumors says there are multiple references to B790 throughout macOS 26.7's Release Candidate, indicating the device is nearing launch.

It's not just the AirPods

To that point, "B790" isn't the only codename referenced throughout macOS 26.7. According to MacRumors, there are many unreleased devices referenced in this Release Candidate, including Apple's long-rumored "Home Hub," "Pebble" (Apple's upcoming homeOS operating system)," iPhone 18, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone Ultra (Apple's foldable smartphone), iPhone Air 2, M6 MacBook Pro, and AirPods Pro 4. There are also referenced codenames for upgraded devices without much context, such as a new iMac, MacBook Pro, iPad mini, and Beats.

This is a long list, and while none of these devices are confirmed, it does indicate that Apple is gearing up for a huge release schedule this year. Apple may indeed make an entrance into the smart home market with its own hub and operating system and potentially peripherals and accessories like security cameras. Again, we'll need to wait until next month to see what Apple announces, and even then, the company may take more time to reveal future products.

The Final Round of Lifehacker's Big Guessing Game Has Begun

Jake Peterson — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 16:01:00 +0000

Welcome back to the Big Guessing Game! This year, Lifehacker, along with the other CNET Group sites (CNET, ZDNet, Mashable, and PCMag), has been giving readers a chance to win the latest Apple Watch by making predictions about Apple's big 2026 announcements. We are officially in the third and final round, so make sure to get your guesses in ahead of Apple's fall event!

If you've played Lifehacker's or CNET Group's Big Guessing Game in the previous two rounds, you'll know the gist. But for any new guessers, here's a summary. The Big Guessing Game is made up of three rounds:

Round 1, which ended on June 2. This round was focused on Apple's software announcements (iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, etc.). You can see the results of this round here.
Round 2, which ended July 21. This round had questions about Apple hardware (iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, Vision Pro, etc.). You can see the results of this round here.
Round 3, which started Aug. 18, runs through Sept. 1. This round focuses on Apple's fall event. (You're here now.)

Each round features five questions about what Apple might announce during various keynotes and presentations. As such, we won't know the answers for sure until Apple confirms them—but once we do know, each correct prediction will earn you one entry into CNET Group's grand-prize drawing. This drawing will commence at the end of the third round, and, if you win, you'll walk away with the latest version of Apple's smartwatch.

To be eligible, you must be at least 18 years old and a resident of the 50 U.S. states or Washington, D.C. As alluded to above, you aren't limited to Lifehacker's guessing game, either: All CNET Group sites are hosting their own games, each with their own questions, which means there are 75 possible guesses across all three rounds. You can answer any or all of the questions each round, but note that you can only possibly win once, even if you play across multiple sites. Each of the five sites will announce the winner of its contest shortly after Apple's fall event.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY to enter or win the "CNET Group Big Guessing Game" Giveaway. Open to legal U.S. residents in the 50 U.S. & D.C., 18+ yrs of age. Other restrictions apply. Begins May 19, 2026 at 12:01 p.m. ET and ends Sept. 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Void where prohibited. Subject to Official Rules. Sponsor: Ziff Davis, LLC.

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

How to Run a Local LLM on Your Phone (and Why You’d Want To)

David Nield — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 15:30:00 +0000

There are now enough freely available Large Language Models (LLMs) that running them locally on a computer is commonplace, and a better idea in some ways—they're more private, as you don't have to send anything to the cloud, and they work offline.

Getting these advanced AI models running on phones hasn't been quite as straightforward (hence why the most advanced Siri AI features need one of the latest iPhones), but we're now at the point where most of the handsets are powerful enough, and some of the models are small and efficient enough that it's actually practically feasible.

The benefits are the same as on the desktop—you get an LLM that's always available and private to you, with nothing sent back to Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, or anyone else. The downsides are that you're going to get slower and more limited performance from your AI, as you're dealing with smaller and less powerful models, and you might see a hit with battery life (these AI chats can be quite resource-intensive).

Even with those compromises, the local AI you'll be able to get up and running on your phone is still going to be more than capable of everyday tasks and chats—and that means you can give Gemini or Siri (and perhaps your AI subscription) a rest.

The phone you need to run a local LLM

Any iPhone or Android phone launched in the last couple of years should do a decent job of running a local LLM; the AI boom means manufacturers have started building their devices with this kind of usage specifically in mind. Older phones can still apply, but you might need smaller models and get worse performance.

RAM is actually a bigger consideration than chipset performance when it comes to running an AI model. You're going to need 6GB or above for this to work at a satisfactory level, and 8GB or more is better for the larger models. Below 8GB, stick to 1-2B models—that B is for billion, and refers to the number of parameters in a model (essentially, how smart and versatile it's going to be).

Phones like the Pixel 11 Pro come with AI models on board, but they're locked away. Credit: Google

In terms of storage space, you don't have too much to worry about. Even the largest models that use 7-8B are going to top out at around 5GB for how much room they take up on your phone, so you might even want to keep several AI models on your handset and switch between them as required.

If you buy a new flagship-level iPhone or Android phone today, it will actually come with local AI models preinstalled for quick tasks that can be done without pinging the cloud. However, these Apple and Google-made models aren't available directly to you, the user—they're used as and when Siri AI and Gemini think they're the best option.

The apps and models you need to run a local LLM

There are several apps that will do the job of getting AI models on your phone and running them. A couple of the most popular are Atomic Chat (Android or iOS) and PocketPal AI (Android or iOS). There are some differences—it's easier to extend Atomic Chat to desktop LLMs, for example, while PocketPal AI is a little more lightweight—but they're both great for getting started with local AI on your phone.

As for models themselves—sometimes called SLMs or Small Language Models because they're designed to work in more limited environments—you've got plenty of choice here, too. For instance, Gemma is the umbrella name of the open-source models that Google makes available for free, and some of these are specifically engineered for working in tighter spaces with fewer resources (like on your phone).

PocketPal AI will guide you to the right local model for your needs. Credit: Lifehacker

Meta has its own open-source AI models given the Llama moniker, while Microsoft has its Phi-4 models, which are also highly rated for efficiency. You just need to look for the versions with the lowest number of parameters in front of the "B" (or with "mini" in the name) to find the packages that'll work best with your phone.

At the moment, these SLMs are mostly text-only, although some of the newer, larger, and more advanced ones can analyze images and files. If you want to be able to generate images and videos, you're going to have to use the conventional cloud-based AI models, at least until the next leap forward in the technology.

Putting a local LLM to the test

To see how useful one of these local AI models might be on a phone, I installed PocketPal AI and one of the smaller Google Gemma models on my Pixel 9 Pro—not really a flagship any more, but not too old. I did like the little selection wizard that PocketPal AI opens with, that directs you straight to a suitable AI model for your phone.

Once I'd downloaded and installed a couple of models, it was simple enough to load them up and get started. PocketPal AI also gives you access to optional "pals" (hence the app name) that can tailor AI models for your use—the default Pip option seems fine as a stand-in for what you might be used to with the standard Gemini or Siri AI apps. Prompting and following-up works as normal, with your chat history saved by default.

These smaller LLMs are best suited for quick answers and information requests. Credit: Lifehacker

There is a noticeable (and expected) slowness to the responses when you run LLMs on your phone, and a noticeable difference between AI model sizes—choosing a smaller model will get you answers significantly faster, even if they're not quite as smart or complete. It's worth experimenting with a few models just to find your own sweet spot between performance and speed.

With no web search or up-to-date knowledge available, this is best for brainstorming ideas, analyzing and refining existing text, composing new text, and getting fast facts or comparisons ("give me a film like..."). As always, watch out for those hallucinations, and don't take the word of any AI to be guaranteed as accurate.

This 360-Degree Action Camera Is 23% Off Right Now

Pradershika Sharma — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 13:30:00 +0000

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The appeal of a 360-degree camera is that you don't have to think as much about framing while you are recording, and the Insta360 X3 is one of the better-known options in the category, earning an “excellent” rating from PCMag. It is currently $229.99, down from $299.99, which price trackers show is its lowest price so far.

Insta360 X3 Action Camera

Its two lenses capture everything around the camera in up to 5.7K resolution, so you can decide later whether you want the final clip to follow a skier, show the road behind a cyclist, or keep the camera pointed at yourself as you walk through a city. That flexibility is especially useful when you are filming alone or moving too quickly to keep adjusting the camera. You can also switch to a single-lens mode and record more conventional footage at up to 4K, so you are not forced to edit every clip as a 360-degree video.

The X3 is also small enough to carry without making it feel like you're packing dedicated camera gear for every trip. It weighs about 6.3 ounces, and the 2.29-inch touchscreen gives you enough room to change settings and check what you recorded without constantly reaching for your phone. It is also waterproof up to 33 feet without an extra case, which makes it easier to bring along for beach days, pool trips, or wet-weather hikes.

The tradeoff is that 360 footage asks more of you once the recording is finished. Instead of simply copying a clip and posting it, you will usually need to choose the angle you want, reframe the footage, and export it as a regular video first. Insta360’s mobile and desktop software makes that process easier, but there is still more work involved than with a standard action camera. The X3 is also several generations old now, so newer models offer better resolution and other upgrades. Even so, the core experience is still useful if you care more about creative framing and flexibility than having the newest hardware.

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Firefox Is Rolling Out Three New Features for 'Smart Window'

Jake Peterson — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 13:00:00 +0000

If you like to be on the cutting edge, you might know about Firefox's "Smart Window" feature—formerly "AI Window." If not, here's an intro: Smart Window is Firefox's take on an AI web browsing assistant. You can use the chat feature to ask general questions (like you would with ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude) or send queries about the pages you're looking at. The feature lives in Firefox's menu bar: You can engage it whenever you want—with three models to choose from—and shut it off just the same.

Since Firefox's whole schtick is privacy-first, it emphasizes how none of your interactions with AI Window are used to train Mozilla's models, and your data is never sold to third parties—similar to DuckDuckGo's approach to AI. But Mozilla says that it changed Smart Window throughout its initial beta testing period. While the feature is still in beta, the company is now announcing more updates coming down the pike.

New features coming to Firefox's Smart Window

On Tuesday morning, the company officially revealed three new Smart Window features that beta testers can now take advantage of. First, Mozilla announced a new way to browse the internet for answers without actually leaving your current window. The experience comes through a partnership with Exa, and lets you look up web info with sources without leaving for a new search results page. I suppose it's a new take on using two windows in split-screen—though I usually don't find it hard to do a quick search in a new tab and close it when I'm done.

Second, Smart Window now supports automatic tab groups. If your Firefox window has multiple tabs, Smart Window can suggest groups for tabs that are similar to one another. This is something other browsers like Chrome have implemented for some time now, but a first for Firefox, which previously only offered manual tab groups. Finally, Smart Window will be able to show you "visual previews" of the pages in your browsing history. The idea is to make it easier to spot the pages you're looking for in your digital past, rather than hunt through various text-based URLs.

Mozilla wants Smart Window to remember what you do in Firefox

Mozilla wants Smart Window to be more than Firefox with a chatbot. Following user feedback, the company is working on features that would keep tabs on what you do in Firefox, in the name of making it easier to pick up where you left off last. The idea is, rather than thinking through what you were looking up earlier in the day, or trying to remember the sites you were browsing last night, you can ask Smart Window to help you get back to it. In that way, it's similar to features like ChatGPT's Computer History, which tracks your general computer usage so you can ask the bot questions about what you did on your Mac.

Mozilla says that in the near future, you'll be able to pull up "recent browsing journeys" from Smart Window, pulling from your tabs and history, so you can effectively return to a previous browsing session. While browsing history has been a standard for decades, how many of us really want our browsers keeping a dedicated log of everything we do each session? I think I'd rather think for a few moments about what I was doing last—or at the very least write down notes to myself—rather than let Firefox track my every move.

In addition, the company is working on adding an AI form-filler, similar to tools advertised by Google at I/O. This is the type of AI feature I imagine more people will be open to: I'd rather Firefox to be better at filling out forms on my behalf, than "remember" what I did Monday night. But maybe I'd rather keep its AI away from both:

All of Firefox's AI features are optional

Like all of Firefox's AI features, Smart Window is entirely optional. Not only can you toggle it on or off at any time, but you can also completely disable it, as well as all other AI features. While even Firefox has jumped on the AI bandwagon, it's helpful to offer easy ways to block these new additions for users who want a traditional, simple web browsing experience.

You Can Now Use Whoop's Blood Tests Without a Membership

Meredith Dietz — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 13:00:00 +0000

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Whoop, the company best known for its screen-free fitness band, continues to expand its domain in the broader healthcare space. Today the company announced that its blood-testing service, Whoop Advanced Labs, will now be available without needing a Whoop membership. Additionally, Whoop Advanced Labs now includes the Galleri test for multi-cancer early detection via biotech company Grail.

Since Whoop launched Advanced Labs last fall, you needed a Whoop membership in order to connect your blood test results with the company's continuous health monitoring in the Whoop app. Now the lab testing stands on its own as a direct-to-consumer product—continuing the trend of companies like Whoop wanting to grow beyond "wearables" into comprehensive, one-stop-shop health platforms.

WHOOP Peak – 12-Month Membership – 5.0 Health and Fitness Wearable

$239.00 at Amazon

How Whoop Advanced Labs works

Advanced Labs is powered by Quest Diagnostics and covers cardiovascular, metabolic, hormonal, and inflammatory health through a menu of panels, some comprehensive, some specialized around specific goals. The process is straightforward on paper: buy a test (Whoop says it starts at roughly $150), schedule your blood draw inside the Whoop app, then visit a local clinic to have your blood drawn. Whoop says mobile at-home draws are coming soon in select regions. Every test is ordered by a licensed healthcare provider, and the resulting report is reviewed by a licensed clinician before it lands in the app with what Whoop describes as "clear, actionable guidance," rather than just a stack of numbers and reference ranges.

The newly added Galleri test works a bit differently. It's a single blood draw that screens for a signal shared across more than 50 cancer types, many of which have no standard screening protocol today. To be clear, it detects a signal suggesting cancer may be present, not a diagnosis, and it's meant to supplement the screenings your doctor already recommends, not replace them. Advanced Labs isn't currently covered by insurance, though purchases may qualify for HSA or FSA reimbursement, which you should confirm with your plan administrator before you buy.

What to keep in mind

Whoop's existing user base already skews toward serious athletes and health-optimization enthusiasts, exactly the kind of people primed to want more data about their bodies, whether or not more data is what actually serves their health. Removing the membership requirement widens the pool considerably, but it's fair to wonder whether everyone buying a $150 test understands what they're signing up for when the results come back, or if they have a plan for what to do with an unexpected finding.

Comprehensive biomarker panels can provide tons of useful information: an unusually high cholesterol number, a vitamin deficiency, early signs of insulin resistance, and so on. At the same time, they can also generate a pile of borderline or ambiguous results that create worry without a clear next step. Reviewing dozens or over a hundred biomarkers at once increases the odds that something will land outside a "normal" range purely by chance, and not every flagged number translates into meaningful medical action.

Multi-cancer early detection tests like Galleri, in particular, are still a relatively young technology, and consumers should be prepared to speak with a human medical professional about false positives, false negatives, and what a positive signal should actually prompt you to do next. For now, count me among the people watching closely as wearable companies keep edging further into territory that used to belong exclusively to your doctor's office.

The Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar, One of Their Best, Is Over $300 Off Right Now

Pradershika Sharma — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 12:30:00 +0000

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Bose's Smart Ultra Soundbar has dropped to $679 from its usual $999 price, marking the lowest price we've seen on this so far, according to price trackers. PCMag rated the Smart Ultra "outstanding," noting that it delivers surprisingly immersive Dolby Atmos audio without requiring extra speakers.

Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar

The Smart Ultra uses a 5.1.2-channel design with nine drivers, including two upward-firing drivers that bounce sound off the ceiling to create height effects. In practice, that means movies, TV shows, and games feel larger and more spacious than they do through most single-bar setups. Bose also includes its AdaptiQ room-calibration system, which measures your room's acoustics and adjusts the sound accordingly. The process takes a few minutes, but it helps the soundbar perform better across different spaces rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all tuning profile. The soundbar also works as a smart speaker, with Amazon Alexa built in and support for Apple AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Bluetooth, and multi-room audio through the Bose app.

Its biggest compromise is bass—for a single soundbar, its low end is respectable, but it can't fully replace what a dedicated subwoofer brings to action movies, concerts, or bass-heavy music. The good news is that Bose allows you to expand the system later with compatible wireless subwoofers and surround speakers if you decide you want more impact. For anyone looking for a premium one-piece soundbar that delivers convincing Dolby Atmos effects, clear dialogue, built-in smart features, and a much larger soundstage than TV speakers can provide, the Smart Ultra remains one of the strongest standalone options available, especially at this price.

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This 65-Inch LG OLED TV Is $900 Off Right Now

Amanda Chatel — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 21:55:02 +0000

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If you’re looking to upgrade your smart TV, this LG 65-inch OLED AI 4K Smart TV is now $1,799.99 (originally $2,699.99), marking its lowest price ever, according to price-tracking tools. It has 4K resolution, 120 Hz refresh rate, and is compatible with Alexa. Amazon will deliver the TV to your preferred room and unpack it for you for free—however, if you need to have your old TV hauled away, it will cost you $69.99.

LG 65-Inch OLED AI 4K Smart TV

LG 65-Inch OLED AI 4K Smart TV is $900 off

$1,799.99 at Amazon

$2,699.99 Save $900.00

$1,799.99 at Amazon

$2,699.99 Save $900.00

With over 8.3 million self-lit smart pixels and OLED technology, colors and black in every picture will be rich in contrast no matter how much light is in your room. If you use the display for gaming, its NVIDIA G-Sync technology and the 165 Hz refresh rate and 0.1ms response time will prevent stuttering and tearing.

You immediately get access to over 400 free channels and 10,000+ movies and series, as well as apps like Netflix, YouTube, and Apple TV. Its connectivity includes ports for Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI, and USB 2.0, and it has a one-year parts and labor warranty.

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Lifehacker Deals Live Blog: The Best Tech Sales, All in One Place

Daniel Oropeza — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 21:16:15 +0000

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With this live blog, you can keep up with the best deals the Lifehacker team finds every day—all in one place. Bookmark this page to keep an eye on what we're finding. As always, we use price-tracking tools to suss out the deals that are actually worth paying attention to, not just hype designed to instill a false sense of urgency.

The Google Pixel 10a Is $75 Off Right Now

Amanda Chatel — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 20:00:47 +0000

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The Google Pixel 10a is $524 right now, down from $599, marking its lowest price ever, according to price trackers. If you’re looking to upgrade your current Pixel or finally switch to the Pixel lineup, this is a great option. Its 1080 x 2424 resolution delivers clear, sharp images when viewing movies or videos, while the CPU speed of 3.1 GHz makes it reasonably fast. It also has the Android 16 operating system and 30+ hours of battery life when fully charged.

Google Pixel 10a With 256 GB

Google Pixel 10a With 256 GB with 30+ battery life is 13% off.

The 6.3-inch Actua display, with its 3,000-nit peak brightness, makes the screen easy to see in direct sunlight and the Corning Gorilla Glass 7i finish delivers high-quality scratch resistance. Its IP68 protection keeps is safe from dust—and should you accidentally drop it in water, it will survive. The Pixel 10a has Gemini built-in for all your AI-related needs and Google’s Nano Banana technology makes taking and editing images easy. Because it’s unlocked, you get to choose your phone carrier.

If you don't think you'll use all that storage, the Google Pixel 10a with 128 GB is 15% off, making it $424 down from $499. Both smartphones come with 8 GB of RAM and a one-year manufacturer warranty.

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I Like This $30 Charging Case Better Than the One Oura Sells for $99

Beth Skwarecki — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 19:00:00 +0000

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After wearing smart rings for over five years, I’ve become convinced that I deserve one minor luxury whenever I’m traveling with one: a charging case. Even when I’m at home, a charging case is more convenient than a post-style charger. Just before a recent vacation, I got myself a $30 charging case that I like even better than the one Oura sells for $99.

Why charging cases matter for smart rings

Charging cases are handy for a few reasons. Chief among them is that it feels precarious to have your expensive ring on a little stand, attached to a long USB cable. I’m pretty much guaranteed to snag that cable at some point, potentially knocking the ring onto the floor.

But with a charging case, you not only have the ring in a more secure position, you can also do away with the cable. (The charging case has its own battery, which needs to be charged with a cable, but only once a month or so). I also love that I can put the ring in its charging case, and slip the case into my pocket. When the ring is charged, it’s already with me—no going home to go get it from my desk or nightstand.

Several smart ring makers include a charging case, or have one available as an extra purchase. That’s a big plus to me when I’m evaluating what you get for your money. RingConn gen 2 and 3 come with cases that have a generous battery; the Ultrahuman Ring Pro has a nice big case as well. The Samsung Galaxy Ring has a clear little case, and so does the Luna ring. Oura rings don’t come standard with a case, but the 4 and 5 generations have a charging case available as an extra purchase.

Oura sent me a charging case when it was a new product, but it only fit the Oura Ring 4 and not the 5 I’m currently wearing. I tend to do short trips without a charger (since the ring’s battery lasts about a week) and bring the dock on longer ones. But as I was organizing my supplies for a recent vacation, I decided I was going to solve this problem once and for all—I was going to try one of the third-party chargers I keep seeing online, the ones that can fit any charging dock. I bought this Tensea charging case.

Tensea Portable Charging Case

How I used the Tensea case on a recent trip

I picked this particular charging case for a few reasons. First, it can fit a variety of Oura docks, and would probably also be able to fit other brands. As a bonus, it has a numerical display to tell you exactly how charged the case is, and a clear lid so you can tell at a glance whether the ring is inside and whether the dock is showing its own charging light.

Credit: Beth Skwarecki

These are features that I wish Oura’s own charging case had. Instead, it’s got one LED that changes color to indicate charge level, but sometimes it’s telling you about the ring and sometimes about the case itself. The Tensea case also has a substantially bigger battery than Oura’s. At 7.4 watt-hours, it’s about three times the size of Oura’s 2.5-Wh case. Oura says its case can charge the ring five times, so the Tensea should be able to do around 15 charges. I’ve used it once and the battery level is only down to 96%. I’ll be able to use this for a while.

Now, this type of case is not a complete replacement—it requires you to add your regular charging dock. The one I bought is made for Oura rings, and it’s sized so that you can pop in the charging dock that came with your Oura Ring 3, 4, or 5. Flip up the case’s hinged USB-C connector, plug in the dock, then hinge the dock down into the case.

The Ultrahuman Air's dock is a bit thicker, so the case won't close—but it does charge like this! Credit: Beth Skwarecki

This design should be able to work with any charging dock that has a USB-C connector and fits in the case, so I tried it with the Ultrahuman Ring Air. I would charitably say that it works with the Ultrahuman, it just doesn’t fit. The ring charged but I couldn’t close the case to slip it in my pocket. If I’m just leaving it on a hotel nightstand, though, it would get the job done without needing a cable. (That’s how I tell myself that this is a versatile item that I can use with many different rings—we will see whether it works with any others I end up testing.)

In any case, the Tensea did its job, sitting in my backpack waiting to be used. I didn't need it until the day I returned home, but then I was able to quickly find it in my bag and start charging my ring without having to rummage for a cable or find something to plug it into. I'll definitely be using this case for future travel, and I like it as a cable-free nightstand charger at home, too.

This Samsung Odyssey Gaming Monitor Is $150 Off Right Now

Naima Karp — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 18:00:06 +0000

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The 2025 flat-panel 32” Samsung Odyssey G5 G50F gaming monitor is an affordable and versatile choice for gamers who also want some multi-purpose use for everyday usage and work. At 32 inches, it’s not as immersive as larger models, but for those looking for gamer-friendly features in a non-curved screen with an adjustable stand, it’s a speedy and visually vibrant choice. And right now, it's down to a record-low $199.99, from $349.99.

Samsung 32” Odyssey G5 G50F Gaming Monitor

With a 180Hz refresh rate that delivers smoother gameplay than 144Hz displays, it’s a value-oriented monitor for competitive and FPS gaming, bolstered by the Virtual Aim Point to improve accuracy. It also has a 1ms GTG response time to reduce motion blur during fast-paced gameplay, and FreeSync and G-Sync compatibility help eliminate stuttering and tearing. QHD (2560×1440) resolution gives users sharper visuals than 1080p, while HDR10 delivers better shadow detail and contrast, further supported by a Black Equalizer.

It has a fast IPS panel with better color accuracy and a 178-degree viewing angle compared to older G5 models, making it suitable not just for gaming but also for media consumption, general office work, multitasking, or use as a multiplayer monitor. Additional gamer-friendly extras include Eye Saver Mode and Refresh Rate Optimizer.

While usually hovering at the $350 price point, at $199.99, this gaming monitor is a strong deal for competitive gamers, general PC gamers, and anyone looking for a larger, mixed-use monitor without stepping up to the much higher price point of an OLED display.

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GitHub Is Down, but There's a Fix

Jake Peterson — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:45:00 +0000

If you're trying (and failing) to access GitHub Monday morning, you aren't alone. According to Downdetector, the hosting provider has over 15,000 user reports indicating issues or downtime with the service—up from roughly 3,000 reports when I first published this article. Whether you're a developer trying to update your repository, or you're a user trying to access one, GitHub may give you trouble. Luckily, the outages should be over soon.

GitHub officially confirmed the outage through multiple updates to its status page. However, in the latest update at 12:36 p.m. ET, the company confirmed it fixed the issue: "We identified the problematic component and have taken corrective actions. There are strong signs of recovery but we are still working to completely restore service, with error rates still remaining slightly elevated. We will post further updates as recovery continues." As such, you might still see issues with GitHub as the fix rolls out.

GitHub hasn't identified the exact issue yet. At 12:16 a.m. ET, GitHub posted an update that reads: "We are experiencing high error rates around 20% for web experiences and api traffic. Archive downloads and raw repository content downloads are experiencing an approximate 50% error rate. SAML and OIDC authentication, SCIM, and Team Sync are also impacted. We are still working to identify the root cause and will continue to post updates as we learn more and perform mitigation."

If the comments on Downdetector are any indication, this is not the first time GitHub has had service issues. One comment reads: "Cmon [GitHub] get your sh*t together...this is getting old." (The user added their own asterisks.) Scrolling through the comment history, users reported errors one or twice a week throughout August. I'm not a regular GitHub user, so I can't attest personally to repeated downtimes, but it does seem as though this isn't wholly unusual. If you're still experiencing issues with GitHub, expect service to come back online shortly—assuming nothing catastrophic is happening behind the scenes.

This Malware Can Take Over Web Browsers on macOS, but You Can Protect Yourself

Emily Long — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:44:42 +0000

In a new ClickFix attack iteration, hackers are pushing an infostealing malware to macOS users that is capable of hijacking your sessions in Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and a number of other Chromium-based browsers. AmnesiaStealer grants remote control of your browser and access to plenty of personal data, so you should know how to spot the campaign and protect your device from compromise.

AmnesiaStealer hijacks your web browser on macOS

As BleepingComputer reports, AmnesiaStealer can copy a victim's Chromium profile, which allows it to collect data across 16 Chromium-based web browsers, access authenticated sessions, and control them remotely. This means threat actors can navigate across websites, export or import cookies, and access online portals as well as grab saved logins, history, bookmarks, extensions, and cryptocurrency wallet data. AmnesiaStealer can also capture your macOS password and gain access to keychain data, Apple Notes, Telegram sessions, documents, and system information.

Researchers at security company Jamf found that hackers are distributing the malware via a password-protected ZIP archive on a fake GitHub page and are gaining this level of access when users run a Terminal command that downloads and installs the payload. The campaign mirrors previously identified Atomic and MacSync infostealers.

How to avoid browser takeover attempts

The best way to protect yourself from AmnesiaStealer is to be vigilant against ClickFix attacks, which use social engineering tactics to deliver malware to your device. Common tricks include fake error messages, CAPTCHA forms, and, as in this case, command prompts that install malicious payloads that can then spy on your activity, steal your data, and take over your machine.

Threat actors count on you believing that these commands do something innocuous (like download legitimate software) or not understanding what you're executing on your device. That's why you should be highly skeptical of any prompts you find online and never execute commands in Terminal from non-official sources. Note that the fake GitHub page being used to distribute AmnesiaStealer has a "Verified Publisher" tag to gain user trust. Fraudsters will also try to impersonate legitimate companies—tech support scams are one example—so you should never copy and paste commands in your system dialogue even if you believe you're interacting with a trusted business or service.

Hackers Are Screen Sharing on Macs Without Permission, but You Can Stop Them

Jake Peterson — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 15:30:30 +0000

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Whether you have a MacBook Neo or an iMac, stay vigilant: Hackers are exploiting a known security vulnerability in macOS that allows bad actors to activate Screen Sharing without the proper permissions. Because macOS lets screen sharers control screens remotely, this flaw is particularly dangerous. Luckily, Apple fixed this issue before anyone knew the flaw was exploited.

The company released three new security updates for Macs on Thursday, Aug. 6. You don't need to be running the latest version, macOS 26, to take advantage of these updates, either. While the company does have a new Tahoe update, Apple's security updates here include releases for both macOS 15 Sequoia and macOS 14 Sonoma as well—and all of these updates patch this screen sharing flaw.

macOS Tahoe 26.6.1, macOS Sequoia 15.7.9, and macOS Sonoma 14.8.9 all contain the same, singular security patch: Tracked as CVE-2026-65400, this fix is for a Screen Sharing flaw that Apple says could allow an attacker on your network to "authenticate to Screen Sharing without valid credentials." In layman's terms, this security flaw could let hackers activate Screen Sharing without permission, which would leave the contents of your Mac's display totally open to anyone in the know.

Apple's Screen Sharing feature is complex, which is good for usability but potentially dangerous in this case. Not only can people using Screen Sharing see your Mac's display, they can, if prompted, take over your Mac as well. Typically, this requires permissions on both sides to activate, so a bad actor could also theoretically take control of your computer using this flaw—accessing your files, messages, or anything else on your Mac.

At the time, Apple did not say that this flaw was previously publicly disclosed or being actively exploited, so it's not clear how long hackers have been using it. But it's likely we'll see more cases like this going forward: Certain AI models, like Claude Mythos, are adept at discovering security vulnerabilities, so it's possible someone out there could have found this flaw before Apple did. Luckily, the patch is now out for anyone running the latest three versions of macOS, so all you have to do to protect yourself is update your Mac.

Whether your Mac is brand new or a few versions behind, there's a very good chance you can install one of these security patches. To do so, open System Settings > General > Software Update, let macOS look for the update, then follow the on-screen instructions to download and install it.

This Solid Midrange Samsung Galaxy Is $100 Off Right Now

Pradershika Sharma — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 13:00:00 +0000

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The Galaxy A57 5G is Samsung’s latest midrange phone, and Amazon currently has the 256GB model for $509.99, down from $609.99. At that price, it becomes a more reasonable alternative to Samsung’s pricier Galaxy S phones, particularly if you care more about a good screen, long battery life, and plenty of storage than having the fastest processor or top-end performance available.

Samsung Galaxy A57 5G

Its 6.7-inch AMOLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate, so scrolling through apps, browsing the web, and moving around Android should all feel fluid, while the Full HD+ resolution is plenty sharp for streaming, reading, and everyday use. Samsung has also kept the phone fairly slim despite the large screen, and its IP68 rating gives you some reassurance around dust, rain, and accidental splashes.

Performance-wise, its Exynos 1680 chip and 8GB of RAM are enough for messaging, social media, streaming, navigation, and regular multitasking, but this is not the phone I would buy for demanding games or heavy performance workloads. On the other hand, its battery life is easier to get excited about, since the 5,000mAh battery should comfortably last through a typical day.

You also get a 50MP main camera with optical image stabilization, joined by a 12MP ultrawide and 5MP macro camera, giving you enough flexibility for everyday photos without positioning the A57 as a camera-first phone (though photography is not the reason I would choose this over something like a Pixel). Samsung’s long support window adds more value if you plan to keep the phone for several years, with six generations of operating-system upgrades and six years of security updates promised for the A57, according to this PCMag review.

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This $45 JBL Speaker Is Small Enough for a Bag and Tough Enough for the Beach

Pradershika Sharma — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 12:30:36 +0000

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The JBL Go 5 is down to $44.95 from $54.95 on Amazon, and price trackers show that this is its lowest price so far. At roughly four inches wide and just over half a pound, it is small enough to toss into a backpack, clip onto a bag, or keep on your desk without taking up much room. The upgraded IP68 rating also makes it a better travel companion than the Go 4, especially for beach days, hikes, or anywhere dust and water are likely to show up.

Battery life gets a modest improvement too, with JBL rating the Go 5 for up to eight hours of playback, or around 10 hours with Playtime Boost turned on. That should comfortably cover a day out, but it is not built for all-day-and-night listening. The same goes for volume. It gets reasonably loud for something this small, but it is better suited to a picnic table, bedroom, or a few people sitting nearby than covering a backyard party. Its front-facing driver also makes placement more important, since the sound is noticeably stronger when you are sitting in front of the speaker than off to either side.

That said, the Go 5 does add a few conveniences that make it easier to live with—you can now play audio over USB-C, Bluetooth 6.0 brings LC3 codec support, and AirTouch lets you pair two Go 5 speakers for stereo simply by bringing them together. JBL’s companion app also gives you more control over the EQ if you want to tweak the sound. None of these upgrades dramatically change the listening experience compared with the Go 4, so owners of the older model do not have much reason to rush out and replace it. At $45, though, the Go 5 is the better buy for someone who wants a compact speaker with more durability, slightly longer battery life, and a few useful extras without moving up to a larger model.

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Microsoft Is Combining Its Two 'Copilot' Apps (and Ditching These Three Features)

Jake Peterson — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 21:30:00 +0000

Microsoft Copilot is a little messy. Unlike ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude, the company's AI service isn't one universal product. Instead, there's "Copilot," the AI for consumers, directly competing with the aforementioned AI apps; and "Microsoft 365 Copilot," the AI for professional use in Microsoft's work suite. Unless you're totally immersed in Microsoft's AI culture, you might be understandably confused about Copilot, and what features and plans belong to which version of the AI. Luckily, you don't need to be confused any longer.

This week, Microsoft announced its intentions to merge its Copilot and Microsoft Copilot 365 platforms into a single app. If you use Copilot as you would ChatGPT or Gemini, you'll use this app. If you use Copilot with Word and Excel for work or school, you'll use this app. Essentially, if you're using Microsoft's AI for any reason, this will be the app of choice. It might not seem particularly impactful for anyone who uses only one version of Copilot, but if you have to bounce between Copilot and Microsoft Copilot 365, you'll understand the immediate benefits of avoiding two different Copilot apps on screen at once, as The Verge highlights.

What's new with Microsoft's unified Copilot app?

As Copilot and Microsoft Copilot 365 are two different experiences, the changes you'll see in the new Copilot app will depend on the app you currently use. Microsoft Copilot 365 users should only have to update their existing app, and Microsoft says users can expect minor navigational changes when switching over. There's also a new app icon, as well as direct access to Copilot chat from the new app.

Copilot users who use Microsoft's AI with their personal account seem to have the most changes to look out for. You should expect to move over to the new app on desktop, but mobile users should be able to switch via an app update. Either way, Microsoft says your chats and content will move over with you. If you use both apps, all your chats and content will merge into the new app, though each will be tied to the specific account you created them with.

Which Copilot features are Microsoft abandoning?

Perhaps the biggest news here is what isn't carrying over to the new app. Microsoft says it's ditching three legacy Copilot features as part of this transition: Podcasts, Deep Research, and Group Chat messages. Microsoft will discontinue all three on Aug. 18, so you don't have much time to continue using them.

If you use Copilot's Group Chat feature, make sure to copy any messages or images from your chats before that deadline, as chats will no longer be accessible after Aug. 18. The same goes for Podcasts: You won't be able to generate new podcasts, nor will you be able to access your generated podcasts after the deadline, so export them ahead of time. Any reports you made using Deep Research will be accessible after Aug. 18, but you won't be able to use the feature unless you are a Microsoft 365 Premium subscriber.

You don't have to look far to find replacements for these features. Google's "Gemini Notebook" (formerly NotebookLM) can create AI-generated podcasts for you, and just about every other major AI platform offers its own Deep Research feature. That said, Microsoft isn't the only one retiring features: OpenAI shuttered its AI video generator, Sora, earlier this year, as well as ChatGPT Atlas, its short-lived AI browser. It seems Microsoft is particularly focused on consolidating its AI offerings, seeing as the company has also been removing "unnecessary" Copilot features from Windows.

10 Gboard Hacks Every Android User Should Know

Khamosh Pathak — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 20:30:00 +0000

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Gboard is the default keyboard option for a staggering number of Android smartphones across the globe, and it's not just limited to Pixels. If you have an Android device, you've probably used Gboard for years without giving it a second look. The default setup is good, the predictive text suggestions work, and in a pinch, you can swipe to type.

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But like other seemingly basic Android apps and features, a lot more is hiding behind Gboard's surface simplicity. Explore the menus, tweak the settings, and learn some gestures, and you'll uncover a ton of useful features that can make it faster and easier to use—without switching to an entirely new keyboard. Here are my favorite tips, tricks, and hacks for Gboard.

Pin frequently used text in the clipboard for instant access

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

You don’t need to go looking for ad-filled clipboard manager apps on Android: Gboard is hiding a capable clipboard manager in plain sight, but it’s not enabled by default. In the Gboard app, tap the Menu button and choose the Clipboard option. On your first try, enable the feature. Now you will see all your copied items here in a handy list. Gboard automatically deletes clipboard entries every hour (a nice security feature), but you can pin any and every entry in the clipboard using the long-press menu. Once pinned, the entry will stay put. You can use this feature to copy and paste items you use frequently, like email templates or your mailing address.

Use Personal Dictionary to quickly expand long phrases

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

If you’re an Android power user, or if you manage your business or college work via your Android smartphone, you might want a faster way to input long strings of text. On Mac and Windows, you might be familiar with text expansion features and apps. Gboard for Android offers something similar, only it’s called Personal Dictionary for some reason.

Here, you can add any custom phrase and an associated shortcut. The shortcut, when entered, will show the expanded phrase in the suggestion bar. Go to Gboard Settings > Dictionary > Personal Dictionary and tap the Plus button to add a new phrase.

Use these swipe and hold gestures for faster inputs

The Backspace (or Delete) key on the Pixel isn’t static. If you swipe left from the backspace key, you’ll start to delete entire words, instead of just letters. Similarly, you can move the cursor around using the space bar: Hold the space bar and move your finger left or right to precisely move the cursor around. And if you want to avoid switching views to enter symbols, just hold the Period (dot) key to reveal the full symbols keyboard. Swipe to the symbol you wish to enter, let go, and you're done.

Use this gesture to quickly input numbers without switching keyboards

If you need to enter numbers on Gboard, you can go two ways about it. First, there is a hidden gesture, where you flick keys to enter alternative symbols. So if you swipe down on the letter “e”, it will type in the number “3” instead. Super handy, and can be enabled from Settings > Preferences > Flick keys to enter symbols.

But if you type numbers all the time, nothing can beat a dedicated numbers row to Gboard (though that will take up extra space). From Preferences, you can enable the Number row to get quick access to the number keys.

Use one-handed mode to make typing easier on big phones

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

Tap the Menu button in the Gboard keyboard, and choose the One-handed option. You will now see a smaller keyboard, tucked to one edge. You can tap the Arrow button to change the docking position. You can also tap the Edit button to freely move and resize the keyboard (make it smaller or bring it closer to the bottom edge).

Resize keyboard height to reclaim screen real estate on cramped layouts (or make it huge)

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

If you don’t like the default size for the Gboard keyboard, you can shorten it, or choose to have it take up half of the screen, with larger keys. Tap the Menu button in the Gboard toolbar, and choose the Resize option. Now, you can drag the handlebar to make the keyboard taller or shorter (you can’t change the width in this feature).

Use the floating keyboard to type anywhere on-screen

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

On a big-screen phone or an Android tablet, trying to enter text while seeing what's under the keyboard can be a hassle, especially if you're using multi-app view. But Gboard doesn't have to be docked to the bottom of the screen. From the Gboard Menu, tap the Floating button to detach the keyboard. Now, you can grab the handlebar to move it across the screen to wherever you want. You can also resize the keyboard to make it smaller.

Use Gboard's editing feature to adjust text anywhere

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

On a computer, text editing is easier and faster. You have arrow keys to move around, a mouse for precise selection, and shortcuts for copying and pasting. Google might have realized this gap on smartphones and tablets, which is why the Text Editing feature in Gboard's Menu exists: When triggered, it replaces the keyboard with big buttons dedicated to selecting and manipulating text.

The new keyboard features a big directional pad with arrows, and a Select button right in the middle. You can use the arrow to move the cursor letter by letter, or press and hold to jump between words. Once the text is selected, use the Cut, Copy, and Paste buttons to manipulate text without ever having to fiddle with long-press gestures or swipes on the screen.

Use Emoji Kitchen to create brand new emojis

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

Emojis are kind of boring in 2026, and picking the right GIF feels like an enormous task. Gboard's Emoji Kitchen is somewhere in between. Go to the Emoji tab in Gboard, select two emojis, and Google combines them into a unique emoji sticker. You'll see multiple pairing options so you can choose the one you like.

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

Pasted in some text that you now need to delete? Don't do the text selection dance. Instead, use Gboard's built-in Undo button. Tap the Menu button, and you should see Undo in the features list. To make this habit stick, add the button to the toolbar by tapping the Edit button, and dragging the Undo button to the top toolbar. Save the arrangement, and now you have a dedicated undo/redo button in easy reach.

10 Screenshot Hacks Every iPhone User Should Know

Pranay Parab — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 20:00:00 +0000

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While the Mac has the best screenshot tools of any Apple device, it's not quite the same story on iPhone. Your iOS device is mostly restricted to built-in tools for taking screenshots and screen recordings, which makes it hard to bypass apps that block those features. Having said that, your iPhone's screenshot tool is anything but basic, supporting editing, annotations, and even extracting text from images. If you want to take better screenshots on iOS, these 10 hacks can help.

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Use AssistiveTouch to take screenshots without pressing any buttons

I've always found it unintuitive to take screenshots using hardware buttons on a device with a touchscreen. There are two easy ways to avoid pressing those buttons to take screenshots. The first one relies on a virtual Home button, which you can enable by going to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch. From here, enable AssistiveTouch to add a virtual Home button to your iPhone. Next, tap Customize Top Level Menu, then, if you're only interested in using this option for screenshots, reduce the number of icons from six to one by tapping the minus button. From here, tap the remaining icon on this settings page. Go to Device > Screenshot, and tap the blue checkmark in the top-right corner. The next time you tap the virtual Home button, your iPhone will immediately take a screenshot.

The second method uses Back Tap, an iOS feature that triggers various actions when you physically tap the back of your iPhone. You can enable this by going to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap. Select either Double Tap or Triple Tap, and go to Device > Screenshot. I recommend picking Triple Tap to avoid accidental screenshots. Once you enable this, tap the back of your phone thrice to take screenshots.

Use this gesture to add calendar events directly from a screenshot

Credit: Pranay Parab

When someone sends you a screenshot of a ticket, or if you've saved an image that mentions a date or time, you can add it to your calendar with a hidden iOS feature. Once you open the screenshot, tap the small Live Text button in the bottom-right corner. (Its icon has three horizontal lines surrounded by dotted borders.) This will reveal a date or time in the bottom-left corner of the screenshot. Tap that button, and you'll see a new page where you can quickly add the event to your calendar. Sometimes, you may see a "More" button next to the identified date or time. This appears when there are multiple dates in a screenshot, and you can tap "More" to select the correct one for your calendar entry. Your iPhone can also identify flight numbers in screenshots and show you the current status of that flight.

This is one of the best features for people who want to avoid piling up useless screenshots in their photo libraries. Once you capture a screenshot on your iPhone, tap the thumbnail to open the screenshot editor page, and tap the checkmark icon in the top-right corner. Here, you can select "Copy and Delete" to save the screenshot to your clipboard and delete it from your device. You can now paste it in other apps, such as Mail, Messages, or WhatsApp. Goodbye, clutter.

Use the Live Text tool to extract text from screenshots

Your iPhone comes with a powerful text extraction tool that lets you copy text from images. Just take a screenshot, tap the thumbnail in the bottom-left corner, and hit the Live Text button in the bottom-right corner. This tool instantly identifies all kinds of text in an image, and, from there, you can select and copy it easily.

Hold the screen to draw symmetrical shapes in annotations

When I'm annotating a screenshot, I'll often draw a quick squiggle to highlight something to others who'll view it. Since I'm no Picasso, my attempts at drawing a circle (or any other shape) over an element in the screenshot look hopelessly amateur. Fortunately, iOS has a feature that allows you to turn your squiggles into regular shapes. Try this: Draw your best estimation of a circle, rectangle, square, or another shape on a screenshot. Immediately after, hold the screen, and iOS will convert your drawing into a neat symmetrical shape.

Use opaque shapes to securely hide sensitive information in screenshots

Credit: Pranay Parab

I've seen way too many screenshots with poorly hidden bits of sensitive information. When people do this using an iPhone, they often use the pen tool or even the highlighter to hide email addresses, phone numbers, or names. It's surprisingly easy to bypass these methods for those in the know, leaving your info vulnerable. If you're trying to securely hide info in an image, use opaque shapes instead. It's a built-in tool on your iPhone that hides information thoroughly, and is much faster than scribbling over text hundreds of times. When you take a screenshot, open the image via its thumbnail, and tap the pen icon up top. Hit the + button in the bottom-right corner, and tap Add Shape. Choose any shape you like, and tap the first circle in the popover menu to add any color. This will make it an opaque shape. Now, drag this shape over sensitive information and save the image.

Use this automation to delete unwanted screenshots

Deleting a bunch of screenshots by hand is a pain. However, you can use Apple's Shortcuts app to create an automation to do the job for you. The basic logic behind this automation is to find all photos that are screenshots taken in a specific time period, and delete them in one shot. For most people, this will work as a periodic cleanup tool that deletes recently taken screenshots. As an example, you can use it to delete all screenshots taken in the past 30 days. I've created a sample shortcut for you to follow. You can modify it to suit your needs, but if you use it as is, it'll find and delete all screenshots from the past month. It does ask for confirmation before deleting screenshots, and even after it's done, you can still recover photos from the Recently Deleted folder.

Disable thumbnails to stop accidental screenshots

This might be how screenshots work on your iPhone: You take a screenshot, and the device shows a thumbnail in the bottom-left corner. This disappears in a few seconds, and saves the screenshot to your library. If you accidentally take a screenshot and don't tap the thumbnail fast enough, you'll have to manually delete the screenshot from your library. If this bothers you, then I recommend enabling full-screen screenshot previews. That way, the moment you take a screenshot (accidental or not), you'll see a preview, and you can decide if you want to keep the image.

Apple has since changed this default, so there's a chance your screenshots now open in full-screen already. However, if your iPhone is still running with the thumbnail method, you can set this up by going to Settings > General > Screen Capture and enabling Full-Screen Previews.

Enable microphone audio recording to create screencasts

Credit: Pranay Parab

In addition to screenshots, you can take screen recordings of your iPhone as well. There are many uses for this, but one of the best is to create a screencast. I use this often to help my parents solve tech problems. You can also add microphone audio to these screencasts to make them even more useful, and to avoid recording a voiceover separately. To do this, open Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner of the screen. In case you don't see the screen recording button here, you can add it by tapping the + button in the top-left corner, and selecting Add a Control > Screen Recording.

Hold the screen recording button until you see a pop-up menu. Tap the "Microphone Off" button, and it'll change to Microphone On. Tap Start Recording, wait for three seconds, and the screen recording will begin. You can now start speaking, and your voice will be a part of your screen recording.

Use this shortcut to disable screen capture sounds and previews

If you want to take screenshots with maximum efficiency, try Screenshot, a screenshot shortcut I found on Reddit. This shortcut bypasses all screenshot previews and capture sounds, and instantly saves your screenshot to a library of your choice. Once you install this shortcut, review its steps, and select an album for your screenshot. (It drops your screenshots in the Recents album by default, which may not be ideal for everyone.) From here, open Control Center, tap the + button, select Add a Control > Shortcut. Now select the Screenshot shortcut, and you're good to go. The next time you want to capture a screenshot as fast as possible, run this shortcut from the Control Center, and you'll notice that it's the least intrusive screenshot workflow. You could even link this shortcut to Back Tap gestures for even faster access.

All the Health and Fitness Products You Didn't Realize You Could Buy With HSA Funds

Meredith Dietz — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 19:30:00 +0000

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In theory, you can use your FSA or HSA funds to get yourself a shiny new fitness tracker or smartwatch (even the latest Fitbit Air)—but is the process really as straightforward as the marketing suggests? Right off the bat, your HSA/FSA dollars won't be able to cover the entire purchase; instead, you'll save an average of 30% on eligible health purchases.

There is some more fine print, although it’s not as tricky as you might think. For the most part, if a device is necessary for treating or monitoring a specific medical condition—and not just “general wellness”—it could be eligible to purchase with those pre-tax health dollars.

With that in mind, the main “catch” here (as I’ve previously explained) is proving that device is in fact necessary, which requires you to obtain a Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN). Your LMN is basically a doctor's note required to classify certain purchases as qualified medical expenses under IRS guidelines, proving that the device will be used to treat a legitimate medical condition, such as obesity or a heart condition. Let’s take a look at what you can actually expect if you want to get a fitness wearable approved as a medical necessity.

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How to use your HSA/FSA funds on a fitness tracker

When it comes to securing your LMN, you might not even need to make a doctor's appointment, thanks to third-party players like Truemed. When you browse sites like Coros, Amazfit, and more, you'll see the option to “Pay With Truemed” at checkout. From there, you'll be asked a few questions about your health circumstances, and you’ll be matched with a provider to determine your eligibility. If you qualify, you’ll get an LMN that will allow you to use your HSA or FSA funds to complete your purchase—all without ever having to meet with your primary doctor.

Truemed is one of the most popular payment platforms in this space, with the company claiming on its site that “90% of LMNs are issued within 7 hours.” I spoke with Truemed’s co-founder and CEO Justin Mares to find out how it works behind the scenes. After you take that short survey about your health, an independent licensed provider reviews your answers before deciding whether the purchase looks medically necessary. If it doesn't, Truemed won't bother forwarding the request at all. Because Truemed screens your case before it has a chance of getting denied, those approval numbers get to stay mighty high. And the reality is, most Americans will have at least one health marker—like weight or cholesterol levels—that they can self-report to prove that, say, a Fitbit Air is necessary tool for prevention and maintenance.

For the purchases that do go through to a medical professional, approval turns out to be surprisingly straightforward. It comes down to the idea of "standard of care" in general. “If you go into a doctor's office and say your family has a history of high blood pressure,” Mares says, “your doctor probably is not going to ask for lab work before they'll talk to you about it. They simply take you at your word and help you manage the risk.” Proving HSA/FSA eligibility works on that same standard fairly often, according to Mares. You're not submitting a stack of medical records; you're answering a simple intake form about your health history, and a licensed clinician uses that, plus their own judgment, to decide whether a given product is appropriate for you.

Before you get your hopes up too high, FSA/HSA eligibility for wearables is still far from a free-for-all. An LMN only covers you, personally, for a specific product from a specific merchant, and it's usually tied to a specific condition, like cardiovascular risk, pre-diabetes, sleep issues, chronic pain, and so on. Some employers' FSA administrators scrutinize wearable purchases more closely than others, and even a fully compliant LMN doesn't guarantee your plan will approve the claim. Some companies (like Coros, for one) are more transparent about walking customers through the required medical consultation at checkout, while other brands market "HSA/FSA eligible" prominently without explaining that the LMN step is what actually makes that true. Luckily, I’ve saved you some time and rounded up some of the major wearables—and other unexpected items—that you might be able to prove as FSA/HSA eligible.

Recovery-focused wearables

Screenless recovery trackers like Whoop, Amazfit Helio Strap, and the Oura Ring can usually be justified as HSA/FSA eligible around sleep quality, HRV-based stress monitoring, or recovery tracking tied to a chronic condition. These tend to draw more scrutiny from plan administrators simply because they're marketed as lifestyle products first, so the strength of your intake answers matters more here than it does for something obviously medical, like a blood pressure cuff.

Smartwatches and heart rate monitors

If cardiovascular monitoring, training load tracking, or heart rate accuracy is relevant to a documented health concern, these watches can qualify the same way a basic tracker does. For instance, Coros offers FSA/HSA eligibility for all its watches and heart rate monitors through its partnership with Truemed. Amazfit similarly lets you filter by HSA/FSA eligibility for its smartwatches. Sadly, no Garmin watches are HSA/FSA-eligible. Still, the following Garmin-brand products are eligible for an HSA/FSA purchase:

Index BPM smart blood pressure monitor
Index S2 smart scale
HRM-Fit heart rate monitor for women
HRM-Pro Plus heart rate monitor
HRM-Dual real-time heart rate monitor
HRM-Swim

You can filter by HSA/FSA eligibility and browse all eligible Garmin items here.

Home fitness equipment

Think adjustable dumbbells, rowing machines, and connected bikes. It's the same logic doctors use when they tell a patient with prediabetes or high cholesterol to start exercising regularly; if a clinician is willing to attest that structured exercise is part of your treatment plan, equipment that enables that can qualify. For instance, here are some HSA/FSA eligible products from Nike Strength:

The common thread across all of these is that the product itself doesn't determine eligibility—your health history does. A Whoop band might be an easy approval for someone managing a cardiac condition, but it'll get more pushback for someone with no relevant health history at all. If you're curious whether something on your wish list might qualify, it's worth filling out the intake process just to see how creatively you can spend those pre-tax health dollars.

How to Tell If That Apple 'Threat Notification' Is Legit

Emily Long — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 19:00:04 +0000

Threat actors are always finding ways to make their attacks seem more believable—often by using urgent security matters that push victims to act quickly—so you should always be skeptical of messages and notifications warning you that your device or account has been compromised. That said, if you receive a spyware warning from Apple via push notification, it's likely real, and you shouldn't ignore it.

Apple's threat notification system is designed to alert individuals who have been targeted by mercenary spyware, such as Pegasus, which can silently infect devices and track everything a user does. Since 2021, the company has sent these alerts multiple times a year. In the vast majority of cases, those affected are in high-profile positions—such as politicians, journalists, and activists—that are at a high risk of being targeted. That means the average user is unlikely to ever receive one of these notifications, so it's important to understand how they work and be able to identify what's legitimate and what's not.

Verify Apple threat notifications before taking action

According to Apple's support document, threat notifications are now being distributed via push notifications to affected users' iPhones. These alerts will appear on the Lock Screen and in Settings. Users will also receive an email alert to the address linked to their Apple Account sent from [threat-notifications@email.apple.com]. (Previously, Apple sent alerts via email and Messages.) Lock Screen alerts will have a red warning icon and read "Apple Threat Notification: Apple detected a mercenary spyware attack targeted at your iPhone. There are actions you can take now to help protect your data and your device."

If you receive a push notification or an email that appears to be from Apple, you should take it seriously and also verify it in your device Settings and Apple Account dashboard, as scammers may try to capitalize on this by sending fake alerts that impersonate Apple. When you go to Settings on your iPhone, you'll see an Apple Threat Notification menu just below your main profile. Then, log into account.apple.com—there will be a banner at the top of the page labeled "Threat Notification" with a link to view additional details.

Legitimate threat notifications from Apple will never require you to click links, download files, install apps, or provide credentials by email or phone. If you're urged to do any of these things, it's a scam. You should be especially wary of security-related notifications if you're not a high-risk iPhone user who is likely to be targeted.

That said, affected users are advised to follow Apple's recommended steps to protect themselves. This may include turning on Lockdown Mode, an OS-level security setting that severely limits iPhone features in order to block malicious actors from gaining access. If you receive an Apple threat notification, you can also contact Access Now's Digital Security Helpline, which is available 24/7, for assistance.

You Can Have Google Meet Take Notes for Your In-Person Meetings Too

Jake Peterson — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 18:00:44 +0000

Google Meet's "Take Notes for me" feature is one particularly useful implementation of AI. When you're on a video call, Gemini can dictate what's being said, offering summaries and highlights of the conversation. Your attention doesn't need to be split between the conversation at hand and writing down notes to remember key points later: The notes are automatically generated as a Google Doc once the meeting is over. It's the kind of feature that sells me more on the whole "AI assistant" thing, much more so than an app trying to order me a coffee.

Video conferencing isn't the only time dictation can be useful, of course. An in-person meeting can benefit from the same perks as a virtual one: Why bother with scribbling down notes on paper or typing away on a laptop when your phone can transcribe the chat on your behalf? I've used the Voice Memos app on my iPhone for the task, since it's easy to record audio and an generate automatic transcription of the conversation that way. But if you're a regular Google Meet user, you now have a similar option in your app of choice, as Meet's "Take Notes for me" feature now supports live, in-person meetings too.

How "Take Notes for me" works in person

As noted by 9to5Google, here's how it works: You open the Google Meet site or app on your device, but rather than start a call, you can use the "Take Notes for me" option to task Gemini with transcribing and summarizing your discussion. You can hit "Pause" at any time to pause dictation, and "Stop" followed by "Stop taking notes" to end it altogether. You can also transition to a video call if you want to conference in someone who isn't in the same room as you. And, just as with a Google Meet call, Take Notes for me will automatically save the meeting notes in a Google Doc.

Google first announced this feature back in April, but is now widely rolling it out to AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers, as well as Workspace plans. If you have a Workspace account, your admin may need to activate it on their end, at which point you should be able to start recording your own conversations. Google says the feature works across platforms, but will roll out along different timelines: It has been trickling out to Android since Aug. 11; web users will start seeing it today, Aug. 14; and iOS users will see it starting Aug. 31.

Try an alternative to Google Meet's in-person dictation

There are plenty of alternatives if you don't have "Take Notes for me" available to you in Google Meet. It won't be a perfect match, since Google Meet integrates with your Google account and does more than just transcribe the call, but there are other options worth considering.

As I mentioned, I really like using Apple's built-in tools: Voice Memos can generate automatic transcriptions, which you can save to Apple Notes. But if you don't have an Apple device or you prefer another option, PCMag has a series of recommendations, including Otter.ai, GoTranscript, and Rev.

This Soundcore Bluetooth Party Speaker Is $80 Off Right Now

Naima Karp — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 18:00:28 +0000

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The era of the boombox as we knew it in the 90s might be over, but if you still want an audio powerhouse that’ll give you better sound than your average portable speaker, there are several options that fit the bill, along with modern features like the ability to float in water and lighting effects. The popular Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus Bluetooth speaker is one of them—and right now, it’s 32% off ($169.98, originally $249.99).

Soundcore Boom 2 Plus Portable Speaker By Anker, 140W

This speaker gets seriously loud thanks to two 50W woofers and two 20W tweeters, delivering up to 140W. This is enough to create immersive sound during a backyard or pool party, camping trips, and beach get-togethers. PCMag, which gives it an Editors’ Choice Award, says it has a “powerful low-frequency response” and gives “serious thump” with plenty of bass. When BassUp 2.0 mode is activated (it’s on by default), the sound gets even bassier. Battery life lasts up to 20 hours with BassUp off and volume at 50%.

The Soundcore Boom 2 Plus has an IPX7 rating that lets the speaker be submerged up to a meter for 30 minutes, and it even floats. Despite being mostly plastic, the speaker still has a rugged build. While it clocks in at 8.4 pounds, a removable, adjustable strap and built-in handle make it easy to carry around. The standout feature that sets it apart from similar speakers in its class is the bright, customizable LED lights that pulse with the beat of the music. The app controls both the sound and the lights, allowing you to further customize colors.

If you’re craving robust audio that can hold its own outdoors, a rugged build, and fun lighting effects to set the vibe, the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus has the right combination of features, making it a go-to for indoor and outdoor use. At its lowest price yet, this portable party starter should be on your radar.

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If You Loved 'Silo,' There's One Movie You Need to Watch Next

Jeff Somers — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 17:00:40 +0000

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Based on Hugh Howey’s books, Silo is the perfect sci-fi show for the moment: Pessimistic about government, optimistic about the potential for individual courage and heroism, and crammed full of dark mysteries. Every episode peels back a tiny bit of the curtain obscuring the truth from both the audience and the residents of Silo 18, the huge underground bunker hosting part of what’s left of humanity after a global cataclysm, and it’s a thrill to find out just how awful the secrets actually are. If you’re looking for more of that in your life, and you’ve already watched all the other grim sci-fi series scratching that itch, there’s one movie you should check out: 2013’s Snowpiercer.

Why you should watch Snowpiercer after Silo

We also suggested the TV series as a streamalike, but it’s well worth it for Silo fans to dive into the theatrical film as well. The movie is tighter and darker than the series, and Chris Evans’ performance as Curtis is ferocious—he’s a man haunted by his own secrets and willing to burn everything down to discover the bigger ones that drove him to desperation.

Like Silo, Snowpiercer is set in an enclosed, self-sustaining environment that might support the last remnants of humanity. After an attempt to reverse climate change accidentally ushers in a new ice age, a small group of survivors exists on a huge bullet train, the Snowpiercer, that continuously circles the globe. Like the Silo, the train is divided into sections that represent strata of society: In the rear, packed in tightly and living in squalor, are the poor, and as you advance closer to the engine, everyone gets richer and more comfortable. And like Silo, a rebellion stirs up the dark secrets behind everything on the train, leading to one of the darkest revelations ever uncovered.

Snowpiercer matches Silo’s tone, look, and feel so closely you might wonder if the train exists in the same universe, if Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) is going to pop out of a manhole at some point and stare incredulously at the train speeding by. And at the core of both the series and the movie is a firm belief that while human beings may accept levels of conformity and control in exchange for perceived security for a while, they will always ultimately demand their freedom—and the truth. Stream Snowpiercer on Kanopy, Hoopla, Tubi, or Hulu, or rent it on Prime Video.

Snowpiercer (2013)

More movies to watch after Silo

Need more movies that will convince you the future might be worth saving, but won’t be any fun? You’re in luck: There are lots. Here are some of the best alternatives after you’ve watched Snowpiercer.

I Am Mother (2019)

Want more apocalypse mystery box? Watch I Am Mother. In a sleek, modern bunker, a young girl is raised from an embryo by a sentient robot called Mother. Named Daughter, the girl is drilled in lessons centered on morality and ethics in preparation for an upcoming exam and is forbidden to leave the bunker because of supposed “contamination” outside. When she hears a woman pleading for assistance through the airlock, Daughter lets the stranger in—setting in motion a chain of events that reveal the truth to her. Just like Silo, Daughter soon learns that her life isn’t what she thought it was, and that she has fewer choices than she’d hoped. Stream I Am Mother on Netflix.

I Am Mother (2019)

The Platform (2019)

If it’s the extended metaphor about existence and society that you love about Silo, this Spanish horror film is the perfect choice. A man named Goreng wakes up in cell 48 in a mysterious vertical prison. He soon learns that every day, a platform in the center of the cell descends from above, laden with enormous amounts of food. The platform stays for two minutes, and the occupants of each cell can eat as much as they can during that time but will be killed if they try to hoard any food. Each month, the prisoners are randomly reassigned to a new level—and the lower you are, the less likely there will be enough food left to survive on. It’s grim, but as Goreng tries to find ways to fight back, the secrets of another vertical sci-fi puzzle are slowly discovered. Stream The Platform on Netflix.

The Platform (2019)

High Rise (2016)

Silo explores, in part, the nature of civilization and the necessity of control—can people be trusted to govern themselves, or must they be lied to and manipulated to ensure survival? High Rise, based on the classic novel by J.G. Ballard, follows Dr. Robert Laing (Tom Hiddleston), who moves into a luxury London apartment building in 1975. The building is the epitome of modern convenience, and is stratified by class—the wealthy live on the upper floors, and the poorer tenants down below. Over the next few months, the mini society in the building breaks down as services stop, the power becomes unreliable, and violence breaks out, seemingly without any intervention from outside. It’s a paranoid story set in a shelter that’s actually a trap, a setup that will be familiar to Silo fans. Stream High Rise on Kanopy, Hoopla, or Tubi, or rent it on Prime Video.

High Rise (2016)

Logan’s Run (1976)

Population is a big concern for Silo—controlling it, limiting it, planning for it. Logan’s Run (based on the novel by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson) is the goofy 1970s sci-fi answer to that, set in a post-apocalyptic future where humanity lives in a sealed city run by a computer. Resource scarcity and overpopulation are solved by the ritualistic execution of every citizen at age 30. Citizens are told they will be reincarnated after this, and it’s enforced by “Sandmen” who hunt anyone who resists their fate. Sandman Logan 5 (Michael York) is ordered to find and destroy a secret place where “runners” are hiding, and finds himself designated for execution as a grim bit of motivation, and decides that he’ll take his chances as a Runner, seeking to find out what’s really outside the city’s dome. Stream Logan’s Run on Hoopla, Plex, or Tubi, or rent it on Prime Video.

Logan’s Run (1976)

With Subwoofer and Surround Sound Speakers

Soylent Green (1973)

Even if you’ve never seen it, you probably already know what Soylent Green is made of. Another classic 1970s sci-fi movie concerned with overpopulation, Soylent Green (based on Harry Harrison’s 1966 novel) doesn’t have the dark, constricted setting of Silo, but it has all of its sense of building, violent pressure in a desperate population that’s being lied to. In the 21^st century, overpopulation and climate collapse have left society barely functioning, with the elites living in fortified mansions sustained by slaves and the teeming millions surviving on ultraprocessed foods from the Soylent Corporation. Just like in Silo, it falls to a committed cop, NYPD Detective Robert Thorn (Charlton Heston being the most Charlton Heston he’d ever been), to investigate the horrifying truth. Rent Soylent Green on Prime Video.

Soylent Green (1973)

$4.99 at Prime Video

ChatGPT Can Now Remember Actions You Take on Your Mac

Jake Peterson — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 16:30:00 +0000

If you use ChatGPT on your Mac, and you have the right type of account, you'll soon be able to start asking your bot questions about how you use your computer. As highlighted by 9to5Mac, OpenAI announced "Computer History" on Thursday, a new feature that lets ChatGPT keep a history of actions you take on your Mac.

As OpenAI pitches it, you'll be able to ask ChatGPT about projects you recently worked on, request details about your work "patterns," and turn frequently used tasks into automations. For example, you could ask ChatGPT "What was I working on before I took a break?" and, with Computer History enabled, it can look through your recent activity to deliver your answer. You could also ask about files you remember looking at, but can't find, e.g., "Where is that planning document I was looking at this morning?"

How ChatGPT's Computer History works

Unlike something like Windows Recall, Computer History doesn't actually take screenshots of your Mac's display to work. It also doesn't record your screen or tap into microphones or system audio. Instead, the feature collects data from the sources you allow it to see. Every time you click, type, use a keyboard shortcut, and switch an app, Computer History takes note. It even watches out for "context" from macOS accessibility processes to inform its records. OpenAI says that Computer History will occasionally save this data as both text summaries and local memory files.

The good news for the privacy-minded is that Computer History is opt-in by default. That means it won't work until you manually enable the feature. Even when you do, Computer History won't track everything you do out of the box: You'll be able to choose which apps and sites ChatGPT keeps tabs on, and you can pause "collection" from the menu bar at any time. Private or incognito browsing is never recorded either. There are separate controls for workspace access, personal opt-in, memories, and apps and sites, and you can adjust all of these settings at any time.

In addition to asking ChatGPT directly about your history, you can manually review the data the feature collects yourself. Under Settings > Computer history > History, you'll find the local memory file for summaries, options to delete individual items, and the ability to clear a specific timeframe of history, similar to how clearing your history works in a web browser.

Is ChatGPT's Computer History secure?

The short answer? No. While OpenAI is adamant that the feature stores your data in secure locations away from other apps, it acknowledges that the feature can and does store sensitive information without encryption. As such, programs running as your macOS user may be able to access these files. What's more, the company is open about the fact that Computer History increases your risk of prompt injection attacks, as ChatGPT may follow malicious instructions it sees on the apps and websites it's tracking.

OpenAI also processes some of these files on its server in order to generate memories. The company says it doesn't save those files after processing unless required by law, and claims it doesn't use them for training. That said, OpenAI may scrape chat content that uses one of these processed memories in a future chat for training, if you allow the company to train its models off your ChatGPT data.

As with AI browsers, there are likely steps you can take to limit your risk exposure while using Computer History, but as it stands, it seems those risks far outweigh the benefits. You might like a feature like this if you frequently forget what you were working on earlier in the day, or if you're looking for an objective analysis of how you use your Mac. But I think there are other systems you can use to stay on task that don't expose you to a privacy invasion or, even worse, a cyberattack.

How to turn on Computer History in ChatGPT

If you're interested in trying this feature out, it's easy to enable—assuming you're under the right ChatGPT plan. OpenAI says that Business or Enterprise workspace users will need administrator approval first. If you're a personal ChatGPT user, you'll need to subscribe to ChatGPT Pro for access.

Assuming you meet one of the above qualifications, you can get started by opening ChatGPT's Mac app, then, in Settings, head to Integrations > Computer history. Here, choose "Turn on," then review all permissions and settings. You will need to turn on "Memories" if it isn't enabled already, as the app uses the feature for context as you move through chats and tasks. Finally, choose the apps and websites Computer History will track, and enable any macOS permissions required.

Under Settings > Computer history > Permissions, you'll find options for "Exclude these apps," "Exclude these websites," "Include only these apps," and "Include only these websites" that will let you fine-tune Computer History's tracking to a degree. You can also pause or stop Computer History at any time from your Mac's menu bar.

This Blink Outdoor 2K Camera Bundle Is 45% Off Right Now

Pradershika Sharma — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 13:00:00 +0000

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The Blink Outdoor 2K+ two-camera system is down to $87.99 from $159.99 on Amazon, and price trackers show that this is its lowest price so far. That works out to about $44 per camera, compared with $54.99 for a single unit right now. And two cameras give you enough coverage for common combinations like a front door and driveway, or a backyard and side entrance, without immediately adding another device. Blink also includes the Sync Module Core, batteries, and mounting hardware in the package, so there isn't much else you need to get started.

Each camera runs on two AA lithium batteries, with Blink estimating up to two years of battery life under typical use and battery-efficient settings—your actual runtime will depend on how often the camera records and the settings you choose. Speaking of, video tops out at 2,560 by 1,440 resolution, and the cameras have a 135-degree diagonal field of view, so one unit should cover a typical porch or driveway without requiring particularly precise placement. You also get two-way audio, motion alerts, and night viewing, so the cameras cover the basics you would expect from an outdoor security setup.

Note that some of Blink’s smarter features, including AI-generated descriptions of recorded events, require a paid plan—and cloud clip storage does, too. Plans start at $3.99 per month for one camera, while AI features cost more, so the ongoing expense can add up if you want the full experience. The cameras also fit best into an Alexa-based home because they work with Alexa and IFTTT but not Apple HomeKit or Google Home, notes this PCMag review. Still, $88 is a pretty reasonable way to cover two important areas of a home with battery-powered 2K cameras.

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You Can Get This 5.1-Channel Surround Sound Setup on Sale for $399 Right Now

Pradershika Sharma — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 12:30:45 +0000

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A soundbar is often the easiest way to fix thin TV audio, but a single bar can only go so far when you want movies and games to feel more immersive. That is where a fuller surround setup can help, and Amazon currently has its Fire TV Soundbar Plus bundle for $399.99, down from $489.99. Unlike the soundbar-only version, this package gives you a proper 5.1-channel setup, with the bar handling the front and center channels, the subwoofer adding low-end impact, and two speakers sitting behind you for surround effects. Its dedicated center channel should also make dialogue easier to follow when background music or action gets busy.

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus

The system also supports Dolby Atmos and DTS, along with Dolby TrueHD, so it can handle the surround formats you are likely to run into on streaming services and Blu-ray discs. That said, the bar does not use dedicated upward-firing speakers for Atmos effects, so sounds that are supposed to come from above are created virtually rather than with physical height channels. You still get the wider sense of space that comes from having rear speakers, but buyers looking for convincing overhead effects should temper expectations. Also, the soundbar itself is not Alexa-enabled and does not support Alexa Home Theater, so the Fire TV branding does not mean it doubles as a smart speaker, notes this PCMag review.

Setup is otherwise straightforward. Once the subwoofer and satellites are plugged into power, they connect to the soundbar wirelessly, while the bar itself connects to your TV through HDMI ARC or eARC for the best Dolby Atmos and DTS support. Bluetooth is also available when you just want to play music from a phone or tablet. Plus, compatible Fire TV devices can show sound presets (including Movie, Music, Sports, and Night sound modes) directly in the interface, and HDMI control can let one TV remote handle basic power and volume duties—though, there is less room for fine-tuning than you would get from more expensive home-theater systems with room correction or deeper calibration tools.

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I Tried the Android App That's Helping People Around the World Bypass Censorship Laws

David Nield — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 22:00:00 +0000

If you've read our previous coverage on the Tor network and the Tor Browser, you'll know they're the best choices if you want to maximize your privacy and anonymity on the internet. Now, the Tor project has teamed up with the Bloco Android app studio to release another app focused on privacy and anonymity: Snowflake Volunteer.

This isn't only bout keeping your own browsing safe and secure—if you install it on your Android phone, you're helping other people circumvent censorship restrictions in their current location, donating part of your connection to the web so that they can get online at all.

Enabling Snowflake Volunteer on Android. Credit: Lifehacker

The Tor Browser is so effective at hiding the identity and online activities of users that certain governments would rather their citizens didn't make use of it. That takes away one of the best privacy browsers in the business for the people of those countries, and anyone who happens to be visiting them. Censoring the Tor Browser is usually done by refusing access to the relay nodes that it routes traffic around—the stops on the way to and from the internet that do the job of concealing locations and other identifiable information. However, the relay directory is public, which means it can be blocked.

That's where Snowflake comes in. The standalone Android app is new, but the idea isn't. Snowflake is an alternative way the Tor Browser can get online: A Snowflake connection is disguised as a standard video call over the WebRTC protocol, which isn't typically restricted, and from there, a connection can be made to the Tor network.

You can control when connections can be made. Credit: Lifehacker

With Snowflake on your phone, you're essentially smuggling someone in a Tor-restricted country across the border, digitally speaking. Even if these intermediate bridges are detected and blocked, they're short-lived, with new ones continually popping up, making it virtually impossible for a government to block this method of access without crippling much of the general internet in their country.

The Tor Browser runs as normal for the user who's connecting, albeit with the standard trade-offs in terms of speed and latency. Because of the rerouting and technical borrowing that goes on, Tor isn't the best option if you want to maximize your broadband upload and download speeds.

What it's like to be a Snowflake Volunteer

As a firm believer that internet users should be able to get on the web with a high level of anonymity and privacy, I installed the new Snowflake Volunteer app from the Google Play Store (it's also on F-Droid) and powered it up. The first job is to exempt it from battery management rules so it will stay available even if it's not being used, a process the app guides you through.

That done, all that's required is enabling the toggle switch on the main screen, and your phone is ready and waiting for someone else to connect. There's no setup configuration to work through, no user account to create, and everything works automatically in the background—it really is designed to be as simple as possible.

The app keeps stats of how your device has been used. Credit: Lifehacker

Tap on the settings cog (top right), and you'll find a few settings at your disposal: You can opt to only allow connections when you're on unmetered networks (such as wifi) or when your phone is charging. You can also set how many users your phone can support at any one time. This is all in the interest of limiting the impact on your device.

Across four hours or so, I saw six connections made, sending a total of 3.2 megabytes and receiving a total of 17 megabytes—hardly excessive use. My phone wasn't suddenly overrun with other users wanting to get online. Snowflake Volunteer is designed as an emergency measure for circumventing censorship, and the usage I've seen backs that up.

I didn't notice any bugs or any problems with the app or any impact on my battery life (perhaps to be expected with so little activity). I think it's something I'll keep switched on, especially overnight when I'm not using my device. It's a nice idea to be able to see the stats on how many people you've helped over time, as an encouragement to keep your device available.

Is there any risk with using Snowflake Volunteer?

You can also be a Snowflake volunteer using your browser. Credit: Lifehacker

As a Snowflake Volunteer, you're not at risk of being identified by any state that's censored the Tor project: To them, you look like a standard audio or video call connection, and there's no static list of IP addresses to block. What's more, the same multiple layers of encryption that protect the entire Tor network are still in place, so you're unable to see anything connecting users are doing, and they will go through several more nodes before doing any browsing anyway—your device is just the entry point. No one who connects to your device can learn anything about you: The app is simply not capable of any sort of surveillance. You're loaning a slice of connectivity, anonymously and securely. (There are more details of how it all works in Tor's Snowflake documentation.)

The new Android app isn't your only option for putting your hand up as a Snowflake volunteer. You can also install the desktop browser add-on or enable the Kindness Mode in the Orbot app for iOS (a VPN that enables connections to the Tor network).

Here's How Google's New 'Tap to Share' Android Feature Works

Jake Peterson — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 19:50:18 +0000

Google made a lot of announcements on Wednesday, all of them hours before its official Made by Google event. The company announced the new Pixel 11 series (including the Pixel 11 Pro Fold), the Galaxy Watch 5, and even the long-rumored Pixel Tag. There were so many announcements, one would be forgiven for assuming it was a hardware-only event.

And yet, Google also revealed a number of software features, as well. The Pixel Watch received much of the attention here, as the company announced that its smartwatches will soon track trends in insulin resistance, blood pressure, and sleep habits, but the Pixel wasn't left out of the conversation either. In fact, Android devices across the board are getting one new feature that seems particularly useful: Tap to Share.

Tap to Share appears to live up to its name. According to Google, all you need to do to use it is take your compatible Android device and place it near another compatible Android device. When you do, you'll pull up each other's contact cards, making it an easy way to share phone numbers, email addresses, and other contact info with someone new on Android.

However, the feature isn't limited to digital business cards. You can also use it to share photos, videos, and other files from your Android to another. To use it, open the file in question, then launch the Share Sheet. Then, bring your phone close to the other user's. Now, instead of your contact cards, Android will send over your file.

While Google might have announced this feature alongside the launch of the Pixel 11, it works with a lot of Google phones. The company says you'll be able to use Tap to Share on Pixel 6 and newer, which spans the entirety of Google's current supported Pixel devices. In addition, Google says Tap to Share is coming to some Samsung Galaxy phones, including the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Fold 8, and Flip 8, and will expand to even more devices by the end of 2026.

Tap to Share is, of course, similar to Apple's NameDrop feature on iOS, down to the contact card default. However, Android beat Apple to the punch originally. This is essentially an evolution of Android Beam, a discontinued feature that let you send data over NFC. And while the feature won't work with iPhones, Google and Apple do offer a quick sharing option for users trying to share from Android to iPhone, and vice versa.

This Asus Portable Monitor Is Under $100 Right Now

Daniel Oropeza — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 19:00:00 +0000

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

If you work from home or just travel a lot for work and dread being forced to use a single screen to do your job, the solution could cost you less than $100. Right now, Amazon has discounted the Asus ZenScreen MB16AHV portable monitor by 37%, taking it down to $95—the lowest price it has ever reached, according to price tracking tools.

Asus ZenScreen MB16AHV 15.6" 1080p USB-C IPS Portable Monitor

Asus reliably produces some of the best affordable productivity portable displays, and the MB16AHV, which came out in 2023, is a solid option. It has a matte anti-glare 15.6-inch 1080p display with 250 nits of brightness, a dual USB-C port, and a Mini-HDMI port. There is a built-in foldable kickstand so it doesn't need any other accessories to do its job, and it comes with a protective sleeve that you can use to carry it or prop it up.

It's easy to use, with a plug-and-play setup: You just need a single USB-C port that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode, which will provide both image connectivity and power. There is a 1/4" threaded hole in the back for a tripod accessory if you want to prop it up. It will also automatically rotate from landscape to portrait if you turn the screen, which is helpful for reading long documents or doomscrolling (there is no touchscreen support, however).

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Apple Is Offering a $150 'Back-to-School' Gift Card When You Buy One of These MacBooks or iPads

Daniel Oropeza — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 17:30:00 +0000

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Back-to-school sales are aplenty this time of year, and one of the most popular deals in recent years comes from Apple, which offers eligible customers discounts and/or gift cards with the purchase of certain Apple devices for school use. This year, students, faculty, staff, and other eligible customers can get up to a $150 Apple Gift Card when buying a MacBook Pro, or $100 for a MacBook Air, iPad Air, or iPad Pro. You can read the full terms to see who is eligible, and the product list is below.

The discount comes at a particularly opportune time: Apple recently raised prices on many of its devices by $100 or more—meaning you might be able to buy a MacBook today for what it effectively would have cost you back in June. And if you need more time, Apple extended its original Aug. 27 deadline until Sep. 24, giving us more time to shop for the right product.

Here's the bad news: The new MacBook Neo isn't part of the deal, nor are the iPad mini, the iPad (11th Generation), or any desktop Macs.

The Apple products must be purchased directly from Apple to get the gift card. At the moment, that could save you double, as Apple already offers educational discounts for eligible students purchasing many of these products—and that discount stacks with this gift card offer. You must use the gift card credit on Apple products, accessories, and apps, or subscription services like Apple Music and iCloud+ storage.

Who is eligible for the gift card offer

If you're a current or newly accepted higher-education student, a faculty or staff member at a higher-education institution, a parent purchasing on behalf of an eligible student, or an employee of a K-12 institution, you are eligible. As with the educational discount, you'll need to complete verification through UNiDAYS to get your gift card.

That Chrome Update Pop-Up May Actually Be Malware

Emily Long — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 17:01:37 +0000

If you're seeing pop-ups in Chrome pushing you to download an update in order to continue browsing or avoid losing access to your data, you may be a target for malware. As Android Authority reports, compromised browser extensions appear to be distributing malicious scripts disguised as "critical" security updates.

Hackers are using malicious extensions to spread fake security updates

Some Google Chrome users have noticed aggressive pop-ups alerting them to required updates and prompting them to download the latest version of the browser. One version states that "access to websites is temporarily blocked" until the update is installed. The other is even more urgent, stating that Chrome will stop working after a certain date and require a "complete reinstallation," in which users may lose access to bookmarks, history, and saved passwords. If you click "Update Chrome," it'll download a suspicious .vbs or .exe script to your device.

The issue seems to be traceable to a handful of extensions, which are fetching malicious scripts and serving fake prompts inside the browser. In Chrome, one such add-on is “Enable Right Click & Copy Smart Unlock + OCR," which has a "Featured" tag and 70,000 downloads (though other utility tools may be culprits as well). Users on Brave and Opera, both Chromium browsers, have reported identical pop-ups. For the former, the compromised extension, called "QuickLens – Search Screen with Google Lens," was removed from the Web Store.

While some malicious add-ons do find their way onto the Chrome Web Store, it's not uncommon for threat actors to weaponize otherwise benign extensions after gaining platform approval and user trust. In campaigns identified across Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox, hackers have built extensions posing as crypto wallet and productivity apps, let them operate legitimately to rack up downloads and reviews, and then pushed updates that turned them into malware.

This is an effective strategy because malicious extensions can evade detection by antivirus software and system scans. The browser itself isn't compromised—rather, the add-on is pulling malicious scripts from a remote server, and the threat isn't picked up until you actually download and execute them on your device.

Don't download security updates from pop-ups

If you start seeing pop-ups for critical security updates in your browser, don't click on them, and don't copy or install anything from them. The alerts in this campaign have fairly convincing Chrome branding and elements like a copyright and links to a privacy policy and terms of service, but beware the sense of urgency. You can check whether your browser actually needs to be updated in the settings menu (on Chrome, click the three vertical dots or go to Settings > About Chrome).

You should also regularly check the extensions you've added to your browser and delete any that aren't essential. Click the extensions icon > Manage Extensions to see what's active and review permissions granted. If you're still getting sketchy pop-ups, try removing utility apps to see if you can identify the culprit.

10 Shows Like 'Lanterns' You Should Watch Next

Ross Johnson — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 16:00:00 +0000

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Under James Gunn's tenure, the DC Universe has promised us variety, and in that spirit, we're soon getting Lanterns, a show that stars Kyle Chandler as veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as new recruit John Stewart fighting evil...in Nebraska. The two superheroes find themselves investigating a murder in a tiny town, a far cry from the typical intergalactic adventures of the Green Lantern Corps, space cops who can create just about anything with their fancy-schmancy rings. (Though it's not without precedent, as the 1970s comics saw Hal team up with Green Arrow to travel the country and see how we live here on the ground.)

It's obviously early days for the new HBO Max series, and it is as yet unclear whether it will be viewed as a clever genre twist or a too-constrained waste of potential. Either way, Lanterns won't be the first show to push the boundaries of the sci-fi and superhero genres. Here are 10 others that have arguably pulled it off.

Watchmen (2019)

A standalone sequel to the groundbreaking Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, and John Higgins graphic novel from the '80s, this series plays in the sandbox of that book (arguably the wellspring of all modern superhero deconstruction), with a little help from Lanterns co-creator Damon Lindelof. In an alternate Tulsa, Oklahoma, in a world where super-powered vigilantes exist and have been outlawed, the series starts with a depiction of the real-life massacre and destruction of Tulsa's Black Wall Street by white residents in 1921. Regina King plays Angela Abar, a modern cop whose grandparents were killed during those attacks, events that echo throughout the series, which focuses on the fallout from the plot of the original comic and the conspiracies that grew out of it. Like Lanterns, this show's focus is on life on the ground in a world where gods fly above. Stream Watchmen on HBO Max or buy episodes from Prime Video.

Watchmen (2019)

Green Lantern: The Animated Series (2011 – 2013)

Green Lantern: The Animated Series (2011 – 2013)

Almost certainly the best adaptation of Green Lantern to date, this show, from some of the people behind Batman: The Animated Series, doesn't take a grounded approach in the least, instead going in quite the opposite direction. Instead, it mines decades of comics' lore to send GL and company into deep space for some of the biggest adventures imaginable. Hal Jordan (Josh Keaton) is one of the finest Lanterns in the Corps, but his reputation for recklessness has led his superiors to distrust him. When he learns that rage-fueled Red Lanterns are murdering his compatriots in deep space, he defies orders and steals a prototype ship to help. Things get complicated on the frontier, as the show balances individual adventures with a longer storyline about the nature of the Red Lanterns, and whether their green counterparts are entirely the good guys. Buy Green Lantern: The Animated Series from Prime Video.

The Penguin (2024)

There's nothing new about going grim-and-gritty with stories set in Gotham City, so this is perhaps slightly less of a departure than Lanterns—still, a prestige crime drama in a superhero world was new-ish territory way back in 2024. A spin-off of the latest Batman movie (the Robert Pattinson one), the show stars Colin Farrell as the up-and-coming mobster of the title. In the wake of the killing of boss Carmine Falcone. the Penguin and the absolutely unhinged Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti, who won an Emmy for the role) are vying for control of the underworld. After decades of live-action Batman tales, it's kind of refreshing to see what's going on in Gotham City when the Caped Crusader has his back turned. Stream The Penguin on HBO Max.

The Penguin (2024)

Superman & Lois (2021 – 2024)

Superman & Lois (2021 – 2024)

It's saying quite a bit to suggest that Elizabeth Tulloch and Tyler Hoechlin are among the finest live-action Lois and Clark pairings ever, but here we are. Skipping over the will-they/won't-they of earlier takes, the show jumps ahead to find the two married and with two teenage children, Jonathan and Jordan. The couple has just moved back to Smallville to give the kids a semblance of a normal life. Good luck with that! The show balances small-town drama with big superhero stakes, never more so than in the later seasons, when community-minded crime boss Bruno Mannheim (Chad L. Coleman) uses a Bizarro-style clone to put Superman out of his way while their wives both battle cancer. Stream Superman & Lois on HBO Max.

Doom Patrol (2019 – 2023)

Doom Patrol (2019 – 2023)

Here's an uncharacteristically bold and indescribably freaky entry in the superhero canon, including characters like the non-binary Danny the Street (a literal street), paranormal investigators the Sex Men, Imaginary Jesus, and orgasm-generating bodybuilder Flex Mentallo. All the weirdness is grounded in excellent, frequently emotional character work from the entire cast, including Brendan Fraser, Matt Bomer, April Bowlby, Diane Guerrero, Joivan Wade, Michelle Gomez, and Timothy Dalton. It’s queer and sex-positive, making it a standout among the usually chaste, straight world of superheroes on TV. Stream Doom Patrol on HBO Max.

Batman: Caped Crusader (2024 – )

Batman: Caped Crusader (2024 – )

There's a lot of Batman out there, but this one's got real style, harkening back to Batman: The Animated Series from the 1990s (no surprise, given that Bruce Timm developed this one too). With a 1940s-esque setting, the show dodges some of the more outlandish superhero tropes to focus on a Gotham City rife with crime, corrupt cops, and gang warfare. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, exactly, but it's a strong enough reimagining that it feels fresh, particularly given that every other superhero show seems to require a deep investment in crossovers and spin-offs. Stream Batman: Caped Crusader Prime Video.

Creature Commandos (2024 – )

Creature Commandos (2024 – )

This animated show sees Amanda Waller (Viola Davis, reprising the role from the live-action DC movies) assembling a black-ops team to protect a foreign nation from the Amazonian sorceress Circe. Waller can't be trusted with actual humans, so her team is made up entirely of literal monsters: The Bride (Indira Varma), Doctor Phosphorus (Alan Tudyk), Eric Frankenstein (David Harbour), and aquatic mutant Nina Mazursky (Zoë Chao), alongside Nazi-obsessed G.I. Robot and the rodent-like Weasel (both Sean Gunn). Extremely violent and with a dark sense of humor, this show from James Gunn and company also brings an impressive amount of heart to the mix. Plus, it's set in the same relatively young universe as Lanterns, so you won't be behind on your homework. Stream Creature Commandos on HBO Max.

Echo (2024)

Alaqua Cox returns to her Hawkeye role of Maya Lopez, a deaf assassin who once worked for Vincent D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk. She's now on the run from the mob boss, returning to her hometown in Oklahoma to come to terms with her past and to reconnect with her family and roots in the Choctaw Nation. The personal stakes mark a welcome shift toward the personal and away from the multiversal scale of the most recent Marvel—even as the show's scope encompasses centuries of Choctaw history. Stream Echo on Disney+.

Echo (2024)

at Disney+

Andor (2022 – 2025)

They might be galaxies apart, but if you're looking for a grounded show born from a sci-fi premise, look no further than Andor. Just when I felt like I was done with Star Wars, along came this prequel series, the morally complex story of thief-turned-rebel spy Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) being radicalized and setting out on the road to becoming the heart and soul of the Rebellion. We witness the slow march of the Empire, as citizens of the galaxy become acclimated to rising fascism, and delve into the conflicts between various rebel factions: Genevieve O'Reilly's Mon Mothma fights from within the Galactic Senate, while Stellan Skarsgård's Luthen Rael, Andor's handler, favors dark deeds done under cover of darkness. Forest Whitaker's Saw Gerrera is content to burn the Galaxy down rather than allow it to become what he hates. The scope is grand, but the focus is very much on the people at the bottom of the ladder, and what they do or don't do in the face of tyranny. There's also a lot of dust. Stream Andor on Disney+.

Andor (2022 – 2025)

at Disney+

True Detective (2014 – )

There's been a lot of talk about Lanterns being the DC universe's explicit answer to True Detective, so here we are. This crime anthology started out by taking us to Oklahoma, with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson investigating a murder that led to a broader mystery that bordered on the cosmic. The most recent season similarly sees veteran Chief Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Trooper Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) face their complicated pasts while searching for missing scientists at a research station in a remote Alaskan town. Stream True Detective on HBO Max.

True Detective (2014 – )

DJI Osmo 360 Standard Combo, 360 Action Camera

Apple TV Just Added These 'Classic' Movies to Its Catalog for Free

Jake Peterson — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Over the past seven years, Apple TV has slowly become the streaming service to beat. The platform now has a plethora of must-see TV programs, from buzzy hits like Ted Lasso, Severance, and Shrinking to strong sci-fi fare like Foundation and Silo—not to mention Apple Original movies, including Killers of the Flower Moon, F1, and Coda. While the streaming service isn't the first platform that comes to mind for non-Apple content, it does occasionally license shows and movies in addition to its own original programming—including, notably, those old Peanuts specials—and as of today, that licensed catalog just got a bit bigger.

As spotted by 9to5Mac, Apple TV has added 19 movies to its catalog that subscribers can watch for free, without paying a separate rental fee. The selection runs the gamut, featuring films from the 80s, 90s, 2000s, and 2010s and spanning genres and subject matter. Though not all of these movies are exactly awards material, a number of them are considered classics in their own right, from older hits like E.T. and Titanic to recently lauded movies like Arrival. Each of them is free to watch with any Apple TV subscription, and you can find them in the platform's "Great Movies Available Now on Apple TV" section.

Apple TV now lets you watch the following movies for free

Here is the complete list of all the movies Apple TV just added to its catalog for free:21 Jump Street

It's unclear how long these movies will remain on Apple TV, or whether Apple plans to add more movies to the mix in the future. As 9to5Mac highlights, it's not the first time Apple has licensed movies in this way, though it has been several years, and previously, Apple has removed the offerings from the platform in short order. All of these movies are available to rent or buy through Apple's digital store too, so if you miss out on the window, you can always pay a rental fee to view them.

This 8K Action Camera Is Over $100 Off Right Now

Naima Karp — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Whether you’re a content creator or just looking to capture all your adventures, a 360 action camera is a must, recording all your surroundings simultaneously so that not a moment is missed. One of the best action cameras on the market is the DJI Osmo 360 Standard Combo kit, and with the brand releasing its Osmo 360 II this month, the older model is down to a record low of $349.99 (originally $467).

It records native 8K/30fps 360-degree video, allowing flexibility to reframe footage into horizontal to vertical content, It also has the ability to shoot single-lens ultra-wide footage at up to 4K/120fps with a 170-degree field of view, and works well in low light thanks to two square 1/1.1-inch sensors (many 360 action cameras have smaller sensors, which don’t perform as well in low lighting. The bundle comes with an extra camera, a lens-protective cover, a USB-C cable, and a protective pouch.

It comes with 106GB of built-in storage (helpful for when your microSD card is full or misbehaving), and battery life lasts up to 100 minutes. An extra 1950mAh battery makes it last even longer. Compared to cameras like the Insta360 X5, it has better 8K endurance. At 6.5oz, it’s lightweight enough to carry, use with the camera’s invisible selfie stick, or mount to a bike. Durability is a plus, too—with an IP68 rating, it’s waterproof and safe for submersion up to 33 feet without needing an additional case.

It has four mics to capture sound, and features like wind-noise reduction, stabilization, horizon leveling, magnetic quick-release mounting, subject tracking, and phone-motion reframing all make it a top choice for content creators, adrenaline junkies, and travelers. If you’ve been waiting for a 360 action cam that’s the perfect blend of durable, long-lasting, and lightweight, it’s worth considering the DJI Osmo 360 Standard Combo, especially with a rare price drop ahead of the new model’s launch.

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You Can Get Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra2 for $100 Off Right Now (Plus a $100 Amazon Gift Card)

Pradershika Sharma — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 13:30:00 +0000

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 was announced at the Samsung July Unpacked event last month, showcasing the popular wearable’s extended battery life, improved outdoor performance, and a lighter design, putting it on the wishlists of many Samsung and Android users. Right now, Amazon has it down to $699.99 from $799.99, which price trackers show is its lowest price so far, and it also comes with a $100 gift card for a little extra value.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2

Bundles with $100 Amazon gift card

The 800mAh battery is around 35% larger than its predecessor, lasting around 60 hours with the display always on and about three days on lighter settings. And while it still can’t replace a Garmin, it’s significantly more rugged than the Ultra, with features like dual-frequency GPS, trail-run tracking with elevation data, hydration guidance, a titanium build, 10ATM water resistance, IP69K protection, and EN13319 dive certification. NB-NTN satellite connectivity is also an exciting improvement, letting you send messages or make calls without a cell signal.

The 47mm face has a 5,000-nit AMOLED display (up from 3,000 nits) for superior brightness and is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear Elite chip, built for AI workloads. The design is also lighter and more comfortable; despite the bigger battery, it’s now 12% thinner with a lighter strap, but still equally rugged with its titanium case. Compared to the Galaxy Watch 9, the Ultra 2 is more durable and has a pretty major battery advantage.

If you spend a lot of time outdoors and want a premium LTE smartwatch that can handle all your adventures, this Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 deal is one worth considering. On the other hand, if you mostly want notifications, fitness tracking, and sleep data, the Galaxy Watch 9 might be a more sensible choice.

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Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds — $189.99 (List Price $249.00)

Apple iPad 11" A16 128GB Wi-Fi Tablet (Silver, 2025) — $399.99 (List Price $449.00)

Sony WH-1000XM5 — $248.00 (List Price $399.99)

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 With $50 Amazon Gift Card (40mm, Bluetooth, Graphite Band) — $379.99 (List Price $429.99)

Google Pixel 11 Pro 256GB Unlocked Phone With $200 Amazon Gift Card (Obsidian) — $1,099.00 (List Price $1,299.00)

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Samsung’s New Galaxy Watch 9 Is Already $50 Off (and Comes With a $50 Amazon Gift Card)

Pradershika Sharma — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 13:00:41 +0000

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Samsung announced a ton of new products at its July Unpacked event, and among them is the highly anticipated Galaxy Watch 9. Amazon currently has the 40mm model for $379.99 and the 44mm version for $409.99, down from $429.99 and $459.99, respectively, with a $50 Amazon gift card included with either size, adding a little more value to the deal.

The cellular versions are discounted as well, with the 40mm down to $429.99 from $479.99 and the 44mm down to $459.99 from $509.99—these are a better fit if you often leave your phone behind on runs, walks, or quick errands, since they can handle calls, messages, music streaming, and other connected features over a mobile network without your phone nearby.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 (44mm, Bluetooth)

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 (44mm, LTE)

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 (40mm, Bluetooth)

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 (40mm, LTE)

The Galaxy Watch 9 has a slimmer 8.6mm case and an AMOLED screen that reaches a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. It’s powered by the updated Qualcomm SW6100 chip for better CPU and GPU performance, with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. It has an IP68 rating and can withstand depths of up to 50 meters of water, plus military durability testing that makes it more rugged than before. It also adds new AI-powered wellness features, including Vitals, Fitness Index, and an updated Running Coach, as well as the ability to start listening for instructions as soon as you raise your wrist to talk, no wake word required.

Updates include a fitness feature that claims to measure flexibility and added durability for water sports like scuba diving. Battery life is improved, too: The 40mm model has a 390mAh battery and is rated for up to 30 hours with the always-on display enabled, while the 44mm model has a 445mAh battery. That is an increase from the Galaxy Watch 8’s 325mAh and 435mAh batteries, respectively. All said, it is not a must-have upgrade for Galaxy Watch 8 owners, but its slimmer design, brighter display, newer processor, larger batteries, and expanded health and fitness tools are all noteworthy improvements.

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Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds — $189.99 (List Price $249.00)

Apple iPad 11" A16 128GB Wi-Fi Tablet (Silver, 2025) — $399.99 (List Price $449.00)

Sony WH-1000XM5 — $248.00 (List Price $399.99)

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 With $50 Amazon Gift Card (40mm, Bluetooth, Graphite Band) — $379.99 (List Price $429.99)

Google Pixel 11 Pro 256GB Unlocked Phone With $200 Amazon Gift Card (Obsidian) — $1,099.00 (List Price $1,299.00)

Google Pixel Watch 5 (41mm, Wi-Fi, Obsidian) — $399.99 (List Price $399.99)

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Here’s What to Do Now That Microsoft Edge Is Phasing Out Ad Blockers

Emily Long — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 12:30:53 +0000

If you're a Microsoft Edge user, you will soon find that some older extensions—like uBlock Origin—no longer work. That's because Microsoft is following Google Chrome's lead in transitioning to the Manifest V3 extensions platform and disabling MV2 add-ons in the process. Edge is built on Google's Chromium engine, so the change isn't unexpected, but it does impact users who rely on older ad blockers.

Microsoft is ending support for older Edge extensions

Microsoft recently announced that it will begin turning MV2 extensions off by default over the next few months, and support for these add-ons will end completely for most users by the close of 2026. (The transition for enterprise is expected to be finalized in early 2027.)

Microsoft notes that 95% of MV2 extensions on Edge have already moved to MV3, leaving fewer than 60 in the Edge Add-on store still on MV2. That includes uBlock Origin, which does have an MV3 version in uBlock Origin Lite, but the latter isn't as powerful as its predecessor and hides content rather than keeping it from loading in the first place. AdBlock, AdBlock Plus, and AdGuard are other MV3 alternatives with Edge versions, though they are not perfect replacements for uBlock Origin either thanks to restrictions on how MV3 ad blockers are able to filter content.

You can switch to other browsers with ad-blocking capabilities

If you want to retain the ad-blocking features you're used to, you can move away from Edge (and Chrome) to a browser that's not Chromium-based. The alternatives also tend to be pretty decent when it comes to privacy. One is Firefox, which runs on its own Gecko engine and still allows these older ad-block extensions, including uBlock Origin. DuckDuckGo and Brave both have built-in ad-blocking capabilities. Note that Opera, which is Chromium-based, has said the platform plans to continue MV2 support for now, but that may end eventually.

Six New Features Coming to the Pixel Watch 5

Jake Peterson — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:37:33 +0000

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At first glance, you might think Google's new Pixel Watch 5 was actually the Pixel Watch 4. That's because it has the same "Actua 360 display" at an identical 320 PPI with up to 3,000 nits of brightness. And, just like the Pixel Watch 4, you can get the Pixel Watch 5 in either 41mm or 45mm models. If not for the new colors, you might think this year's watch is just like last year's watch.

It doesn't help that many of the newest software features that Google announced along with the Pixel Watch 5 are compatible with older watches, too. Things like "Health Guardian," which tracks trends in insulin resistance, blood pressure, and sleep breathing, will be available on Pixel Watch 4 when they launch, just as they will be on Pixel Watch 5. But while the Pixel Watch 5 is a small update to the Pixel Watch 4, it is an update: There are six new features exclusive to the watch that you won't find on older models.

The Pixel Watch 5 comes with a new chip

The Pixel Watch 4 runs the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 chip; the Pixel Watch 5 runs the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 Accelerated chip. That might not sound like a big difference, and, indeed, we don't have benchmarks at this time to say just how much faster the Pixel Watch 5 is than its predecessor.

However, according to Google, the Pixel 5's "Accelerated" chip is powering on-device AI features faster than before. That includes Google's "Raise to Talk" feature, which lets you interact with Gemini by raising your wrist. The company says these features on Pixel Watch 5 now process "instantly with low latency," even when you aren't connected to the internet.

The chip also powers Gemini Intelligence Proactive Suggestions (Google previously called this Magic Cue). These are new suggestions that automatically appear based on the context of what you're doing: If someone asks you for your flight info, Gemini can use your Pixel Watch 5's chip to dig through your apps to surface that info by presenting it as an option to share with a tap. Google says the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 Accelerated chip has 50% more RAM than the previous generation, as well as a 12% CPU boost, which makes the whole chip 20% faster overall.

The Pixel Watch 5 has highly accurate GPS route tracking

Google has some bold claims for the Pixel Watch 5. Not only does the company claim that its newest watch has the most accurate GPS route tracking of any Pixel Watch (the company says it has double the accuracy of previous generations in the "toughest environments"), Google says its more accurate than Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Garmin Fenix 8 Pro. We'll have to see how true those claims are when reviewers put the watch to the test.

To make these leaps in GPS route tracking, Google says it tapped into Google Maps to "trace satellite ray paths through 3D building models." The company also explains how Pixel Watch 5 can connect to weather reference stations around the globe in real time to adjust for local atmospheric conditions. Google claims all these steps improve route precision.

The Pixel Watch 5 has improved sleep tracking

While Pixel Watch 4 shares many of the new health features Google is rolling out in coming months, the Pixel Watch 5 does win in certain categories. Google says the newest watch has 15% more accurate sleep stage detection, which should improve sleep tracking overall. In addition, your bedtime automation on the Pixel Watch 5 can pause audiobooks automatically when you fall asleep, and there's now a dedicated bedtime watch face.

New watch faces and complications on the Pixel Watch 5

Google says Pixel Watch 5 comes with two new "stunning" watch faces, as well as 11 new "glanceable" complication styles. The company didn't highlight what those looked like in their press releases, but 9to5Google has images of the faces (Weave and Chronograph). You can also use AI to generate new watch faces if the available options aren't to your liking.

Pixel Watch 5 comes in new colors

Google says the Watch 5 has three new color options, though only two are available in both sizes. Those include Fog, Olive, and Canyon, though the latter is a 41mm exclusive. If you're set on the 45mm model, you could instead choose the Stephen Curry Special Edition, as that model isn't available in 41mm.

Breathing emergency detection (EU only)

One health feature exclusive to Pixel Watch 5 is "breathing emergency detection." Google says the Pixel Watch 5 can use on-device AI to read its PPG, accelerometer, and barometer sensors all at once, in an effort to detect if you stop breathing. That could be from drug toxicity accidents, pneumonia, or choking. The company says if your watch detects a breathing emergency and you can't respond, it will reach out to emergency services on your behalf, even sharing your live location. This feature is launching in Europe first.

You Can Still Get a Samsung Galaxy Z Phone With a $350 Amazon Gift Card

Daniel Oropeza — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 21:30:00 +0000

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Samsung announced five new products during its Galaxy Unpacked event last month. Three of those are the new flagship smartphones: the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Z Flip 8. Amazon had pre-order deals that were supposed to last until their launch, but the deal is still active after their release. We don't know for how long, so if you're interested, get it before it's gone. You can get an Amazon gift card up to $350, while Samsung is offering a max of $230 in Samsung credits. And if you're looking to switch to T-Mobile, you can get a Galaxy Z Fold 8 on them. You can read more details on that deal here.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 Unlocked Cell Phone + $200 Gift Card, 256GB Graphite

$1,199.99 at Amazon

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Unlocked Cell Phone + $350 Gift Card, 256GB Graphite

$1,899.99 at Amazon

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra Phone + $350 Gift Card, 256GB, Violet Shadow

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The Galaxy Z Flip8 doesn't bring much change

If you were expecting a shiny new toy from the Z Flip 8, you might be disappointed—it's not that different from the Z Flip 7. It has a 4.1-inch outer display and a 6.9-inch inner display, 12GB of RAM, and similar cameras to the Z Flip 7, including a 50MP Wide, 12MP Ultra Wide, and 10X Digital Zoom. Upgrades over the previous model include peak brightness that's 1000 nits brighter, now reaching 2600 nits; there is a new 2x optical zoom; and the processor upgrades the SoC from the Exynos 2500.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a new device

As Lifehacker Senior Tech Editor Jake Peterson says, the Z Fold 8 is not the upgraded version of the Z Fold 7: It's a brand new device, which might appeal to users who want a phablet that takes up a little less space in their pocket. You can expect a 5.5-inch outer display, a 7.6-inch inner display, three rear cameras (50MP Wide, 50MP Ultra Wide, and 2x Optical Zoom), and the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip as the rest of the "Z 8" line.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is the successor to the Galaxy Z Fold 7

The flagship foldable Samsung phone for 2026 is the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. It has the biggest and best cameras (200MP Wide, 50MP Ultra Wide, and 10MP Tele), the largest displays (6.5-inch outer display, 8-inch inner display), and the biggest battery (5,000 mAh).

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Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds — $189.99 (List Price $249.00)

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Sony WH-1000XM5 — $248.00 (List Price $399.99)

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 With $50 Amazon Gift Card (40mm, Bluetooth, Graphite Band) — $379.99 (List Price $429.99)

Google Pixel 11 Pro 256GB Unlocked Phone With $200 Amazon Gift Card (Obsidian) — $1,099.00 (List Price $1,299.00)

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Four Features Coming to Every New Pixel 11 Device

Jake Peterson — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 21:00:00 +0000

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Hours before its big Made by Google event, Google officially unveiled the Pixel 11 series. The new line won't come as a surprise to anyone who follows Google tech: There's the new Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, as well as the Pixel 11 Pro Fold—for anyone who can get past the $1,899 starting price.

with $100 Amazon Gift Card

Google Pixel 11 (256GB)

Google Pixel 11 Pro (512GB)

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL (256GB)

with $100 Amazon Gift Card

Each of these devices stands out in its own way: The Pixel 11 Pro XL is larger than the Pixel 11 and 11 Pro, while the Pixel 11 Pro Fold can open up to reveal one large inner display. Google has set up this series to allow customers to pick the phone that best aligns with their needs, but there are also features you get no matter which phone you go with. In fact, there seem to be four such upgrades each Pixel 11 device comes with. If you're looking for preorder deals, check out our guide here.

Every Pixel 11 phone has improved cameras

Google's Pixel line might be best known for its cameras. As such, it only makes sense that the Pixel 11 series would ship with upgraded shooters. The Pixel 11 now has a 48MP main camera that Google says is 56% more sensitive to light. Plus, the 5x telephoto lens now supports Google's 30x "Super Zoom."

The Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL also get brand new sensors on the main cameras, while the telephoto camera gets bumped up to 48MP. Google says its new image sensor is 30% more light-sensitive than before. The Pros also support Portrait Mode at 5x zoom, and "Pro Zoom" at 120x. And when shooting in low-light conditions, Night Sight is now 4.5x faster than it was on Pixel 10 Pro. Finally, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold also comes with a new 48MP main camera that supports 30x Super Zoom.

Every Pixel 11 phone comes with upgraded charging

No matter which Pixel 11 device you choose, Google says you get upgraded charging over last year's Pixel 10. The Pixel 11 gets the fewest upgrades here, however: Google says it has the "fastest charging yet," using PixelSnap built-in, but that appears to be it.

All three "Pro" Pixel 11 devices, however, now support Qi 2.2, a faster wireless charging standard. If you use a 25W charger, you should notice quicker speeds when wirelessly charging. The Pixel 11 Pro XL might be the phone to get if charging speeds are your thing, however. With a 45W USB-C charger, Google says you can get 15 hours of use with 15 minutes of charging.

All Pixel 11 devices come with the Tensor G6

As with most smartphone upgrades, this year's series gets Google's latest chip: the Tensor G6. The company says Tensor G6 is the "fastest, most powerful" Google chip yet, and features a CPU that supports 25% faster web browsing and 15% faster app launches. The company claims the new chip can power on-device AI tasks 3.5x faster than Tensor G5, while at the same time being 3.5x more efficient than before. That should help power all of the AI features Google continues to push.

Every Pixel 11 device now start at 256GB

Say goodbye to 128GB of storage. Starting with the Pixel 11 series, all of Google's phones now start at 256GB. That news isn't as good as it sounds, though: While your base model Pixel 11 will have double the storage of a base model Pixel 10, Google still charges the same for 256GB as it did last year. That means the company effectively raised the entry price for each Pixel 11 device.

A previous version of this article reported that Pixel 11 shipped with HiLight, but that feature is only available on Pixel 11 Pro devices.

Here's How the Cameras on Google's New Pixel 11 Phones Compare to the iPhone

Stephen Johnson — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 20:30:00 +0000

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Ahead of its annual Made by Google event in New York City, Google revealed the details of its upcoming line of Pixel 11 phones, including specs of their all-important cameras. Pixel 11 phones will come in three versions: the base Pixel 11, the Pixel 11 Pro, and the Pixel 11 Pro XL. The Pro and Pro XL cameras have the same features, while the base model sports a slightly scaled-down photographic system.

Google Pixel 11 (256GB)

Google Pixel 11 Pro (512GB)

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL (256GB)

Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 AI Gaming Laptop

Pixel 11 base model camera features

The standard Pixel 11's camera setup is a step up from the Pixel 10, but not a gigantic leap. The main improvement is the brighter main sensor; the lenses are close to last year's hardware. Here's how it breaks down:

Main: 48MP wide camera (rear) with a 1/1.56" sensor (larger than last year's model) to improve light input.
Ultrawide: 13MP, which is identical to the Pixel 10's ultrawide camera specs.
Telephoto: 10.8MP telephoto with 5X optical zoom and a 30x digital zoom. Also the same as the Pixel 10.
Front camera: 10.5MP, also identical to the Pixel 10.

Pixel 11 Pro tier camera features

Google is throwing the heavy hardware improvements into its pro-level phones, bumping up both the resolution and sensor sizes across almost every lens.

Main: 50MP wide camera, with a 1/1.3" sensor for improved light-gathering.
Ultrawide: 48MP ultrawide camera, a big leap from the 13MP ultrawide of the base model.
Telephoto: 48MP telephoto with 5X optical zoom and an "AI-powered" 120x Pro Zoom.
Front camera: The Pro's 42MP selfie camera is a big step up from the 10.5MP camera on the base Pixel 11.

How does the latest Pixel compare to the newest iPhone 17 Pro?

With Apple's iPhones holding down over 50% of the U.S. smart phone market compared to Pixel's 3%, Google faces a real battle to win over buyers. Camera quality is a powerful weapon in its arsenal. Most consumers consider the camera an important choice when choosing between cell phones, and it's the most important feature for about half of younger users. Here's how Pixel 11's pro tier camera stacks up against the iPhone 17 Pro's best camera offerings.

Main sensor: The Pixel 11 Pro edges out Apple slightly with a 50MP lens compared to the iPhone 17 Pro's 48MP, but megapixels are more complex than just "more is better." Apple's main sensor is 1/1.28," which is slightly larger than the Pixel's 1/1.3" sensor, and sensor size is more important to low-light performance and dynamic range than raw pixels. So this one's closer to a wash than the megapixel numbers suggest.
Ultrawide: It's dead even. Both phones feature 48-megapixel ultrawide lenses.
Telephoto: When it comes to zooming, Google is slightly ahead, offering 5x zoom to Apple's 4x, but in terms of digital zoom, the Pixel 11 Pro's 120x zoom towers over Apple's 40x zoom—in a way. Google's "pro zoom" is built on generative AI, producing plausible details for things it can't see, leading to a realistic-looking photo. Apple's approach uses AI more modestly, focusing on stacking multiple exposures to reduce noise and fill in details. The end result: Apple's extreme zoom is more grainy and noisy, but also more real.
Front camera: The Pixel has a real advantage here with a 42MP sensor compared to Apple's 18MP selfie camera.

The bottom line: it's a draw

Both lines of smart phone cameras are roughly equal in terms of raw power. The main difference is largely a philosophical one. Apple might be losing the extreme magnification fight by capping its digital zoom to a relatively modest 40x, but it's also avoiding producing photos that are largely a product of artificial intelligence. If you want to push the boundaries of what a lens can capture with the help of generative AI, and you're not overly concerned about verisimilitude, the Pixel is the choice. If you want to keep it real (well, real-ish, anyway) the iPhone is the choice.

The Best Preorder Deals for the New Google Pixel Lineup

Daniel Oropeza — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 20:30:00 +0000

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

The "Made by Google" event will kick off tonight at 6 pm ET on YouTube, with Google officially announcing its new products, including new Pixel phones and watches—but retailers, phone carriers, and the Google website itself are already offering preorder deals for the new products. Here are the best deals you can find so far.

Preorder deals from Google

Google is offering bundle and trade-in deals for the Pixel 11 and the Pixel Watch 5. With a Pixel 11 Pro preorder, you'll get $250 off the new Google Pixel Watch 5 (originally $499.99) or $200 in Google Store credit. This deal only applies if you buy the unlocked version and not directly from Google Fi, Verizon, or AT&T. Google is also offering up to $600 back in trade-in credits.

Other models, like the Google Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro Fold, also have similar deals. If you just want one of the Pixel phones, there are trade-in deals if you get it with Google Fi, Verizon, or AT&T. There are also extra trade-in credits for the Pixel Watch 5 and two years of data for the Pixel Watch 5 LTE.

Preorder deals from Best Buy

Best Buy is offering the best gift card preorder deal. You can get up to $350 in Best Buy e-gift cards when you pre-order a new unlocked Pixel phone.

The Pixel 11 256GB starts at $899 and comes with a $100 gift card.
The Pixel 11 Pro 256GB starts at $1,099 and gets you a $200 gift card.
The Pixel 11 Pro XL 256GB starts at $1,299 and also comes with a $200 gift card.
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold 256GB starts at $1,899 and comes with a $350 gift card.

If you want to go for trade-ins, you can bring the cost of the Pixel 11 down to $99 with qualifying products, specifically if you trade in a Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold for a Google Pixel 11 Pro 256GB. For the Pixel Watch 5, Best Buy is only offering trade-in deals.

Preorder deals from Amazon

Amazon is also offering gift card deals (matching those from Best Buy) and is the only retailer to offer discounts on bundles for the Pixel Watch 5. Here are the deals:

The Pixel 11 256GB starts at $899 and comes with a $100 gift card.
The Pixel 11 Pro 256GB starts at $1,099 and gets you a $200 gift card.
The Pixel 11 Pro XL 256GB starts at $1,299 and also comes with a $200 gift card.
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold 256GB starts at $1,899 and comes with a $350 gift card.

Pixel phone with Pixel 5 Watch bundle:

The Pixel 11 + Pixel Watch 5 Obsidian 41mm WiFi starts at $1,168.99 (originally $1,298.99).
The Pixel 11 + Pixel Watch 5 Obsidian 45mm WiFi starts at $1,198.99 (originally $1,328.99).
The Pixel 11 Pro + Pixel Watch 5 Obsidian 41mm WiFi starts at $1,248.99 (originally $1,498.99).
The Pixel 11 Pro + Pixel Watch 5 Obsidian 45mm WiFi starts at $1,278.99 (originally $1,528.99).
The Pixel 11 Pro XL + Pixel Watch 5 Obsidian 41mm WiFi starts at $1,448.99 (originally $1,698.99).
The Pixel 11 Pro XL + Pixel Watch 5 Obsidian 45mm WiFi starts at $1,478.99 (originally $1,728.99).
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold + Pixel Watch 5 Obsidian 41mm WiFi starts at $1,898.99 (originally $2,298.99).
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold + Pixel Watch 5 Obsidian 45mm WiFi starts at $1,928.99 (originally $2,328.99).

Preorder deals from carriers

If you don't mind being tied down to a carrier contract, T-Mobile and AT&T are offering some good deals.

T-Mobile deals:

Get the Pixel 11 or Pixel 11 Pro for free when you trade in an eligible phone in any condition on a 36-month Experience Beyond plan.
Get the Pixel 11 Pro XL for free when you activate a new line on a 36-month Experience Beyond plan (no trade-in required).
Get the Pixel Watch 5 with a $300 discount in 36-month credits when you add a line on an eligible plan.

AT&T deals:

Get the Pixel 11 Pro for $0 when you trade in any old Google Pixel in any condition when you sign up for a 36-month eligible plan.
Get the Pixel 11 Pro XL for $0 with an eligible trade-in when you sign up for a 36-month eligible plan.
Get the Pixel 11 for $10.99 per month with no trade-in required when you sign up for a 36-month eligible plan.
Get the Pixel Watch 5 45mm for 50% off when you add a line on an eligible plan.

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Five Hacks Every Garmin Cirqa User Should Know

Meredith Dietz — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 20:00:47 +0000

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For Garmin fans who want 24/7 data, but don't want to wear their heavy-duty sports watch 24/7, the Garmin Cirqa ($199) is an exciting new alternative to Whoop, Fitbit Air, and other screenless smart bands. This is the company’s first screen-free smart band, built to track fitness and wellness features around the clock, without needing a subscription.

Because the Cirqa has no screen, you might default to only do what Garmin's automatic detection decides for it. But when it comes to making the most of the Cirqa from the moment you unbox, there are clever hacks worth knowing. Here are five tips of my favorites—some official, and some discovered by reviewers and the community in these early weeks since the device's launch.

Garmin CIRQA™ Smart Band

$199.99 at Amazon

Use the Cirqa as a standalone heart rate strap for other equipment

This is one of the more underrated features on paper. In Garmin Connect, go to Garmin Devices > Health & Wellness > Broadcast Heart Rate, and turn on Device Control. Once that's enabled, you can hold the side button on the Cirqa itself for three seconds until the LED flashes yellow, and it'll start broadcasting your heart rate without needing to touch the app again.

The Cirqa can broadcast over ANT+ to essentially unlimited receiving devices at once, and simultaneously over Bluetooth Smart to up to three separate connections, which means you could realistically stream your live heart rate to a cycling computer, a gym treadmill display, and an app like Zwift all at the same time. For anyone who already owns a Cirqa and was about to buy a separate chest strap for gym equipment or a smart trainer setup, this alone can save the extra purchase.

You can turn the Cirqa into a wrist-buzz clock

The Cirqa has no display, so there's no obvious way to "check the time" on it. But if you like the feel of a ticking analog reminder, you can get close. In the Garmin Connect app, go to your device, then Notifications & Alerts, and look at the alert options tied to activity and movement. Turning on Move Alert (Garmin's inactivity reminder) gives you a light buzz once an hour during your active hours, functioning like an unofficial hourly chime (even though it's technically triggered by extended sitting rather than the clock itself). It won't be perfectly precise to the top of the hour every time, but in daily use it lands close enough, especially if you're someone who deliberately avoids glancing at a phone all day.

Set Cirqa alarms to nudge you toward better habits, not just wake you up

The same Notifications & Alerts menu is where the real wellness tracking happens. You can enable alerts for stress spikes, sleep score readiness, goal completion, and general movement, effectively turning the Cirqa into a mini coach for hydration breaks, stretch breaks, or a moment of mindfulness—all depending on how you choose to interpret the buzz.

For actual wake-ups, go to Alarms > Add Alarm in the app, set your time, and toggle on Smart Wake Alarm if you want it to try waking you during a lighter sleep stage within the 30 minutes before your set time, or Quiet Start if you'd rather it ramp up gradually instead of buzzing at full strength immediately. Worth knowing upfront: In my testing (and I'm not alone here), the Smart Wake Alarm has a reputation for being less "smart" than advertised. While I've never personally experienced it going off outside its intended window, all the "smart" alarm has ever done for me is worked like a plain fixed alarm regardless of your alleged sleep stage.

Check battery life without touching your phone

Since there's no screen, most people assume the only way to check the battery is to open Garmin Connect. There's actually a faster method built into the hardware itself, as long as you go in and set it up.

In the Garmin Connect app, go to your device settings and open Power Manager, then turn on the Battery Status option. Once that's enabled, double-tapping the physical sensor module triggers a single confirmation buzz, followed by the LED flashing a color that corresponds to your remaining charge:

Solid green = Full charge
Flashing green = Charging in process
Solid orange = Low battery
Solid red = Critically low battery

Combined with the favorite activity and hold-for-broadcast button shortcuts, this reinforces the sense that the Cirqa's single button and LED light help set this smart band apart.

And on the activity side, remember to use the side button as your manual override for anything the automatic detection struggles with—which is a lot so far. And since the Cirqa has no built-in GPS chip, any distance, pace, or route data during an activity comes from your paired phone running the Garmin Connect app, so keep your phone nearby if you want a real map of your run or ride, not just heart rate and duration.

Skip the $59.99 official Cirqa armband with a cheap DIY workaround

Garmin sells an upper-arm band separately for $59.99, so if you'd rather track from your bicep than your wrist, that's an option worth exploring—especially if you do activities where a wrist-worn band gets in the way. Plus, upper arm placement might improve your heart rate accuracy overall, since it gives the sensor better contact with a meatier part of the body with less wrist-movement noise.

If you want the upper-arm placement, but don't want to pay for Garmin's official accessory band, it might look like you have no options. The Cirqa pod uses narrow, non-standard 14mm spring pins, so it seems like it won't just clip into generic 20mm bands off the shelf.

A few users have shared this type of hack, and I think this video from @ChaseTheSummit explains it best. The workaround is to buy a small 14mm-to-20mm metal adapter (originally made for Casio G-Shock watches), available for $14.99 on Amazon. That adapter bridges the Cirqa's small pod to the much wider world of inexpensive, stretchy 20mm bicep bands. It's not going to match the fit or finish of Garmin's own accessory, but it's a clever money-saving option.

If you do try this DIY option, make sure you don't just yank the stock fabric band off the pod: Use a small pin pusher tool to compress the internal spring pins inward first, then remove it. Forcing it off without releasing the pins is a good way to damage the housing.

This Acer Gaming Laptop Is $600 Off Right Now

Amanda Chatel — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 19:30:00 +0000

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

In search of a new gaming laptop that won't bankrupt you? Look no further: The Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 AI Gaming Laptop is now $2,199.99 (originally $2,799.99), its lowest price ever, according to price trackers. It's powered by an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU, and has a gaming speed of 240Hz. Its ultra-fast refresh rate creates scenes that feel realistic without any lag to disrupt your concentration or your gameplay.

Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 AI Gaming Laptop is 21% off on Amazon

$2,199.99 at Amazon

$2,799.99 Save $600.00

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With its 18-inch LCD screen, 2560 × 1600 resolution, 32 GB of RAM, and 2 TB of storage, it's big and powerful without sacrificing portability—it weighs in at 7.28 pounds and measures 15.79 x 12.12 inches in size. The 500-nit display performs well, even in sunny spaces. When it comes to connectivity, this gaming laptop has ports for USB-A, USB-C, including Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, Ethernet, HDMI 2.1, as well as Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6E to keep your competition on its toes.

There's a Kensington Lock Slot to prevent theft and a headset jack for privacy. Its thermal solutions, including 5th Gen AeroBlade 3D Metal Fan, keep this laptop at a comfortable temperature even under heavy use, so as to not impact gaming performance. The 90 watt-hour battery delivers roughly five hours of user time when fully charged.

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Everything Already Announced Ahead of Made by Google 2026

Jake Peterson — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 19:15:43 +0000

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Made by Google 2026 officially starts at 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday, but you wouldn't know it from today's tech headlines. Some eight hours before the event was scheduled to begin, Google seemingly announced all of the new hardware and software features it plans to reveal during its main keynote. Unless the company is saving some secrets for the show, it appears all the actual news from Made by Google is already out there.

with $100 Amazon Gift Card

Google Pixel 11 (256GB)

Google Pixel 11 Pro (512GB)

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL (256GB)

Google Pixelsnap Qi2 Wireless Charger with Stand

As such, we already know all about Google's new Pixel 11 lineup, including the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro XL. We've seen the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, the Pixel Watch 5, and even the Pixel Tag, Google's first AirTag competitor. Plus, Google shared some details on new features coming to these devices, as well as existing Pixel products. While we still need to wait until this evening to actually watch the full event, here's everything the company announced ahead of Made by Google 2026.

Google announced the Pixel 11 series

Credit: René Ramos/CNET Group

At first glance, Google's Pixel 11 series doesn't look all that different from the Pixel 10 series. The company chose to carry over the Pixel's current design, which means the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro XL all feature a large, oval camera bump on the back, and a small circular camera cutout on the front. However, Google says it reduced the Pixel 11's camera bar thickness by 40%, which it advertises makes for a "virtually bumpless" experience when using a "Made by Google" case.

The Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL are brighter this year: Google says the displays can reach up to 3,600 nits, with an upgraded anti-scratch coating that the company claims more than doubles scratch resistance compared to the Pixel 10 Pro. All things considered, Google says the 11 Pros are the most durable Pixels yet.

It turns out the storage rumors were true: Google is dropping the 128GB models this year. All three Pixel 11 phones start with 256GB of storage, which is great for keeping large files on-device, but not so great for your wallet. While the 256GB option costs as much as last year's 256GB Pixel 10 devices, Google effectively raised the cost of entry by eliminating the cheaper 128GB option. Now, the cheapest Pixel 11 starts at $899.

All three Pixel 11 devices come with the new Tensor G6 chip, which unsurprisingly brings upgrades over last year's Tensor G5. Google says this chip's CPU supports 25% faster web browsing and opens apps 15% quicker. The TPU handles 50% more compute, which means the G6 can process on-device AI functions 3.5 times faster than before, at 3.5 times the energy efficiency.

Perhaps Google's "funnest" feature this year is "HiLight," a new LED that lives in the camera bar. Google says you can rely on the light for alerts, so you can keep tabs on important updates while your phone is face down. For example, you can assign colors to different contacts, so you know who's calling without having to pick up your phone. Plus, the light can glow in specific patterns when you talk to Gemini to indicate whether the AI is listening, "thinking," or responding to you. However, as Marques Brownlee highlights, there isn't much else you can do with HiLight, which seems like a missed opportunity—especially when other Android manufacturers, like Nothing, offer a ton of customization with their LEDs. Google says it plans to add new capabilities in the future, like message notifications from favorite contacts, but we'll have to wait to see whether the company decides to take full advantage of this fun hardware feature.

Google's Pixel line has always been known for its cameras, and this year is likely no exception. Google says all three of its Pixel 11 phones come with major camera upgrades. The Pixel 11, for instance, has a 48MP main sensor that adds 56% more light sensitivity, and the 5x telephoto lens now supports 30x "Super Zoom," thanks to the Tensor G6 chip. The Pros get some unique updates of their own: Google says the main sensor on each is brand new this year, and the telephoto sensor is now bumped up to 48MP with 30% more light sensitivity. Portrait Mode now works at 5x, and "Pro Zoom" now works up to 120x. Google says the Pixel 11's low-light photography should also look better now, as Night Sight works 4.5 times faster.

The Pixel 11 comes in four colors: "Pistachio," "Hibiscus," "Frost," and "Obsidian." The Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL are available in "Canyon," "Fog," "Olive," and all-matte "Obsidian." They also come with faster charging, especially on the Pros. Those phones support Qi 2.2 charging at 25W, and you can get 15 hours of battery on the Pixel 11 Pro XL with just 15 minutes of wired charging—assuming you have the right setup.

The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is another incremental update

Credit: René Ramos/CNET Group

Google also announced the successor to the Pixel 10 Pro Fold today, but like the Pixel 11 series, it's a bit of a "blink and you'll miss it" update. These phones are quite similar, though Google touts some slight design upgrades: The new foldable is nearly 10% lighter and 1mm thinner than before. It has the same IP68 water and dust resistance as before, but now, the new glass fiber composite materials make the Pixel 11 Pro Fold "nearly impossible to crack," or so says Google. The company claims the foldable is three times more durable than the previous iteration, with improved crease performance on the hinge.

Like the Pixel 11 series, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold's displays are brighter this year, also reaching 3,600 nits of peak brightness. The Fold also gets the HiLight LED, though nothing is different on the foldable's light. This phone also supports Qi2.2 at 25W, and you can get up to 50% charge in 30 minutes when using a 30W wired charger. Google says the foldable can reach up to 24 hours of battery life, so, theoretically, you should be able to make it through a full day without needing to top off.

The Fold also gets Google's newest Tensor G6 chip, this time with 16GB of RAM. Google says that powers its new "sign-to-text" feature, which it developed with the Deaf community. This feature lets you sign in Live Transcribe, which then translates your sign language into text. Google says the feature works with both one-handed and two-handed signing. This new Fold also gets a new 48MP main sensor, and the telephoto camera now supports up to 30x Super Zoom.

The Pixel 11 Pro Fold comes in either Obsidian or Olive. The phone starts at $1,899.

Preorder the Pixel 11 Pro Fold

The Pixel Watch 5

Credit: René Ramos/CNET Group

Google also announced the fifth generation of its Pixel Watch line. The new watch comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 Accelerated processor, with 50% more RAM and a 12% faster CPU than last year's Pixel Watch 4. Google says the Pixel Watch 5 is its most accurate GPS route tracking ever, with double the accuracy of previous models. The company claims its tracking accuracy beats the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro.

Google says the Pixel Watch 5 has 15% more accurate sleep stage detection than before, so your sleep tracking should be more in line with reality. It also comes with a new breathing emergency detection feature that uses the watch's multimodal sensors and on-device AI to watch for "severe, persistent drops in oxygen saturation." If your watch detects a breathing emergency, it can call emergency services on your behalf and share your exact location. (This is launching in Europe first.) The company also teased a new Strength Training workout mode that will offer step-by-step directions for your exercises.

While not specific to Pixel Watch 5, Google also announced "Health Guardian," a suite of features that track changes in your health over time, including trends in insulin resistance, blood pressure, sleep breathing quality, and the aforementioned breathing emergency detection. You'll get a monthly summary in the Google Health app that points out any notable changes. This works with "qualified Pixel Watches" and Fitbit Air, though Google didn't note exactly which Pixel Watches work with these new features.

The Pixel Watch 5 has a 3,000-nit "domed" Actua 360 display with 11 new complication styles. Google also added two new watch faces, with additional generative watch face options. The watch can run for up to 30 hours off the charger (41mm) or 40 hours (45mm).

It comes in Fog, Olive, or Canyon (41mm only), and starts at $399 (41mm) and $429 (45mm). There's also a Stephen Curry Special Edition (45mm) that starts at $579.

Preorder the Pixel Watch 5

Google Pixel Tag

Credit: René Ramos/CNET Group

As it turns out, the rumors were also right about the Pixel Tag: Yes, Google has been working on its own version of Apple's AirTag. Instead of working with Apple's Find My network, Pixel Tag uses Google's Find Hub network to achieve the same goals. Pixel Tag can connect to more than a billion Android devices across the world to update its location using end-to-end encrypted information.

Google says the Pixel Tag is IP67 water- and dust-resistant, with a built-in speaker for locating the device. It also has its own button you can press to ping your phone, something AirTags don't come with. Like AirTags, Pixel Tags last one year on a single battery, which you can replace yourself.

Setting up a Pixel Tag is identical to setting up an AirTag: You hold the device near your phone, and setup instructions appear on-screen. From there, you can choose to share a Pixel Tag with up to 10 people. When you need to find a Pixel Tag, you can use both Ultra-Wideband and Bluetooth Channel Sounding for precision finding, which provides turn-by-turn directions to locate your tracker.

You can use Left Behind alerts to know whether you forgot an item, and your phone will tell you whether an unknown Pixel Tag is following you. Like AirTags, you can pick up a Pixel Tag for $29 a pop, or $99 for a four-pack. The Pixel Tag launches Nov. 11.

Updates to Pixel Buds Pro 2 and Pixel Buds 2a

While Google isn't releasing any new earbuds today, it is updating its existing models. Pixel Buds Pro 2 are getting Dynamic ANC, which adjusts noise cancellation when the buds shift in your ears. You will be able to ask Gemini to adjust audio controls, such as setting bass levels, and Pixel Watch will be able to pause your earbuds' audio when it detects you fall asleep. Live Translate will work in over 70 languages when tapping your Buds, and Pixel Buds Pro 2 now come in Olive. (The software features start rolling out in September.)

Gemini will connect to the following services

Finally, Google announced new apps that, over the coming weeks, will connect to Gemini for additional functionality. That includes the following:

Angi
Fever
GetYourGuide
Granola
iHeartRadio
Localiza
OpenTable (UK)
Otter.ai
Pandora
Thumbtack
Ticketmaster
Wix
Zocdoc

This Lightweight Google Pixelsnap Wireless Charger Is 50% Off Right Now

Amanda Chatel — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:30:01 +0000

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

If you’ve been wanting to get a wireless charger for your Google Pixel Phone, this Google Pixelsnap Qi2 Wireless charger with stand is now $34.99, down from $69.99, making it the lowest price ever, according to price-tracking tools. With its perfect angle and versatility, the stand allows you to dock your phone upright either vertically or horizontally, so you can continue to use it while it charges, including controlling your home devices. The magnetic backing holds the phone in place no matter if you’re using the dock or the charger on its own. It also reaches 25W, meaning you can get 50% of your phone’s power back in roughly 30 minutes.

Weighing about a quarter of a pound, when the Google Pixelsnap Qi2 charger is detached from the stand, it can easily be brought anywhere and is compatible with all Google Pixel phones. It has a one-year manufacturer's warranty.

If you’re looking to upgrade your Pixel, there’s a “Made by Google” event today starting at 6 p.m. ET in which the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and the foldable Pixel 11 Pro Fold are set to launch.

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If You Loved 'Widow’s Bay,' There's One Movie You Need to Watch Next

Jeff Somers — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:00:00 +0000

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Whether you loved Widow’s Bay from the moment Wyck cranked the hilariously warbly horror alarm in the first episode or you only fully bought in once Patricia was running down the road in her fabulously impractical sweater boots, we can all agree that the Apple TV horror comedy was the summer streaming surprise we all needed.

Somehow, this story of a seafaring island community beset by a growing, malevolent supernatural force was simultaneously laugh-out-loud funny and legitimately scary, a balance that’s rarely been done so well, and so consistently. If you’ve watched and rewatched the show (and burned through our suggestions for similar streaming series), there’s one more movie you should check out: John Carpenter’s 1980 classic The Fog.

Like Widow's Bay, The Fog's Antonio Bay is cursed

There is no Widow’s Bay without The Fog. While the show draws on a lot of horror influences, ranging from Scream-style slashers to everything Stephen King has ever published, the key element in Widow’s Bay is the community’s isolation and seafaring history. While it’s not nearly as funny as Widow’s Bay, The Fog has all the chilling, creepy vibe you could want, and the town of Antonio Bay, California is very similar to Widow’s Bay in many ways.

Just like Widow’s Bay, Antonio Bay is superficially a sleepy, economically-challenged town whose economy and local culture are defined by its relationship with the sea. Both towns are gearing up for improvement (Antonio Bay is preparing for its centennial celebration), and both towns are haunted by sins committed long ago. There’s a local priest who discovers an old journal that reveals the founding and success of the town were won via a nefarious bargain, and the bill is coming due. Sound familiar?

While there’s no doubt the callbacks to The Fog in Widow’s Bay are intentional, what really links the two films is the tone. The Fog has the same, er, foggy sense of dread, the same sense that something is coming and the only way to stop it from destroying the entire town is to make a sacrifice no one wants to make. Visually, you can easily imagine The Fog as an extended episode of Widow’s Bay—it’s all shadowed threats, lonely boats on the water, and weird townies being, er, weird (the quirky town and its residents will also give you streamalike vibes). The film doesn’t lean into the humor quite as much, but it is pretty funny at times, so you’ll definitely see where Widow’s Bay took inspiration from the movie. Stream The Fog on Kanopy or Plex or rent it on Prime Video.

The Fog (1980)

Storm of the Century (1999)

More movies like Widow's Bay

Need more horror, comedy, and beachy, small-town stories? Here are a few more movies that catch at least some of that Widow’s Bay feeling.

Storm of the Century (1999)

The influence of Stephen King looms large over Widow’s Bay, and Storm of the Century is the closest of his works to the show in terms of theme and setting. Technically, this is a television miniseries, but at 4-1/2 hours, it’s really just a very long movie. In 1989, a powerful blizzard isolates the community on Little Tall Island, Maine, just as a mysterious stranger arrives. The stranger knows everyone’s darkest secrets, and causes havoc before presenting his reason for visiting Little Tall—and his demands for leaving without destroying the town. It’s ominous and stuffed with the same small-town desperation as Widow’s Bay. Stream Storm of the Century on Hulu.

at Hulu

Jaws (1975)

If island communities beset by monsters is your jam, go to the foundational film. Steven Spielberg’s 1975 movie not only defined the modern blockbuster, but it’s also a streamalike story of another sleepy island town, Amity Island (the movie was filmed on Martha's Vineyard). When an unusually large and aggressive shark begins killing people, the police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) wants to close the beaches—but the mayor argues that this will destroy the tourist season, leading to lots of shark-related mayhem. If that sounds a little familiar, it should. Rent Jaws on Prime Video.

Jaws (1975)

The Wicker Man (1973)

If you want to immerse yourself in a strange, vaguely threatening island community that harbors a dark secret, watch The Wicker Man (the original, not Nic Cage’s delirious 2006 remake). When a police officer from the mainland travels to isolated Summerisle to investigate a report of a missing girl, he finds himself in an odd pagan community that doesn’t welcome him, but also doesn’t outright threaten him. But it’s all part of a plan, and as he explores the island, the darkness under its facade slowly envelopes him, leading to one of the most striking and horrifying final images of a film ever. Christopher Lee’s deranged performance as Lord Summerisle is like a photo negative of Matthew Rhys’ Tom Loftis, and is worth the price of admission by itself. Stream The Wicker Man on Kanopy or rent it on Prime Video.

The Wicker Man (1973)

The Frighteners (1996)

If it was the perfect balance between humor and horror that pulled you into Widow’s Bay, check out this often-overlooked 1996 film directed (and co-written) by Peter Jackson. Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox) gained the ability to perceive and interact with ghosts after a tragic accident that killed his wife. Consumed by guilt, Frank uses this power to con people into paying him to exorcise their homes after his ghostly buddies “haunt” them for a while. When a spectral figure dressed like the Grim Reaper begins killing people in ways that implicate Frank, he has to overcome his self-loathing and terror to save innocent lives. It combines a goofy sensibility with real scares in a way fans of the show will love. Rent The Frighteners on Prime Video.

The Frighteners (1996)

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Another film that somehow manages to be both effortlessly hilarious and legitimately scary, Shaun of the Dead tracks a zombie outbreak in a sleepy section of London. Shaun (Simon Pegg) isn’t exactly excelling at life, but when the zombies come for the people he loves, he’s all in for the fight—just not always very good at it. Filled with callbacks, brick jokes, and genuinely affecting performances, there’s a reason this movie (and Edgar Wright’s entire so-called Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, actually) is a must-watch for both horror and comedy fans. Rent Shaun of the Dead on Prime Video.

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

TP-Link Tapo SolarCam C402 Kit (Three-Pack)

Why Microsoft Patch Tuesday Updates Suddenly Have So Many More Fixes

Emily Long — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:30:00 +0000

If you're a Windows user, you've hopefully installed regular Patch Tuesday updates from Microsoft, which address critical security vulnerabilities across the company's software. The last few months' worth of fixes have been especially important, as they've included a record number of bugs and a swath of zero-days that have been actively exploited or publicly disclosed.

The August Patch Tuesday release this week is no different: The update fixes 400 flaws, including three zero-days. Compare that to March, when Microsoft issued patches for just 83 bugs in total (two of which were publicly disclosed zero-days). The seemingly sudden uptick in vulnerabilities and security fixes is due, in large part, to AI.

AI is creating vulnerabilities (and discovering them)

AI is playing both sides of the field when it comes to security. Threat actors are using AI to develop and deploy hacking tools more quickly and at scale, so more flaws may be more exploitable than before. This forces tech companies to respond more quickly as well. As ZDNET notes, companies that patch vulnerabilities during regular update cycles (like Patch Tuesday) now have to rush to address bugs sooner and may begin to shorten the time between updates, as Apple did earlier this summer.

While AI is helping to exploit vulnerabilities, it is also finding them so they can be fixed. Last month, Microsoft announced that AI has allowed its engineering teams to find and analyze a larger volume of potential flaws before they can be exploited. (The company noted that this also directly contributes to the increase in security updates included in Patch Tuesday). Google, too, is using AI to discover, triage, and fix security flaws in Chrome. It's worth noting that while AI is good at identifying vulnerabilities, it is far less effective at actually patching them—and may introduce more bugs along the way.

As always, update your Windows device ASAP

Windows users should ensure security updates are installed as soon as they're available to minimize the risk of active exploits. Patch Tuesday is released around 10 a.m. on the second Tuesday of the month, and you should receive them automatically. However, you can check the status under Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for Windows updates.

As BleepingComputer reports, the August security update addresses flaws across the following categories: 176 elevation-of-privilege vulnerabilities, 11 security feature bypass vulnerabilities, 110 remote-code-execution vulnerabilities, 86 information disclosure vulnerabilities, 21 spoofing vulnerabilities, and 12 denial-of-service vulnerabilities. Forty-two of the bugs are rated "critical" and include remote code execution and elevation of privilege flaws.

These TP-Link Roam 6 Travel Routers Are at Their Lowest Prices Ever Right Now

Pradershika Sharma — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:00:00 +0000

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A travel router sounds unnecessary until you run into unreliable hotel wifi, device limits, or a public network you’d rather not use. The TP-Link Roam 6 is built for exactly those situations, and its AX3000 variant is currently down to $79.99 from $99.99 on Amazon, while the cheaper AX1500 is $49.98, down from $59.99, with price trackers showing both at their lowest prices so far.

Wifi 6 Travel Router

TP-Link Roam 6 AX3000

TP-Link Roam 6 AX1500

So the choice mostly comes down to whether you want to save $30 or pay more for faster networking and extra capacity—both can take hotel, Airbnb, or other public wifi and turn it into one private network for your devices, which means you can connect the router once and then join your phone, laptop, tablet, and streaming stick through it instead of signing each one in separately. They also support OpenVPN and WireGuard, so you can route those connected devices through a VPN if you want an extra layer of privacy.

The AX3000 is the one I would look at if you travel with several devices, work remotely, or simply want more headroom. It can deliver up to 2,402Mbps on the 5GHz band and 574Mbps on 2.4GHz, compared with 1,201 Mbps and 300 Mbps, respectively, on the AX1500, and it can handle up to 80 connected devices instead of 60. You also get a 2.5Gbps WAN port for faster wired internet, plus USB 3.0 for things like phone tethering, a USB modem, or file sharing. None of those upgrades will fix bad hotel internet, but they make the AX3000 better suited to heavier use once you are on a decent connection.

The AX1500, meanwhile, still gives you Wi-Fi 6, Gigabit Ethernet, USB tethering, and the core travel-router features, making it the easier pick if you mostly travel solo or just want a simple way to get a laptop, phone, and a few other devices online.

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This Solar-Powered Security Camera Kit Is 33% Off Right Now

Pradershika Sharma — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 12:30:00 +0000

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A three-pack of Tapo SolarCam C402 Kit is down to $119.98 from $179.99, saving you about $60, or 33%—and price trackers show this is the lowest it has ever gone. For context, a single unit is currently $47.99 on Amazon, while this bundle works out to about $40 per camera, making it the better value if you want coverage in several areas around your home. You could put one over the driveway, another near a side entrance, and a third in the backyard without buying each setup separately.

TP-Link Tapo SolarCam C402 Kit

$47.99 at Amazon

Each C402 camera is battery-powered and pairs with its own solar panel, so you have more freedom to position the camera where you actually need coverage instead of wherever wiring happens to reach. TP-Link says the panel can keep the battery topped up with 45 minutes of direct sunlight per day, while the built-in battery can last up to 180 days on a charge when solar power is unavailable, though actual battery life depends on how often the camera records and how you use it.

The camera—while offering broader smart home compatibility (works with Alexa and Google Assistant)—itself is a fairly simple home security camera. It records at 1080p and has a 125-degree diagonal field of view, which should be enough for keeping an eye on people approaching the house or checking whether a package is still at the door, but it will not capture fine details as newer 2K or 4K cameras. That said, you do get color night vision, infrared night vision, two-way audio, and person detection without needing a hub, notes this PCMag review. You’re also not forced into a subscription to save recordings—each camera supports a microSD card of up to 512GB for local storage, with Tapo also offering optional cloud storage (starts at $3.49 per month after a 30-day trial) if you prefer it.

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Sony WH-1000XM5 — $248.00 (List Price $399.99)

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 With $50 Amazon Gift Card (40mm, Bluetooth, Graphite Band) — $379.99 (List Price $429.99)

Google Pixel 11 Pro 256GB Unlocked Phone With $200 Amazon Gift Card (Obsidian) — $1,099.00 (List Price $1,299.00)

Google Pixel Watch 5 (41mm, Wi-Fi, Obsidian) — $399.99 (List Price $399.99)

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Five New Changes in iOS 27 Beta 5

Jake Peterson — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 20:00:57 +0000

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Apple released the fifth beta for iOS 27 on Monday, Aug. 10. As we get closer to the update's official fall release, the number of features and changes Apple will introduce with each beta is certainly diminishing, and no one would call beta 5 a feature-filled update. However, there are some new features and changes worth noting, especially as they are things Apple didn't previously announce at WWDC.

Before I get into what's new, a reminder: iOS 27 is not yet finished. As such, while anyone with a compatible iPhone can install it, know there are risks to running beta software on your device. Make sure to make a proper backup of your data, as you could lose everything on your iPhone in the event you need to downgrade back to iOS 26.

Apple just updated five app icons with iOS 27 beta 5

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

When you update your iPhone to the latest iOS 27 beta—or, presumably, iOS 27 itself—you're going to notice new icons for some familiar apps. Some updates are quite subtle, such as Safari. You might not even notice at first, since the icon retains the same basic design as before, but with this latest beta, Safari now has fewer "ticks" in its compass than before, a slightly different blue background, and a distinct screw in its center. It reminds me a bit of iOS 7's flat design. It's the same story for Settings and the App Store icons: small adjustments that you might not notice without comparing the icons side by side.

If you've been running the beta, you'll notice the update to the Siri app right away. Instead of the colorful, looping logo Apple debuted with the app, Siri now appears as a gray, glowing orb. Preview's new app icon is also readily apparent: replacing the loupe against a blue background, the new logo places the loop in the bottom-right corner of a colorful, rounded square. I'm personally a fan of these changes, especially for Preview.

You can now choose British English for Siri's enhanced voice

If you have a compatible iPhone, you can customize how Siri AI sounds through a new feature called "enhanced voice." With it, you can change both Siri's pace and expressivity to make a voice that's a bit more unique to your iPhone than others. With the first four iOS 27 betas, enhanced voice only worked with various American English accents. But starting with iOS 27 beta 5, Apple now supports customizing British English voices as well. According to 9to5Mac, you now have 11 different voices to customize.

Settings has a new "Before Searching" section

Dive into the Settings after updating your iPhone, and you'll find a new option in the "Search Settings" menu. "Before Searching" comes with three new settings. The biggest change is "Suggest Apps," which lets you choose how many suggested apps appear in Siri Suggestions (the default is eight). There's also "Suggest App Shortcuts," which appears to let you choose whether or not iOS suggests app shortcuts, and "Show Recent Searches," which lets you hide your searches from this menu.

You can see when you last updated your iPhone

As reported by Apple Insider, iOS 27 beta 5 will tell you when you installed your current version of iOS on your iPhone. I'm not sure exactly in what scenarios this would be useful, but it's a new change.

Apple is now hiding cellular network types while on wifi

Here's a small but interesting change: Apple is no longer showing cellular network types while you're on wifi. If you check Control Center, you won't see whether you're connected to LTE, 5G, or something like 5G UWB as long as you're connected to wifi as well. You'll need to jump off the wifi to see what cellular network your iPhone is connected to. (For what it's worth, I currently can't see my cellular network type while connected to wifi on iOS 26 either, but maybe that's a carrier thing, as I'm seeing multiple reports about this change.)

The Best Way to Get Past an Article's Paywall

Joel Cunningham — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 19:30:00 +0000

The era of the free internet is long over: As the online ad market has collapsed in recent years, largely thanks to changes Google has made to forefront AI summaries, countless websites have added paywalls. This means if you want to read their articles, you have to sign up and pay a monthly subscription fee. Some sites have a “metered” paywall—meaning you can read a certain number of articles for free before they ask for money—and others have a hard paywall, where you’ll have to pay to read even one article.

Paywalls are mostly a thing with news websites, largely because relying on advertising income alone isn’t a viable strategy anymore, forcing these companies to pursue direct revenue sources like monthly subscriptions. In that sense, paywalls aren't a bad thing—it’s wonderful to support journalism you find valuable. If nothing else, I hope you support the websites that you read regularly—especially your local news outlet.

But sometimes, you just need to get around a paywall quickly. Maybe you've lost your password, haven’t saved it on your phone, are in a rush, or are strapped for cash and swear to yourself that you’ll subscribe later. If one of these exceptions applies, there are many ways to bypass paywalls on the internet—though not nearly as many as there used to be.

Many once-reliable methods of bypassing paywalls have stopped working almost entirely (pour one out for pasting the headline into Google and opening the link in a private browsing window). The methods discussed below are more robust—and thus, more likely to work. I'll start with my favorite, which has served me well for the past few years. But a word of caution: You may be able to use one of these methods successfully today, but that could change in the future as websites clamp down on bypass methods. (This article is regularly updated as some methods stop working and others pop up.)

Archive.today is the best, most reliable option for bypassing paywalls

Credit: Screenshot by Joel Cunningham

Archive.today is the fastest, most reliable way I've found to quickly bypass a paywall, and I've been using it successfully for years across a wide range of sites, even as other options have come and gone. It's a site that will create an archived version of any website you paste into the search bar. (Think of an archived version like taking a screenshot of any website, complete with a time stamp—a self-described “time capsule,” if you will.) Archive.today “saves a text and a graphical copy of the page for better accuracy” and gives you a short link to an unalterable record of any web page. Yes, yes—but as a bonus, you can often use this functionality to bypass a paywall and read an entire paywalled article without issue.

Just paste your article link into the black “I want to search the archive for saved snapshots” bar, and you'll be taken to a page where you can view earlier archived versions. If the article you’re trying to bypass isn’t already archived, then put the URL into the red “My URL is alive and I want to archive its content” bar. The site will then begin generating the archived version, which usually only takes a few minutes. You'll be sent straight to this archived version once it's ready, and you can come back to it later by copying the new URL from your browser's nav bar.

You can also add a browser extension to Chrome that will create a button in your browser toolbar you can click to instantly create an archived snapshot of any web page. The archived version will even automatically open up in a new tab.

I've only had this site fail me once or twice. Usually, there's already an existing archived version for anything I want to read, but creating a new one only takes a minute or two. Still, if it doesn't work, try the next option.

Another free, easy, AI-enhanced alternative to get around a paywall

A newer tool I found while poking around "get around a paywall" Reddit, smry.ai is a tool that works similarly to Archive.today, in that it shows you a cached version of the article page (pulled, according to the developer, from either the Internet Wayback Machine or Google cache), which allows you to read the entire thing. What sets this one apart is AI integration: Click the purple "generate" button on the results page to get an AI-generated summary of the article's key points. In practice, I found the summaries to be more akin to social media posts than an outline (for example, a 7,000-word New York Magazine article about the recent assassination attempts on the life of President Donald Trump was trimmed to a single short paragraph), but if you're just looking for the gist—or trying to decide if you want to read the entire article at all—it's a nice little addition.

Two totally legal, ethical ways to get around paywalls

Check if your local library provides access

Many libraries offer access to paid magazine and newspaper subscriptions online. Typically you'll have to go to your library's website, log in with your card number or account details, and then access different publications indirectly, via the library's portal. (For example, if you live in Marin County, Calif., you can easily read the Washington Post for free.)

There are too many library systems out there to count, so you may or may not be lucky enough to be in one that offers this perk, but it's worth a shot; since the library is paying the publication for the service, you don't even need to feel guilty. (Not sure if your system has a news portal? Ask your local librarian!)

Ask a subscriber for a "gift article"

This one isn't likely to be feasible often, but it's worth a shot for when you're trying to read that one paywalled article that's going viral: Many publications allow paid subscribers to "gift" a copy of a certain number of articles every month (The Washington Post and the New York Times each allow gifting 10 articles per month, for example). If you know your aunt subscribes to The New York Times, it can't hurt to ask if she's willing to gift you the occasional read.

The First Five Things You Should Do With Your Garmin Cirqa Smart Band

Meredith Dietz — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 19:00:56 +0000

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The Garmin Cirqa is the company’s first screen-free smart band, built to track fitness and wellness features around the clock, without needing a subscription. For existing Garmin fans who want 24/7 data without wearing a bulky sports watch to bed, this $199 smart band is a welcome addition. If you just unboxed one, here's how to get it set up right and start making the most of it.

Garmin CIRQA™ Smart Band, No Subscription, L-XL Black

$199.99 at Amazon

Assign the Cirqa as your primary wearable

If you already own a Garmin watch like a Fenix or Forerunner, you can still keep your watch as your "Primary Training Device." But for round-the-clock daily health metrics, assign the Cirqa your "Primary Wearable." If you missed this during your initial set-up, here's how to manage your devices in the Garmin Connect app:

Select More (bottom right).
Scroll to the bottom of the page and select Settings.
Under Device Priority, select the Cirqa for Primary Wearable, and a different watch for Primary Training Device.
Sync your devices.

This setup makes sure your Cirqa’s continuous collection of recovery metrics, step counts, and sleep data flow into your profile, while preventing the smart band from conflicting with your primary sports watch during hard workouts.

Make sure you get the right fit on your Cirqa wristband

The Cirqa’s fabric wristband comes in two sizes. The small/medium fits wrist circumferences of about 120–200 mm, while the large/extra-large fits roughly 145–240 mm. A snug-but-comfortable fit matters for accurate optical heart rate readings, so take a minute to adjust the strap before you start relying on the numbers.

Use the Cirqa to check your baseline health metrics

The Connect app's insights can seem a bit scattered and overwhelming at first, so don't feel like you need to absorb everything on day one. The Cirqa can track training readiness, HRV status, VO2 max, heart rate, Pulse Ox, stress, sleep tracking, and more. Within sleep tracking, you can track sleep stages (although those are dubious), naps, and personalized coaching layered on top of your basic sleep score.

Your watch comes preloaded with glances, but you can customize these based on your goals. For instance, I find Garmin's Body Battery to be an overly simplified and ultimately unhelpful score. Since I'm training for a marathon, I replaced that glance with my Running Economy score, so I can readily track how I'm improving as I increase my running volume and intensity.

If it's relevant to you, this is also the moment to set up women's health tracking. The Cirqa estimates period predictions and past ovulation windows using skin temperature data gathered while you sleep, and it can sync that data to the Natural Cycles birth control app (which requires its own separate subscription).

Something to keep in mind: Some of the richer insights (like training readiness trends or sleep coaching) take several days or weeks of data to become meaningful. Give it a week or two of normal wear before you judge what it's telling you.

Change your default activity assigned to the button

Compared to other smart bands, the Cirqa's on-device button really sets it apart. The Cirqa can track more than 80 activities—running, yoga, cycling and more—either by pressing the button or through the Garmin Connect app. It allegedly detects workouts automatically, but I’ve found that to be pretty unreliable.

To make the most of this feature, you want to assign which activity type you want to start and stop with a quick press of the button. Head to your Garmin Connect app and select the Cirqa in the top right corner. Then select Activity Options > Edit (in the top right corner) > Select your favorite activity. Now, when you press the button on your Cirqa, it'll start your favorite activity type.

And if you're heading outside, remember the band pairs with your phone's GPS for accurate location tracking during outdoor activities, since the Cirqa itself (like most smart bands) has no onboard GPS receiver—so bring your phone along if logging your route matters to you.

Explore different lifestyle notifications on your Cirqa

Beyond the headline fitness and sleep features, the Cirqa packs in a handful of lifestyle tools worth checking out. The app includes a Jet Lag Adviser, lifestyle logging and journaling, hydration and calorie tracking, daily step counts, and intensity minutes. There's also a wheelchair mode for wrist-based push tracking, if that fits your activity style.

In general, it's worth taking the time to really familiarize yourself with the Garmin Connect app. Remember, the Cirqa has no screen, so for every insight you want to see, you'll need to know where to find it in the app. And since we're in the early days of this smart band's launch, the app is where you'll want to regularly check for firmware updates.

Seven Surprisingly Useful Mac Apps You've Never Heard Of

David Nield — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 18:30:00 +0000

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If your time on macOS is solely spent switching between the well-known apps that everyone uses—your web browser, Notes, Apple Music—then you're missing out. There are a host of more unusual and idiosyncratic apps for Apple's desktop operating system that are well worth digging into.

The apps collected in the list below fall under that description, and while they might not have been installed on millions of Macs or be particularly complex in what they offer, they're all quite useful. Give them a try and see how they can upgrade your macOS experience.

ScrollPods

Scroll around macOS by tilting your head. Credit: Lifehacker

Scrolling isn't particularly hard on macOS, but what if it were even easier? ScrollPods teams up with a connected pair of AirPods to let you scroll up and down webpages, documents, and more with a tilt of the head. It works with anything on screen that can be scrolled.

The utility is simple to set up, and based on my testing, it works quite well. The default sensitivity is just right, with slight head tilts enough to nudge a page up or down, but you can adjust the sensitivity and set up custom gestures for the app through its settings.

ScrollPods (free)

Slidr

You can opt to activate Slidr with a keyboard shortcut. Credit: Lifehacker

You can add some extra functionality to your MacBook trackpad with Slidr: It turns the left side of your trackpad into a brightness slider, and the right side into a volume slider, so you can quickly adjust these key settings without interrupting your typing and scrolling flow.

You're able to take advantage of a free trial before committing to the purchase, so you can see if it works for you. It couldn't be any more straightforward to use: The app runs from the menu bar, and there are options for adjusting the sensitivity and position of the slide gestures, and swapping over the brightness and volume sliders if you prefer.

Slidr (free trial, then $4.99)

Pipiri

Pipiri comes with lots of settings to customize. Credit: Lifehacker

A picture-in-picture mode can be very useful when multi-tasking, but it's not supported in every app—something Pipiri fixes. Once you've got Pipiri installed, any window on the macOS desktop can be put into a picture-in-picture mode, running on top of your other apps.

So, for example, you can keep an AI agent window or a social media feed visible on screen while you get on with something else. There are lots of options to play around with, too, including the refresh rate of the overlaid window, app hotkeys, and adaptive resizing.

Pipiri (free trial, then $9.70)

Haptyk

Get an authentic mechanical keyboard sound with Haptyk. Credit: Lifehacker

Haptyk takes advantage of the hidden accelerometer that's built into every Apple Silicon MacBook keyboard, figuring out how hard you're striking each key and adding appropriate audio. You get mechanical keyboard sound effects, with your existing MacBook keyboard.

I gave the app a go and it works really well: There's zero lag on the sound effects, and you get the same experience across every app. You've got 16 different keyboard sound packs to choose from, plus lots of configuration options (including volume, pitch, and gain).

Haptyk (free trial, then $8)

Stealthy

Stealthy can jump into action automatically during video calls. Credit: Lifehacker

If you're a regular video caller, then you'll know that subtle feeling of dread that rises up whenever you're called upon to share your screen or to record something you're doing. What browser tabs do you have open? Is an embarrassing notification going to pop up?

Stealthy deals with this with the minimum of fuss, hiding your desktop icons, the desktop wallpaper, and the dock. silencing notifications, and clearing away open app windows you don't want visible on screen. It can also launch automatically when video calls start.

Stealthy (free trial, then $12.99)

Gestimer

You're able to customize Gestimer in a number of different ways. Credit: Lifehacker

There's nothing too revolutionary about Gestimer, but it does a simple job in an intuitive way, and is likely to come in handy more often than you might think. It lets you set timers and reminders by just dragging down the app icon from the macOS menu bar.

There's no messing around with opening up other apps or digging through calendars—it's just click and drag, with the length of the drag controlling the time that's set. There's a persistent countdown in the menu bar, and you get a notification at the appropriate time.

Gestimer (free trial, then $6.99)

Unclack

Save others from your typing sounds with Unclack. Credit: Lifehacker

Unclack is both simple and useful: It mutes your microphone when you're typing (even more helpful if you've installed Haptyk, above). That means you no longer need to worry about your aggressive typing style distracting other people during video meetings.

It runs quietly from the menu bar and you don't need to do anything to enable or disable it—it just works, and you won't even know it's there. Should you need to talk and type at the same time, you can disable Unclack with a couple of clicks until you need it again.

Unclack (free)

This Entry-Level Acer Nitro V16 Gaming Laptop Is $200 Off Right Now

Daniel Oropeza — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 17:36:32 +0000

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Gaming laptops can get very expensive, reaching upwards of three grand for some of the best ones on the market. But not everyone is a professional gamer or has that kind of money to spend. A good option for someone looking for an entry-level gaming laptop that offers a good bang for your buck is the Acer Nitro V Gaming Laptop, which is selling on Amazon for $999.99 (originally $1,199.99), reaching its lowest price ever, according to price-tracking tools.

Acer Nitro V Gaming Laptop

$1,199.99 at Amazon

What makes this laptop stand out is what you get for the price. The Nvidia RTX 50-series GPU at this price is rare, so it's great value for the money. This RTX 5050 will handle graphics, gaming, and 3D rendering well, which is necessary for modern PC gaming. The 16-inch IPS display comes with an 180Hz refresh rate, so fast-paced games can look smooth. The extra pixels on the 1920×1080 resolution and the 16:10 (as opposed to 16:9) ratio make the screen a good productivity laptop when you're done gaming.

For the price, the Core 7 240H processor, 16GB RAM, and 1TB SSD are nice—most budget laptops often cut some of those numbers by half. This will make the Nitro V more futureproof for games that use up a lot of space. You get Ethernet, HDMI, USB, USB-C, and microSD ports, and the 76Wh battery will give you about two hours of solid gaming, so make sure you're close to an outlet.

The biggest trade-off with this entry-level laptop is the color accuracy and brightness, which are probably fine considering you can always pay to get it calibrated (or play in rooms with dimmer light). If you can overlook those aspects, this gaming laptop could be your best bet.

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10 Hacks Every In-Flight Wifi User Should Know

Eric Ravenscraft — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Getting (and staying) online while flying has gotten way better over the years, but at the end of the day, you’re still trying to connect to the planet while you're 30,000 feet above it. In other words, it's still going to be a bit of a hassle—but there are things you can do to make it easier. With that in mind, here are some of the best in-flight wifi tricks and hacks.

Download your media beforehand

Even if you get in-flight wifi, it’s going to be slower than what you would have at home or at the airport. You’re not going to be able to stream 4K, high bit-rate video from Netflix—and even if you managed it, you’d probably end up ruining the connection for everyone else.

For movies, shows, or playlists you know you’ll want to have access to on your flight, it’s best to download them ahead of time. Most streaming services have a method to download episodes of shows for local viewing while you’re offline. You can also load video or music files on your phone directly, if you have local copies on your computer or other device.

Store important documents and apps locally

Many applications will work while offline or with limited internet access, even if they’re normally online web apps. For example, Google Docs can work offline if you head to Google Drive and go to Settings > General > Offline and enable the checkbox to work offline. From there, make sure the specific documents you want to edit are downloaded locally.

This process will be different for other applications, so check the specifics of the apps you use on a regular basis. Many productivity tools have some version of airplane mode access, so even if you lose connection to the internet, you can still keep working.

Schedule posts or emails to send during your flight

For some jobs, you need to constantly stay online—or at least seem that way. While your mileage will vary depending on your industry, you can fudge it a bit by scheduling your emails or social media posts to go up while you’re in the air. After all, waiting an hour to respond to an email from your boss can be more acceptable than waiting four.

Most email apps have a tool to schedule your replies, but so do communication apps like Slack. If you spend a lot of time posting to social media, tools like Buffer can help you space out your posts so you don’t end up leaving gaps.

Use your rewards account to get free wifi

Airlines might be pinching every penny to get by, but on some airlines, you can still get free wifi—as long as you sign up for their rewards programs. Airlines like Delta and JetBlue offer free in-flight wifi on a number of flights if you log in with your SkyMiles or TrueBlue accounts.

Other airlines like Southwest offer complimentary wifi due to sponsorships from cell carriers like T-Mobile (even if you don’t use T-Mobile for your phone service). Once again, though, you’ll likely need to sign in with your airline rewards account to make use of the perk.

Get reimbursed for wifi through your credit card

Even if an airline doesn’t offer complimentary wifi, you can sometimes still get it for free through your credit card company. Many credit card providers will either offer discounts on certain airlines’ internet access, or reimbursements after the fact.

You’ll typically see these listed as travel credits or “airline incidentals” credits, but some credit cards offer an annual allotment of fees you can get reimbursed for. In some cases, credit card companies will only reimburse you for fees from certain airlines, but in others it will apply to general travel fees. It’s worth checking your credit card’s perks before booking your travel to see which airlines you might get credit for.

Use free messaging workarounds to access the internet

Some airlines will offer free internet access, but only for messaging or other extremely limited services. That might be sufficient for your needs, but occasionally you can also leverage that for broader access than the airline intended.

For example, some users have reported that you can access the Gemini service via the Messages app on Android to do broad searches that all get funneled through a single chat interface, without paying an extra fee. Others have claimed you can use a VPN while connected to a messaging-only network connection to open up full internet access. This will vary based on airline and the types of connections they offer, but it’s worth giving it a shot if you don’t want to shell out for full internet access.

Moderate your streaming speed

If you do get in-flight access to wifi, it’s still probably going to be pretty speed-limited. You can make watching things easier on yourself by manually dropping your streaming speed where you can.

Sites like YouTube offer tools to limit how much bandwidth you use. On any given YouTube video, click the gear icon and choose Quality to select a lower resolution. Depending on the quality, you might not even notice that much of a hit, but still get better playback and, most importantly, fewer interruptions on other browsing while you do it. Check the other sites you use for similar features.

Limit bandwidth in your browser directly

If you’re struggling to get solid performance with the site-specific tools, you can use speed throttling at the browser level to moderate your bandwidth and make things smoother for everything else.

For example, in Chrome, you can open up dev tools (F12 on Windows, Option+Cmd+I on Mac), then select Network. On this tab, you can click “No throttling” and instead choose a more limited option. This is usually designed to mimic slower internet connections for dev purposes, but throttling your own connection here can force more bandwidth-hungry services like Netflix to chill out, freeing up the plane’s limited bandwidth for everything else you’re doing.

Use reading modes and ad blockers to clear up more bandwidth

You can also save some bandwidth by utilizing lower-lift modes like Reading mode to just pull the parts of the article you actually need. In Chrome, you can enable this quickly by pressing Alt+Shift+R.

Additionally, you can use ad blocker extensions to cut down on loading unnecessary data. This does mean that, if you use Chrome, it might be a bit of a headache. Whether you choose to use a different browser or live with the versions of ad blocking extensions that work today is up to you.

Protect your data when using in-flight wifi

In-flight wifi is still public wifi, so you should treat it like you’re connecting to any given Starbucks network. At this point, any website that isn’t already using HTTPS should be a little suspect, but even then, that’s not necessarily enough. For any work that’s particularly sensitive, you should enable a VPN to protect your data.

Beyond that, it’s a good idea to make sure you have updated antivirus software running, and use tools like UBlock Origin to block any data tracking. There isn’t much about connecting to in-flight wifi that’s different from any other public network, from a security perspective, but you should still take care to protect your data on any public network to begin with.

10 Shows Like 'Black Mirror' You Should Watch Next

Ross Johnson — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 16:30:00 +0000

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Black Mirror debuted in 2011, and in the 15 years since, the real world has been racing to outpace its unsettling vision of our technological future. Certainly in the AI era, when language models can passably recreate humans (if not human empathy), "that sounds like an episode of Black Mirror" has become an increasingly common refrain.

That's been unfortunate for the show itself, which has had to reinvent itself in later seasons, focusing as much on genre experimentation as on inventing new science-fictional ways for technology to kill us. But if you want more stories about the dark side of tech, you needn't confine yourself to Black Mirror's seven seasons (so far, as the eighth is currently in the works). Here are 10 more shows—some of them also anthologies—that share a similar sense of ambivalence about modern life and technology, and where it's taking us.

Love, Death & Robots (2019 – 2025)

Created by Tim Miller and counting director David Fincher as an executive producer, this animated anthology series is a grab bag of wildly diverse offerings: Each episode is produced by a different international studio, with the only link between them being one of the three words in the show's title. One episode deals with robotic gladiator fights in dystopian London, another finds us under the threat of sentient yogurt, yet another finds an ambitious cat learning to make use of a family's robot helper. The stories are frequently less philosophically ambitious than those of Black Mirror, but often rather more fun—its four seasons offering up a mix of tech, sex, and violence with gorgeous animation. Stream Love, Death & Robots on Netflix.

Love, Death & Robots (2019 – 2025)

Severance (2022 – )

Having trouble finding “work-life balance”? In Severance, biotechnology giant Lumon Industries has a solution: It will split your consciousness between your life at work and your life outside, so one has no memory or experience of the other. As the series progresses, the work- and home-based consciousnesses continue to grow apart, and it becomes clear that they are essentially entirely different people—which raises a lot of questions about the ethics of essentially trapping someone in the hell of perpetual work. Inspired by office-based dark comedies as much as movies like Brazil and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the show’s take on nebulously futuristic tech, alongside its dive into the dangers of modern American-style totalitarian capitalism, makes it a serialized answer to Black Mirror’s episode-by-episode anthology format. Stream Severance on Apple TV.

Severance (2022 – )

Years and Years (2019)

Doctor Who's Russell T. Davies crafted this miniseries following a family over the course of 15 tumultuous years, which doesn't sound terribly like Black Mirror—except that it starts in the present (well, the present as of 2019, when the show came out) and heads into the near future. The show posits the wildly improbable scenario of Donald Trump winning a second term (ahem), propelling Emma Thompson's populist Vivienne Rook into office in the U.K. on a platform of tariffs and kicking out all the immigrants (ahem). As all this is going on, the Lyons family (played by Rory Kinnear, Russell Tovey, Ruth Madeley, and T'Nia Miller, among others) are dealing with a pace of technological change so rapid that the upheaval is constant (ahem). It's a bit too prescient for comfort—a bit like every episode of Black Mirror is happening to a single family. Stream Years and Years on HBO Max.

Years and Years (2019)

Ultra Q (1966)

What the heck is Ultra Q, you ask? Don’t look for clues in the title, which mostly has to do with the ubiquity of the word “ultra” in Japan at the time it was made. The original title, Unbalance, conveys more of a sense of the show’s ideological underpinnings. Episodes frequently deal with the idea that modern civilization has created a schism between humanity and the natural world—a disordered state that will, naturally, give rise to destructive (or misunderstood) kaiju. Pilot and amateur writer Jun (Kenji Sahara) teams up with a young newspaper reporter to investigate mysterious happenings often involving giant monsters. But the show uses kaiju in a variety of contexts, including in stories of haunted houses, possessed children, and time travel. Shortly after its end, the series would give birth to the better remembered Ultraman, which ditched the proto-X-Files vibe but kept many of the same monsters. Stream Ultra Q on Tubi.

Ultra Q (1966)

at Tubi

Room 104 (2017 – 2020)

One of the most eclectic series of the past decade wasn’t afraid to tell a wide variety of stories over its four seasons. In Room 104, comedy, drama, sci-fi, and horror stories all occur within its smart, budget-conscious setting—that of a single, boring-looking motel room that could be literally anywhere. The vibe ranges from sweet, to disturbing to apocalyptic (literally, in at least a couple of episodes), with an impressive roster of guest stars: Tony Todd, Michael Shannon, Judy Greer, Brian Tyree Henry, Mahershala Ali, Cobie Smulders, Dave Bautista, and Harvey Guillén are just some of the names that have signed the guest register. What it shares with Black Mirror is a cynicism about modern American life, and a disorienting sense that you never know what’s going to happen next. Stream Room 104 on HBO Max.

Room 104 (2017 – 2020)

The Outer Limits (1963 – 1965)

The Outer Limits (1963 – 1965)

I’m talking about the original series here, not the ‘90s reboot—that one's fine, but lacks the distinct perspective of the OG. This one often gets compared to The Twilight Zone (though with more and wilder monsters), but where that Rod Serling classic excelled in its morality plays, The Outer Limits more often dealt with flawed, complicated, human characters facing existential, often technological threats. Just as dark, but less cynical in its way, its shortsighted characters are capable of growth amid technological upheaval, even if the cost is never cheap. Stream The Outer Limits on Prime Video and Tubi.

Alice in Borderland (2020 – 2022)

Alice in Borderland (2020 – 2025)

Black Mirror has dealt with augmented reality in a few episodes, most prominently in season 3's “Playtest” (the one with Wyatt Russell trapped in a not-entirely-real mansion). The Japanese series Alice in Borderland isn’t quite so philosophically ambitious, but hits some of the same notes with its story of video-game-obsessed Arisu (Kento Yamazaki), who winds up stuck in an augmented-reality game with his friends in an alternate, eerily abandoned version of Tokyo—the title’s Borderland—vividly brought to life via some clever green screen work. The three are directed to an arena and given the instructions for the game, which they’ll be playing whether they want to or not. Stream Alice in Borderland on Netflix.

Electric Dreams (2017 – 2018)

Electric Dreams (2017 – 2018)

If Black Mirror often feels inspired by Philip K. Dick (the author whose works inspired Blade Runner, Minority Report, and Total Recall), Electric Dreams goes right to the source, adapting ten of his stories. “Safe and Sound” deals with the encroaching convenience of the surveillance state, “Real Life” explores augmented reality as a means of handling survivor’s guilt, and several episodes consider the pros and cons of artificial intelligence and synthetic consciousness...themes and ideas that will more than resonate with Black Mirror fans. Stream Electric Dreams on Prime Video.

Tales from the Loop (2020)

Humans (2015 – 2018)

Thematically, Humans deals with the ways in which humans always seem to find excuses to dehumanize beings with thoughts and feelings just like ours (usually, other humans). But in this near-future world, highly advanced “synths” are commonplace, doing the work that regular humans can’t be bothered with. Of course, these beings are treated as entirely disposable sources of cheap labor, despite their apparent and burgeoning humanity. That’s the type of sci-fi analogy that the best of Black Mirror is adept at exploring. Stream Humans on Peacock, Prime Video, and Tubi.

Humans (2015 – 2018)

at Peacock

Tales from the Loop (2020)

A gorgeous-looking anthology (sort of), Tales from the Loop takes place in the small town of Mercer, Ohio that happens to sit upon the titular Loop, a physics lab exploring mysteries for which science has no answers. Each episode offers the story of a person or family in the town impacted by the work of the Loop—slow-burning fables set at the intersection of technology and human existence. It’s based on a conceptual art book by artist Simon Stålenhag, and successfully ports over the book’s striking look and feel. Stream Tales from the Loop on Prime Video.

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Vibe-Coded Apps Are a Security Nightmare, but They Don't Have to Be

Ritoban Mukherjee — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 16:00:00 +0000

Vibe coding might be extremely popular, but it comes with some serious security concerns, including exposed databases, leaked APIs, remotely orchestrated prompt injection attacks, and AI scraping. It's enough to raise the question: Is there a version of vibe coding that could actually hold up in a live environment? I spoke with Shiran Brodie, Head of Growth at Softr, for a face-to-face discussion on the challenges and solutions to vibe coding security hassles.

Softr began as a no-code app builder designed specifically for professionals, small businesses, and enterprises to build apps or portals to support their internal workflows. That means handling a ton of proprietary data, where security is always a big concern. The original version has gone through several updates since launch, with vibe coding now one of the platform's core features.

Brodie spoke about the challenges that the company faced expanding into this new space and the solutions that helped get through them. We also talked about how app development platforms like Softr now suggest a hybrid approach that layers vibe coding features on top of pre-built security infrastructure like built-in database management, access control, and developer visibility. But how does this hybrid security system work on a technical level? And more importantly, does it actually hold up in practice?

Vibe coding is easy, but simplicity makes it a target

In 2025, a security firm called Escape DAST analyzed 5,600 vibe-coded apps built using platforms like Loveable, Replit, Base44, and Bolt. More than 2,000 of these apps had security issues, totaling 2,038 critical vulnerabilities and over 400 exposed credentials.

“The problem ultimately is that these platforms are generating raw code from scratch,” explained Brodie. Simplicity is a big part of the appeal with vibe coding, but also the thing that can create security issues down the line. “It can abstract a lot of the complexity that comes with building, but non-technical people don't know what they don't know.”

Also in 2025, Georgia Tech researchers launched the Vibe Security Radar, a platform that pulls information directly from publicly accessible security advisories and traces them back to AI-generated coding platforms and LLMs. Researchers scanned more than 40,000 security advisories, and uncovered 43 critical vulnerabilities across eight vibe coding platforms that led to command injections, server-side request forgery, and authentication bypass. Even in the last few months of 2026, security analysts have discovered massive API leaks from Meta-owned Moltbook and the Hugging Face community. Most of these incidents stem from poorly generated code that didn’t take enough steps to secure private API keys from the open web.

Brodie believes that the problem with vibe coding is that it leaves too much of the core infrastructure up to AI generation, even the mission-critical parts like third-party integrations and permission management systems—which is where most of these vulnerabilities originate.

Contain the AI instead of letting it run free

Instead of letting AI models generate every new app from scratch, Softr retains the same pre-coded backend infrastructure, hosting, integrations, and permission management. Vibe coding features add more design flexibility and smarter workflow automation, but the core systems remain the same.

For example, if you wanted to build an online portal that pulls certain information from your internal company database using an API, Claude Code or Loveable would accomplish this by asking their AI models to write an integration using custom logic, webhooks, and UI wiring. With a platform like Softr, these integrations are available as ready-made components with security best practices already built into them. You can still use vibe coding options to customize their look and functionality, but the core systems and security protocols remain intact.

In development terms, this is called visual scaffolding. Apart from Softr, several other no-code platforms have carried forward this same model, with varying levels of success. Framer, for instance, offers an AI-enabled Workshop extension in its app marketplace. The feature has expanded into Framer’s built-in prompt-based development tool and AI agents that can handle ongoing maintenance tasks. FlutterFlow, a no-code tool designed specifically for building smartphone apps for iOS and Android, also lets you generate pages and components with established security guardrails using AI.

“It's not an iframe,” Brodie clarified, when describing how vibe-coded elements are isolated from the security layer within Softr. Instead, AI-generated code is confined to specific component blocks that allow custom code to exist with restrictions. “These blocks are built to exist within our infrastructure,” she added.

Dealing with shadow AI and IT sprawl

Shadow AI is the AI-era version of a long-standing problem called "shadow IT." When employees put company data in a software platform without IT approval, it opens businesses to data governance and cybersecurity risks. The same goes for AI, except now, it’s no longer limited to a rogue Trello board, but an employee’s personal account running Claude Code or Gemini with full access to proprietary company databases. AI coding platforms offer generous limits even on personal accounts, making it convenient for employees to go off on their own and start building apps on company data without a centralized approval system.

“There's no incentive to exist within company guardrails,” Brodie said. Even when employees disclose their vibe-coded apps, IT leaders are expected to maintain and troubleshoot that poorly generated code even though they’d never pass a regular security audit.

Earlier this year, RedAccess scanned more than 380,000 vibe-coded applications built using platforms like Lovable, Replit, or Base44. They found over 5,000 of these apps publicly accessible on the open web and 2,000 of them actively leaking company data, including customers’ sensitive financial and medical information.

It isn’t enough to fix bad coding practices in large language models or vibe coding tools; instead, companies must implement better access controls and improve visibility for system administrators. If your IT team has a bird’s-eye view of who has access to what and the power to control that access, a scenario where rogue apps and portals leak company data becomes a lot less likely.

MCPs make things more complicated

Model Context Protocol—or MCP for short—is Anthropic’s open-source standard for securely connecting AI models to external applications and data sources. It’s quickly become an industry staple, more so because of convenience and the fact that it’s free to use. But the problem with MCP connectors is that they inherit the same permission structure as the database or application it’s connected to.

Softr has its own database management system that lets you control what MCPs can see. For example, Brodie uses Claude's MCP connector to read and write directly into Softr Databases, but that only stays safe because her databases are governed by the permissions and rules implemented in Softr. Most vibe coding platforms don’t benefit from the same level of access control.

Vibe coding tools often get blanket access to your raw databases without a permission layer in between, making breaches more likely when attackers use prompt injection attacks. Data is further exposed for companies that need to give third-party vendors and clients access to their vibe-coded applications, where controlling access to company data is a minimum security requirement.

Beyond Softr Databases, the platform offers access to more than 60 pre-coded integrations to platforms like HubSpot, Stripe, and ClickUp. These integrations are already built with security standards in mind, making data leaks less likely. You can also connect Softr to Zapier or Make to benefit from a larger selection of pre-built automations, all of which are more secure than your standard vibe-coded MCP.

Making security accessible to SMBs, but also enterprises

There’s a marked difference in the security requirements of a small business or early-stage startup versus a large-scale enterprise operation spanning multiple locations. Small business startups are usually content with basic permission management and data encryption standards, whereas enterprise organizations need GDPR and SOC II compliance, control over data center locations, and stronger access control with multi-factor authentication and single sign-on facilities.

Like Softr, more startups are noticing the enterprise security gap posed by vibe coding and trying to build solutions that offer better visibility and governance options. Retool, a low-code app builder, has obtained SOC II Type 1 certification with its strict role-based access control for AI features and limitations to keep LLMs from touching important databases or infrastructure. WaveMaker promises similar security controls, with LDAP-based authentication, centralized permission management, cross-site scripting prevention, and SSO integration through platforms like Okta to woo enterprise clients.

"No organization wants to hire or train more developers just to keep one internal tool secure," Brodie said. Larger companies expect these things to be handled by an AI coding platform’s native security systems. With multiple major public security incidents rattling the AI coding space, no-code platforms are looking for options to offer users more flexibility, without being plagued by the complexity that made them turn to vibe coding in the first place.

The Out-of-Touch Adults' Guide to Kid Culture: What Is the Matcha Filter?

Stephen Johnson — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000

This week's dispatch has it all: the indomitable spirit of internet perverts, a genre of music named for its awfulness, slang that didn't come from African-American vernacular English, and a couple of YouTubers who out-earned Star Wars. As always, I've done the deeply undignified work of digging into it so you don't have to. You're welcome.

What is the matcha filter?

TikTok is serious about keeping people from using its service to expose their parts, but the ingenuity of perverts should not be underestimated. Enter the matcha filter. Officially named "wild hearts whisper," unofficially named for the thick, hazy green wash it throws over videos, the matcha filter showed up on the 'Tok a few weeks ago and user quickly discovered it defeats the platform's nudity filters. Here's a non-nudie video of it in action:

Using the matcha filter is called out in the comments on those videos, and TikTok's moderation team works hard at the endless "prevent nudity" game of whack-a-mole, so don't be shocked if the filter is "fixed" by the time you read this. That's the rhythm of moderation: Someone discovers a gap in the algorithm; it gets famous, gets patched, and everyone moves on to the next thing.

What is UK Poo?

I love obscure musical sub-sub-sub genres, and you don't get more obscure than UK Poo. Basically, it's British hip-hop that is very, very bad. I've never heard any British hip-hop that was good, but UK Poo is next level: the very bottom of the cultural garbage heap of Brits trying to make hip hop. Think gratuitous auto-tune, way-too-complicated hi-hat patterns, and "I shot it in me flat!" style videos. Here's an example:

That's "Belfast" by D Rebal. It is not good. Here's another example, Savvy's "Slap Me Again." Also, not good.

The word was coined by X user @cashyams, and they meant it as an insult. But it seems to be morphing into something a little deeper than just bad music. People are finding DIY British hip-hop that they actually like and labeling it "UK Poo," for instance, as you can see in this video:

Then there are the people who think they're being clever by labeling music "UK Poo" when it's clearly a joke they aren't getting.

And my favorite: people who try to redeem bad art through re-mixing. Such kindness.

Did they succeed? No. But it's at least better.

What does “cortisol-coded” mean?

"Cortisol-coded" describes something that is meant to be relaxing but is actually stressful, like watching a video of the 5 a.m. yoga routine of a perfectly styled influencer surrounded by $400 candles. It comes from the "wellness" parts of TikTok, where "performative relaxation" is an epidemic.

Cortisol is one of the hormones our body uses to manage stress, both mental and physical. When your body is dealing with ongoing threats or health conditions, it's good—lifesaving, even. There are also conditions where too-high cortisol can be a problem. Because of its association with stress, “cortisol” has become a shorthand for anything stressful.

Some TikTok influencers blame almost every physical ailment on "high cortisol," leading opportunists to start selling supplements designed to lower cortisol, which either don't work, or, worse, work. You don't want to be messing around with your endocrine system unless you really know what you're doing.

Gen Z officially takes over horror

There's a lot of understandable hand-wringing over how being steeped in internet content all day, basically from birth, will affect younger people, but the early returns are coming in, and it seems to have worked out for horror filmmakers at least. The horror film genre belongs to a couple of Gen-Z directors whose talent and sensibilities were forged in the crucible of YouTube. Together, Curry Barker and Kane Parsons have made over $800 million from a couple of low-budget horror movies this summer.

Barker is 26 years old. A sketch comedian who dropped out of film school, Barker made an $800 found-footage movie for YouTube, and parlayed its success into a sub-million dollars feature, Obsession, that has so far made a staggering $474 million. It's actually good, too. You should watch it.

Parsons, aka Kane Pixels, based his first feature, Backrooms, on his YouTube series of the same name which was itself based on a 4chan creepypasta. It is also good, although Backrooms "only" made $393 million on a budget of $10 million. But then, Parsons is 20 years old, so he has some time to catch up.

Viral video of the week: "I never told you this, but"

This week's viral videos have a simple premise that leads to limitless possibilities, like the best meme formats. Here's how it works: Two friends sit next to each other. One says, "I never told you this, but I like you better with..." followed by a ridiculous request (like a weird outfit or a strange prop). The video jump-cuts to person two having made the requested change. They fire back an even more absurd demand and everything gets weirder and weirder. It is low-effort, occasionally amusing, and a stark reminder that young people have entirely too much free time. Here are some examples:

You Can Get These Nothing Over-Ear Headphones for 27% Off Right Now

Pradershika Sharma — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 13:30:00 +0000

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

The Nothing Headphone (1) is currently down to $219 from its $299 list price, giving you an $80 discount on Nothing’s first pair of over-ear headphones. In line with the company’s design language, they feature transparent elements and bold, geometric detailing that make them stand out from typical matte-black pairs. But the appeal goes beyond the look. These IP52-rated headphones use 40mm drivers, hybrid ANC, and both USB-C and 3.5mm connectivity. They also support high-res audio via LDAC, while Nothing’s companion app gives you basic and advanced EQ controls for adjusting the sound. Battery life is impressive, too, stretching to 35 hours with ANC on and up to 80 hours with it switched off.

Nothing Headphone (1)

But the hardware alone doesn’t define the experience—Nothing’s control scheme is what makes these wireless headphones stand out. Instead of touch panels or clunky buttons, you get a satisfying volume scroll wheel (they call it the Roller), a multi-function Paddle for track navigation, and a customizable button that can switch EQ profiles or noise modes. The tactile design takes a minute to learn, but once you do, it’s intuitive and genuinely useful. You also get spatial audio and multipoint Bluetooth support, which work well across Android and iOS.

That said, comfort may vary. The earcups aren’t the softest for long sessions, and while they’re padded, the shape might not suit everyone. Performance-wise, the ANC handles low-end noise well (think airplane engines and AC hum) but struggles with sharper, unexpected sounds like clanging dishes or chatter nearby. The sound profile is punchy, especially with a bit of EQ tweaking in the app, but you’ll need to put in some effort if you want the best results, notes this PCMag review.

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This Anker 3-in-1 MagSafe Charger Is $90 Off Right Now

Pradershika Sharma — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 13:00:00 +0000

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Wireless charging is convenient, but it often comes with a tradeoff—phones tend to heat up, especially when you push higher charging speeds, and over time, that heat can wear down battery health. Anker Prime 3-in-1 MagSafe Charger tries to solve that problem, and it’s currently down to $139.99 (originally $229.99), its lowest recorded price, according to price trackers. This setup is clearly built for Apple users, with dedicated spots for an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods.

Qi2 25W certified wireless charging station

Its main pad supports 25W Qi2 wireless charging, which is about as fast as cable-free charging gets right now, and it’s paired with a built-in thermoelectric cooling system and fan to keep temperatures under control, as noted in this ZDNET review. That cooling system actively pulls heat away from your phone while it charges, so you can charge while streaming or scrolling without the phone getting uncomfortably warm. There are three charging modes you can choose from: Boost Mode is for quick top-ups when you’re heading out, Ice Mode keeps things cooler during heavier use, and Sleep Mode slows everything down and turns off the fan for overnight charging. You can switch between these on the unit’s small on-board touchscreen or through Anker’s app, which also lets you schedule charging behavior and tweak the display.

The rest of the setup is solid as well, with the Apple Watch and AirPods pads charging at the standard 5W. You also get a 65W wall adapter and a five-foot USB-C cable in the box. Build quality feels premium, with metal accents and a clean finish that won’t look out of place on a desk, and the unit itself is heavy at about 1.4 pounds, so it stays stable even with larger phones attached. The pad also tilts up to 80 degrees, so it doubles as a stand for watching videos or taking calls.

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Watch Out for These Fake Fraud Alerts From Apple and Amazon

Emily Long — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 12:30:00 +0000

If you get a security pop-up while you're browsing online alerting you to an unauthorized charge attached to one of your accounts, don't panic, and don't act impulsively. Scammers are currently using these alerts to impersonate Apple and Amazon support (and possibly others) to convince people that their accounts have been compromised and need to be verified to prevent further fraudulent activity. Naturally, this is just a ruse designed to gain access to your device or accounts, which will do far more damage than the fake alert itself.

How the unauthorized charge scam works

This campaign, described by Malwarebytes Labs, starts with a browser pop-up that appears on top of Apple's or Amazon's website. The alerts are designed to look like legitimate notifications and state that the user's Apple ID or Amazon account was recently used to make a $149.99 purchase. Targets are urged to call the support number listed—the same on both pop-ups—immediately to prevent further unauthorized activity. The scammer on the other end of the line may try to convince you to download a tool that provides remote access to your device, hand over credentials, or even pay a fee to protect your account.

If you Google the number listed in this specific campaign, you'll find a fake Amazon support website ("amazonhelp[dot]support") set up by fraudsters to make the scheme look more legitimate—of course, the real Amazon customer service site is hosted on amazon.com. Other scam hallmarks present here include manufactured urgency, technical jargon, and a dollar amount that's just enough to get your attention but not so high that it seems like an obvious fake.

Know how to identify a real fraudulent charge notification

First things first: no legitimate company will send you security alerts via browser pop-up. If there's an issue with your account, you may receive an in-app notification or an email, though you should always be wary of the latter, as it's also a common vector for scams. To confirm whether these alerts are real, log into your account by going directly to the website or app and check your message history or activity log.

It's also worth noting that you won't dispute fraudulent charges with customer support over the phone. In fact, you're far more likely to deal with your bank or credit card issuer directly for this, and you may actually get a fraud notification from a financial institution first in the event of a suspicious purchase. Calling a number from a browser pop-up is not the way. Do not give out account information to anyone over the phone unless you have verified the number, such as by clicking through the company's app, and initiated the call yourself.

Finally, these fake pop-ups may be the result of malicious ads, browser redirects, or compromised sites, all of which are used in phishing campaigns. If you're served one, exit the tab immediately and do not click or engage with it further.

You Can (Maybe) Run Meta's Latest AI Model Locally on Your Computer

Jake Peterson — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 21:00:00 +0000

On Monday, Meta announced its latest AI model: Muse Glimmer. The company isn't necessarily advertising this model as its biggest and best, however. While Meta has plenty to say about Muse Glimmer's performance potential, there are two key selling points for the model in the company's eyes: The fact that it's open-weight, and that it's designed to run locally on "consumer" Macs and PCs—though perhaps not on your computer.

What is Muse Glimmer?

According ot Meta, Muse Glimmer is a 30-billion-parameter AI model optimized for "always-on local agent workflows." What that means is Glimmer is designed to run autonomously directly on your machine, rather than outsourcing that processing to the cloud. Local AI is much more secure than cloud-based, as your data stays within your system. When you tap into cloud servers, you're at the mercy of whichever company owns that network, potentially putting your data in jeopardy.

While there are many use cases for a model like Muse Glimmer, Meta is emphasizing its use for agentic AI. AI agents can perform tasks on your behalf and are growing in popularity, as users and developers can ask their agents to do any number of functions. Running agents locally is also quite popular, as evidenced by OpenClaw's infamous year, but the most demanding models also require powerful hardware. If you're working with a laptop, you might not have the energy necessary to run AI agents.

That's part of Meta's pitch here. The company says Muse Glimmer was trained to balance performance with limited hardware. Meta says it puts Muse Glimmer through three sets of training to achieve this: a "Pre-Training," which trained Muse Glimmer on Muse Spark's outputs; "Mid-Training," which trained the model on more "agent-heavy" data; and "Post-Training," which fine-tuned the model across a number of parameters. Meta says Muse Glimmer can handle end-to-end agentic task completion, multi-step reasoning, recovery when a tool call fails, and multi-model input and reasoning, among other functions. It is also trained on data from over 100 languages. The company says the model performs "strongly for its size class" against many standard LLM benchmarks.

Credit: Meta

While Muse Glimmer isn't as demanding as other models, it likely won't run well on the average laptop. Meta says that a 30-billion parameter model would typically require more than 55GB of memory, but through "quantization techniques," Muse Glimmer can use less than 20GB. When you take its "working memory" into consideration, Muse Glimmer will likely use 24GB or 32GB of memory. If you have a "Pro" MacBook or PC, that might suit you well. But if you're like me, your laptop has 16GB or less of RAM—not quite what Muse Glimmer requires. Still, it's a step forward for local AI use. (For reference, Meta says it tested Muse Glimmer on MacBook M4 Max, M5 Max, and with an RTX-5090 GPU.)

Meta says Muse Glimmer is "open," which means Meta released the model's training weights. As such, not only can anyone use the model, but they can tune it as well. If you have specific needs for your AI model, you can tinker with Muse Glimmer to better serve your usage.

How Muse Glimmer compares to other AI models

There are a lot of AI models on the market these days, but Meta only has direct comparisons with two other models: Google's Gemma4-31b and Alibaba's Qwen3.6-27B. According to Meta's benchmarks, Muse Glimmer beats both models in the following 12 tests: MCP Atlas, DeepSearch QA, 𝜏³-banking, WildClawBench, GAIA2, SWE-Bench Pro, Sci Code, Charxiv Reasoning, IFBench, AIME 2026, AA-LCR, and Beam 128K. Gemma4-31b still has the crown in four of the benchmarks, while Qwen3.6-27B leads in eight.

Meta didn't provide similar comparisons with models from industry leaders, like OpenAI, DeepSeek, Z.ai, or Moonshot AI. However, Artificial Analysis has a ranking of all open-weight models on the market. As of this article, Muse Glimmer (high) is actually in 18th place. Moonshot AI's Kimi K3 (max) is in the lead, with Z.ai's GLM-5.2 (max) in second, DeepSeek's V4 Flash (max) in third, and Kimi K3 in (low) in fourth. For reference, Gemma4-31b is in 32nd, while Qwen3.6-27B is actually in 17th. There are many variables here, but this leaderboard gives us a quick glance at how Meta's latest model ranks amongst the competition.

How to try Muse Glimmer

You can try Muse Glimmer right now by downloading the weights from Hugging Face. Meta says the model will be available in the coming days from apps like Ollama, LM Studio, and Unsloth.

This Portable Vlogging Camera Is $130 Off Right Now

Amanda Chatel — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 20:28:07 +0000

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This DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Vlogging Camera is currently $499.99 (originally priced $629), marking its lowest price ever, according to price trackers. With this camera, every photo is stunning thanks to 4K resolution and its one-inch CMOS sensor technology that captures light to enhance each digital image. No matter how unsteady a surface or how active your subject, Osmo Pocket 3 stability keeps images smooth and clear.

DJI Osmo Pocket 3

DJI Osmo Pocket 3 for videos and photos

If you’re more of an amateur filmmaker, the ActiveTrack 6.0 software lets you focus on your subject, even if you're on the move, so the footage is always clear and sharp. With 10-bit color depth, you can capture up to one billion colors for vivid photos and videos. When it comes time to add music to your production, the Osmo Pocket 3 captures high-quality sounds to match your high-quality images and footage.

With its two-inch rotatable screen, you can shoot from any angle, and this pocket-sized gimbal camcorder can be easily taken anywhere. When fully charged, you get up to 166 minutes of camera use time, and fast-charging will bring you up to an 80% charge in only 16 minutes. The portable Osmo Pocket 3 comes with a DJI Mic 2 Transmitter, battery handle, a mini tripod, wrist strap, and carrying case, making it a great option for people looking to improve their social media content or create higher quality videos than what they've been capturing on their phone.

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My Favorite Bose ANC Earbuds Are $50 Off

Daniel Oropeza — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 19:30:00 +0000

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At the upper echelon level of earbuds, there are a few options to choose from: Bose, Sony, and Apple. If you are an Apple user, I recommend going with the AirPods Pro 3. If you value audio fidelity and like to control the nitty-gritty details, Sony's XM6 earbuds are a great choice. But if you value comfort, user-friendliness, and the best ANC for the money, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen) are your best option. And right now, the latter of those is $50 off, bringing them down to $249 (originally $299). (All five color options are on sale.)

Bose New QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) - Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds with Mic, Immersive Audio, USB-C Charging, Up to 6 Hours Battery, IPX4 Rating, Desert Gold - Limited Edition Color

I've had my own pair of Bose earbuds for almost a year, and they're still my go-to choice for everyday listening. As much as I like the idea of being able to fine-tune every detail of my audio, something keeps pulling me towards the simplicity and user-friendliness of these earbuds, despite having so many options at my disposal as a tech reviewer.

Maybe it's because they offer the best ANC of any buds I've tested—a fact that has held true throughout the existence of the Bose QuietComfort line. Their multiple microphones pick up ambient sound and adapt the ANC accordingly, making Transparency Mode quite impressive, while Immersive Mode brings out the details in anything you're listening to and makes the lack of a full EQ more acceptable. The Bose companion app, meanwhile, is regularly updated and offers you a few options to fine-tune your sound. The main downside of these earbuds is usually their high price, but at $249, they're a good value when judged against the competition.

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This Solar-Powered Garmin Smartwatch Is 50% Off Right Now

Amanda Chatel — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 19:00:00 +0000

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If you’re looking for a solar-powered smartwatch, this Garmin Solar Edition Marine GPS Smartwatch is now 50% off, making it $549, down from $1,099.99—an all-time low price, according to price trackers. When fully charged, it has 37 days of battery life and connects to other compatible Garmin marine devices. In addition to traditional buttons, this smartwatch has a highly responsive touch screen, making it quick and easy to use, and its 1.4 inch display is scratch resistant, so it can take some wear and tear.

Garmin Quatix 7X Solar Edition Marine GPS Smartwatch

Solar powered Garmin marine GPS smartwatch.

$549.99 at Amazon

$1,099.99 Save $550.00

$549.99 at Amazon

$1,099.99 Save $550.00

Whether you’re trying to figure out the tides or navigate your way through uncharted land, this watch includes built-in sensors for three-axis compass, gyroscope, and a barometric altimeter, so you always know where you are and what the weather has in store for you. When you pair the Garmin Solar Edition Marine GPS Smartwatch with your smartphone, you can access pre-loaded activities like a variety of water and land sports, as well as training features. It also monitors your health through the wrist-based heart rate by tracking your sleep cycles and stress.

With this smartwatch, you'll have thousands of maps to various golf courses and ski resorts at the tip of your fingers and the preloaded TopoActive maps offer access to paths, trails, international borders, and even historical sites. Although not entirely waterproof, it has a water rating of 10 ATM, meaning it can withstand pressure up to 100 meters deep. It allows contactless payments and is Bluetooth enabled.

Garmin's Basic GPS Running Watch Is $70 Off Right Now

Daniel Oropeza — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 18:30:00 +0000

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Ever since I retired my fancy G-Shock watch a decade ago, I’ve been relying on fitness watches, and what do you know, they’ve all been Garmins—for good reason: Garmin makes great fitness trackers. If you’ve never owned a Garmin watch and want to try one out, now is a good time: The best budget Garmin for runners, the Garmin Forerunner 55, is down to $129 (originally $199.99). That's its lowest price ever, according to price-tracking tools.

Garmin Forerunner 55

Memory Storage: 32 MB, Connectivity: Bluetooth, GPS: Built-in, Screen Size: 1.04 In

Lifehacker Senior Health Editor Beth Skwarecki named the Garmin Forerunner 55 the best budget fitness watch for runners—made all the better by this record-low price. It offers features that have historically only been found in the premium versions, like the Respiration Rate Tracker feature, which tracks your breathing rate. The battery life will last up to two weeks when it’s in standby mode and 20 hours when using GPS tracking.

You can use the Daily Suggested Workouts to suggest how to train to reach your running goals. If you like to run on tracks, you can choose which lane you’re in with Track Mode, which gives you exact pacing for much better accuracy, snapping your times at 100-meter intervals. Based on those numbers, you can also see the Race Predictor, which tells you how you’d fare in a marathon and other race lengths using your VO2 max and other metrics.

While the Forerunner 55 was released back in 2021, it's still a great budget option in 2026, as Garmin is known for supporting its devices with updates for several years. At this price, you can get a great running companion to keep track of your miles, and still make the rent next month.

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10 Shows Like 'Sugar' You Should Watch Next

Ross Johnson — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 18:00:00 +0000

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Sugar, having just completed its second season, doesn't try to obscure or downplay its reliance on old-school Hollywood noir tropes: Its characters are driven to emulate the style of antiheroes of old, and clips from old movies even play alongside the action as a means of driving the point home. The central mystery, at the outset of the series, sees detective John Sugar (Colin Farrell) summoned to the mansion of a rich movie producer (James Cromwell), whose granddaughter has gone missing. It all plays in a very new-noir sandbox until an absolutely wild, love-it-or-hate it plot twist that drives the rest of the series.

I'm not looking to give anything away here, but Sugar's pivot makes it tough to talk about—some of these shows might represent mild spoilers, but only in the sense that they reveal that there's a bit more going on in the show than in a more traditional detective drama.

Lady in the Lake (2024)

Moving from modern-day Los Angeles to 1960s Baltimore doesn't take us as far afield as you might expect given that, after all, noir is timeless. Natalie Portman plays Jewish housewife Maddie Schwartz, who, bored with her life, locates the body of a missing child and uses the experience to get a job at the Baltimore Star. Meanwhile, Black mother Cleo Johnson (Moses Ingram) is working to protect her family and community, running up against gunrunners and racketeers in the process—the two women's lives, before long, colliding. Stream Lady in the Lake on Apple TV.

Lady in the Lake (2024)

Perry Mason (2020 – 2022)

Perry Mason (2020 – 2022)

This addictive odd duck of a show places the Perry Mason of print, film, and television into a dark and gritty Depression-era prequel. (I'm not excessively familiar with the Erle Stanley Gardner source novels, but I gather they don't go nearly as hard into noir as this show.) Matthew Rhys is perfectly cast as the brilliant but hard-living defense lawyer, going through a divorce while still facing trauma from the his experiences during Great War. In the show's opening, he's hired to investigate the case of a kidnapped and mutilated child, one which ends up having ties to crooked cops, local business leaders, and politicians in 1932 LA. Juliet Rylance co-stars as no-nonsense legal secretary Della Street, with Tatiana Maslany as a creepy evangelist. Stream Perry Mason on HBO Max.

Monsieur Spade (2024)

An original drama from Scott Frank (The Queen's Gambit) and Tom Fontana (Homicide, Oz), Monsieur Spade finds Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade, of The Maltese Falcon fame, living a quiet life in retirement in the South of France. It's all going very well for the rumpled former detective—until six nuns are brutally murdered at a nearby convent, the same convent that's been home to Sam's ward for some time. Naturally, he finds his past has caught up with him, and is forced to surrender his idyllic life in order to help uncover the complex mystery that endangers his (very few) loved ones. Clive Owen is great as the rumpled, emphysemic detective, and the story feels like a fitting sequel to Hammett's defining noir detective novel. Stream Monsieur Spade on Prime Video and AMC+.

Monsieur Spade (2024)

Bosch (2014 – 2021)

Many of these shows offer up twists on the noir formula, but Bosch is a more traditional crime drama, one that wears its new-noir aspirations on its sleeve—and no less effective for any of that. Titus Welliver is in the title role as LAPD detective Harry Bosch (star of the Michael Connelly novels), kicking off the series on trial for shooting a suspect in self-defense while investigating the murder of a 12-year-old. The second season even sees him investigating the murder of a film producer à la Sugar's first-season case. Stream Bosch on Prime Video.

Bosch (2014 – 2021)

Cowboy Bebop (1998 – 1999)

Cowboy Bebop (1998 – 1999)

This may seem like an odd fit here, but this iconic genre classic wears its noir influences on its sleeve, and given Sugar's now-infamous plot twist, a little sci-fi is perhaps not out of the question. Cowboy Bebop is one of the undisputed GOATs in the anime sphere, blending western, comedy, and crime genres and setting the resultant mashup to a killer soundtrack. The title's "cowboys" are bounty hunters in a near-future in which humans have been forced to colonize the solar system after Earth became uninhabitable. Former hitman Spike Spiegel leads his crew on one nearly disastrous mission after another, their standalone adventures all building to a thoroughly memorable climax. Stream Cowboy Bebop on Crunchyroll or buy it from Prime Video.

Spider-Noir (2026)

Given that the franchise includes live-action takes on Morbius and Madame Web, I'm not sure this qualifies as the most unexpected Spider spin-off—but it's weird, no question. Nicolas Cage reprises, in live-action, the role he voiced in the Spider-Verse movies: that of Ben Reilly, a rumpled private investigator in the 1940s coming to terms with his past as superhero the Spider while being nudged into putting the suit back on. Cage is as deliciously unhinged as you'd expect, and he's clearly having fun with the classic noir-movie tropes, but there's also enough violence, mystery, and style here that it plays more as homage than parody. Stream Spider-Noir on Prime Video.

Spider-Noir (2026)

Lucifer (2016 – 2021)

The title doesn't refer to a nickname or a euphemism: we're dealing with the literal Lucifer. Tom Ellis plays the fallen angel who, having grown bored with ruling over hell, decides to open a Los Angeles nightclub because hey, why not? When that's not quite enough entertainment, he teams up with homicide detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German) to use his special skills and knowledge to help out, especially on cases involving the supernatural. As wacky as that sounds, the show deals somewhat poignantly with Lucifer's trauma, while also exploring our world as an outsider, not at all unlike John Sugar. Stream Lucifer on Netflix.

Lucifer (2016 – 2021)

Twin Peaks (1990 – 1991, 2017)

Twin Peaks (1990 – 1991, 2017)

You want neo-noir that subverts the tropes? I'm not sure that any show does it better than this groundbreaking bit of weirdness from David Lynch and Mark Frost, in which teens and adults in the deceptively quiet Twin Peaks face tragedy accompanied by supernatural threats from outside of our normal space and time. (I think?) Kyle MacLachlan plays FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, who arrives in the title town to investigate the murder of teenager homecoming queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee), precipitating a (very) long night of the soul as Cooper uncovers secrets and mysteries among the town's delightfully, and often disturbingly, weird residents. Stream Twin Peaks on Paramount+.

at Paramount+

The Expanse (2015 – 2022)

Set in a somewhat near-ish future, The Expanse (based on the book series by James S.A. Corey) imagines a colonized solar system into which we’ve carried all of our old familiar problems, and then some: Earth sits at the historical and cultural center of things, while Mars colonists, by virtue of having to survive in a challenging environment, have developed technological and military superiority, and folks living in "the Belt" have had to scrabble to survive. Greed, fear, and shortsightedness make conflict nearly inevitable, even if the series isn’t quite as cynical as it at first appears. Despite its space-opera trappings, The Expanse wears its noir influences very much on its sleeves; never moreso than when Thomas Jane's rumpled, hard-living (and hard-dying), detective Joe Miller is about. Stream The Expanse on Prime Video.

The Expanse (2015 – 2022)

Signal (2016 – )

Blending police procedural, mystery, and science fiction, this K-drama remains one of the most-watched dramas in South Korean TV history—enough that a second season is coming after a wait of nearly 10 years. Police profiler Park Hae-young (Lee Je-hoon) finds a discarded walkie-talkie that connects him with Detective Lee Jae-han (Cho Jin-woong), who disappeared in 2000 but who is able to communicate from an earlier time. The two detectives are able to work together, across time, to solve a very cold case—but soon discover that there are disturbing consequences in the present when they fiddle with time. Stream Signal on Netflix.

Signal (2016 – )

Unlocked Android Smartphone

The Best Apps to Use After Gmail's 'Send As' Feature Goes Away

Emily Long — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 17:30:00 +0000

If you've been using Gmail to manage multiple email accounts, including third-party addresses, you'll soon have to find an alternative. Google is ending support for the "Send as" feature that allows users to send emails from external services like Hotmail, Yahoo, and Outlook as well as custom domains using their primary Gmail account.

According to Google's support document, "Send as" will be discontinued in January 2027 for Gmail's web and mobile app interfaces. You'll still be able to add third-party accounts on mobile, meaning you can check your email on iOS or Android, but not send messages from those aliases. (Third-party accounts won't sync at all on the web.) Google is also eliminating "Gmailify," which allows you to add Gmail features like spam protection and inbox organization to third-party email accounts, as well as POP fetching on the web. Current users can continue to access these features until January 2027, but new users can no longer add them.

This change does not affect "Send as" for other Gmail or Google Workspace accounts, nor does it impact Gmail access through third-party email clients like Outlook, Thunderbird, and Apple Mail if you already have these set up through IMAP or POP. You can also continue to forward messages from third-party providers to Gmail.

One workaround is to send emails directly from the service provider's dedicated website or app. Obviously, managing multiple emails within Gmail is a way to streamline and consolidate disparate addresses into one interface, so this isn't the most convenient option if you have accounts across Outlook, Yahoo, and Google. Google also cautions against third-party tools and browser extensions that promise "Send as" functionality, as these require access to your credentials and may introduce security risks.

Switch to a desktop mail client instead

If consolidation is your goal, your best bet is likely to switch to a desktop mail client and connect your third-party accounts via IMAP/SMTP. There are a handful of options that support multi-account setups, including Gmail addresses, and have "Send as" features. Our friends over at PCMag recommend the following email clients for most users:

Apple Mail: For those in the Apple ecosystem, Apple Mail supports any email address and has solid privacy features.
Microsoft Outlook: If you're already a Microsoft 365 subscriber and use Outlook, this is an obvious choice. Outlook is also available for free as a standalone app. It works especially well for users who want the ability to separate messages into a Focused inbox.
Mozilla Thunderbird: This is a free and open source platform from Mozilla, makers of Firefox. It works with all major email services, but there's currently no iOS app.

These clients also have mobile apps (again, with the exception of Thunderbird on iOS) so you can keep the experience consistent across devices.

This Is Google Play's First Third-Party App Store

Jake Peterson — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 16:00:52 +0000

If you have an Android device, you officially have a new app store to try out—the first of likely many to come. Unless you've dabbled in sideloading before, all of the apps on your smartphone or tablet probably came from the Play Store, Google's own app marketplace, or the official app store of your device's manufacturer, e.g., the Samsung Galaxy store. Starting today, however, you can download this new third-party app store from the Google Play Store.

Aptoide Games is Google Play's first third-party app store

As reported by The Verge, starting today, Aug. 10, you can download the "Aptoide Games" app marketplace on your Android directly through the Play Store. Aptoide isn't necessarily new: The company has operated an unofficial app store that you could sideload on your Android before this change, helpful for accessing apps you couldn't find on Google's official store. But now, you're able to install it on your smartphone like any other app from the Play Store.

While today is newsworthy, this development could have happened any time over the past two and a half weeks. Google has actually allowed developers to create and distribute third-party app stores on the Play Store since July 22. That decision wasn't really Google's, however, as the company would likely prefer keeping the Play Store as the only official app marketplace available to most Android users. Instead, the change in policy is the result of an agreement between Google and Epic Games, following years of litigation. Epic Games, maker of Fortnite, has long fought both Google and Apple in court, claiming the companies had unfair controls over app marketplaces.

While not all of Epic Games' suits have been fruitful, the company has certainly succeeded: A judge found Google had an illegal monopoly over Android applications and needed to open up its platform to third-party options. Google fought the ruling, then tried to compromise with Epic Games to allow for third-party app stores—just not through the Play Store. The company rather abruptly changed course, however, and agreed to host third-party app stores on the Play Store.

While app marketplaces like Aptoide Games are now allowed on the Play Store, they have to operate under some specific rules set out by Google, especially as it pertains to security, privacy, and user safety. They can distribute their own apps, as well as apps found on the Play Store, but they must pay Google certain fees to maintain the overall integrity of the platform.

Aptoide might be the first, but it won't be the last. Expect Epic Games to launch its own app store imminently, seeing as it was the company leading this charge in the first place. But more app marketplaces will likely follow suit.

You Can Get the Samsung Galaxy S26+ for Over $250 Off Right Now

Pradershika Sharma — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 13:00:00 +0000

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

The Samsung Galaxy S26+ sits in the middle of Samsung’s latest lineup—and the unlocked 256GB model is currently down to $840 from $1,099.99, while the 512GB version in Sky Blue has dropped from $1,299.99 to $969.99, its lowest price so far according to price trackers. That discount makes the phone easier to consider, especially if you want a big screen and top-tier performance but don't care about every extra feature Samsung packs into its most expensive model, like the Ultra’s Privacy Display. The design feels familiar, too, with an aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Armor on the front, and IP68 water resistance.

Samsung Galaxy S26+ (256GB)

$840.00 at Amazon

$1,099.99 Save $259.99

$840.00 at Amazon

$1,099.99 Save $259.99

Unlocked Android Smartphone

Samsung Galaxy S26+ (512GB, Sky Blue)

$1,299.99 at Amazon

The phone is easy to settle into day-to-day, starting with a display that stays clear and readable even in direct sunlight, so watching videos or scrolling outside doesn’t feel like a struggle. That ease carries over to performance, where everything moves at a steady, reliable pace—apps open quickly, switching between tasks feels natural, and built-in AI features run without any noticeable lag. The triple-camera setup led by a 50MP main sensor and backed by ultrawide and telephoto lenses handle most lighting conditions without much effort, including better low-light performance thanks to brighter lenses. As for its battery life, it holds up well for everyday use, with its 4,900mAh battery lasting close to 15 hours in PCMag’s testing (as highlighted in the publication’s “excellent” review of the product), which usually translates to getting through a full day without much stress, though heavier use can still mean plugging in before the night ends.

Connectivity is just as well-rounded, covering all the bases you’d expect from a modern flagship. You get full 5G support, along with Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, NFC, and more. In practical terms, that means faster downloads when networks allow it and more precise tracking for compatible devices. On the software side, Samsung’s take on Android 16 and its AI features add practical tools without feeling intrusive, and the experience improves once you spend some time adjusting settings and gestures to suit your routine—there’s more you can tweak and fine-tune than you might expect at first, and if you want to get a better handle on that, check out our guide, 10 Hacks Every Samsung Galaxy S26 Owner Should Know.

Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now

Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds — $189.99 (List Price $249.00)

Apple iPad 11" A16 128GB Wi-Fi Tablet (Silver, 2025) — $399.99 (List Price $449.00)

Sony WH-1000XM5 — $248.00 (List Price $399.99)

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 With $50 Amazon Gift Card (40mm, Bluetooth, Graphite Band) — $379.99 (List Price $429.99)

Google Pixel 11 Pro 256GB Unlocked Phone With $200 Amazon Gift Card (Obsidian) — $1,099.00 (List Price $1,299.00)

Google Pixel Watch 5 (41mm, Wi-Fi, Obsidian) — $399.99 (List Price $399.99)

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The Feature-Packed Pixel Buds 2a Are $30 Off Right Now

Pradershika Sharma — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 12:30:00 +0000

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Google’s Pixel Buds line has long appealed to Android users who want the convenience of AirPods without paying flagship-earbud prices, and the Google Pixel Buds 2a continue that approach with several meaningful upgrades over the older Pixel Buds A-Series. Right now, they are down to $99 from $129 on Amazon—their lowest price so far, according to price trackers. That discount makes them much easier to recommend for anyone looking for everyday earbuds with “almost pro-level specs but for much less,” as our writer put it in her review.

Google Pixel Buds 2a

Wireless Bluetooth earbuds with ANC

Part of the reason the Pixel Buds 2a stand out is that Google did not treat them like stripped-down budget earbuds. PCMag even called them the best earphones for Android users, and the hardware helps explain why. Google added active noise cancellation to the A lineup for the first time, improved the battery life, and redesigned the fit so the earbuds sit deeper in the ear canal and twist into place more securely, much like the more expensive Pixel Buds Pro 2. They also use the same Tensor A1 chip found in the Pro model, which means features like Gemini voice access, adaptive audio processing, and the customizable five-band EQ are just as good.

Sound-wise, the 11mm drivers deliver balanced sound that works especially well for podcasts, pop, hip-hop, and casual streaming, even if these are not earbuds aimed at audiophiles chasing the most detailed sound possible. Comfort is another strong point, especially since Google includes four silicone tip sizes, and getting the seal right noticeably improves both fit and noise cancellation. Speaking of, the ANC handles airplane engines, subway rumble, and traffic noise fairly well, although voices still come through more clearly than they do on premium earbuds from Sony or Bose. As for battery life, it’s respectable at up to seven hours with ANC enabled and around 20 total hours with the charging case.

There are still a few compromises, including the lack of wireless charging and the absence of a charging cable in the box. You also lose some extra sensors and a microphone compared to the Pro model, so call quality and fitness tracking are slightly less advanced.

Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now

Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds — $189.99 (List Price $249.00)

Apple iPad 11" A16 128GB Wi-Fi Tablet (Silver, 2025) — $399.99 (List Price $449.00)

Sony WH-1000XM5 — $248.00 (List Price $399.99)

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 With $50 Amazon Gift Card (40mm, Bluetooth, Graphite Band) — $379.99 (List Price $429.99)

Google Pixel 11 Pro 256GB Unlocked Phone With $200 Amazon Gift Card (Obsidian) — $1,099.00 (List Price $1,299.00)

Google Pixel Watch 5 (41mm, Wi-Fi, Obsidian) — $399.99 (List Price $399.99)

Deals are selected by our commerce team

10 Screenshot Hacks Every Mac User Should Know

Pranay Parab — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 21:00:00 +0000

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While third-party screenshot apps are excellent on the Mac, Apple has steadily improved its default tools. Today, the Mac's built-in screenshot utility is good enough for most people. You can, of course, use it to take screenshots, but you can do so much more, such as record a video of your screen, or even create professional screencasts. If you find yourself taking screenshots on your Mac, these are the 10 best hacks you need to know.

Clean up the clutter by saving screenshots to the clipboard

I find I only need to save around 10% of the screenshots I take. Left to its default settings, my Mac would save the other 90%, adding to an endless clutter I'd never take care of. As such, I always save screenshots to my Mac's clipboard, so I can paste it in the app of my choice without saving the image at all. Goodbye clutter. On your Mac, you can do this by using two keyboard shortcuts. Press Command-Control-Shift-3 for a screenshot of the entire screen, or use Command-Control-Shift-4 to capture an area of your screen. You can then paste these screenshots in any app or social media site.

Not only do I use these shortcuts exclusively, I've actually disabled the shortcuts to save screenshots to the Mac because I basically never use them. If you want to do the same, click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your Mac's screen, and go to System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Screenshots. Here, disable "Save picture of screen as a file" and "Save picture of selected area as a file."

Change the default screenshot folder to clean up your desktop

If you are going to save screenshots to your Mac, you don't have to live with Apple's defaults. When you take screenshots on the Mac, the default save location is the desktop. This piles up fast. To avoid this mess, press Command-Shift-5, and go to Options > Other Location…. You can choose a folder or create a new one for your screenshots. Once you create this folder, you can open Finder, and drag it to the Trash side of the Dock for quick access.

Remove shadows for cleaner single-window screenshots

Your Mac allows you to capture screenshots of a single window. After you hit Command-Shift-4, you can press the Spacebar key. This will turn your cursor into a camera icon, and you can click any open app to take a screenshot of the active window. When you view the screenshot, you'll notice that macOS adds a shadow effect on all sides, along with a transparent border. However, if you want a more tightly framed screenshot, you can eliminate the shadow with a hidden shortcut.

To do this, press Command-Shift-4, hit Spacebar, and hold down the Option key while clicking an app window. You'll have to hit Option every time you want to remove the shadow, however. If you want to make shadow-free screenshots the default, you'll have to run the following command in Terminal:

defaults write com.apple.screencapture disable-shadow -bool true; killall SystemUIServer

To restore defaults, you can simply replace "true" with "false" in the Terminal command and run it again.

Add the Screenshot app to the dock for easier access

Keyboard shortcuts are great, but they're not necessarily easy to remember—especially for the many screenshot options on macOS. Fortunately, Apple allows you to add the Screenshot utility to your Mac's Dock. To add it open Finder on your Mac, go to the Applications folder, then scroll down and open the Utilities folder. You can now drag the Screenshot tool to the Dock for one-click access.

Use this keyboard shortcut to access all screenshot tools in one place

Credit: Pranay Parab

If there's one screenshot keyboard shortcut to remember, it's Command-Shift-5. This key combination reveals all the screenshot options you need and doesn't leave any room for guesswork about what your screenshot tool is actually doing. It shows a floating toolbar with screenshot tools, screen recording tools, and multiple capture and record options. It's slower than using Apple's various keyboard shortcuts, but I can't argue against having all options available in a single window, so I always recommend this keyboard shortcut for those who are new to screenshots on Mac.

Add a screenshot timer to set up the screen before capture

If you're trying to take a screenshot of something timely or quick, it's easy to miss the moment. Instead of trying to hit the button at just the right time, you can set a delay of five to 10 seconds to set up a screenshot or a screen recording, and avoid retakes. To set this up, press Command-Shift-5, and go to Options. Under the Timer section, you can choose your delay timing.

Reveal mouse clicks in screen recordings to show what you're clicking

I generally like to hide the mouse pointer from screenshots and screen recordings, but when my parents need help with a Mac-related issue, showing mouse clicks in screen recordings helps. That way, they can see my cursor and all of my clicks, so they can follow along. You can enable this by pressing Command-Shift-5, clicking Options, and selecting Show mouse clicks.

Record microphone audio to create polished screencasts

Your Mac's Screenshot tool lets you record your screen with microphone audio, and even supports external mics. Pair this with a five to 10-second delay in starting the recording, and you can create screencasts with audio in one go. To use this feature, press Command-Shift-5, select any of the screen recording options, click Options, and select your mic from the Microphone section.

Use your Mac to record your iPhone's screen

Credit: Pranay Parab

The iPhone ships with a great screen recording tool, but iOS doesn't allow you to record everything on your phone. In addition, some apps block screenshots and screen recordings. If you need to bypass these restrictions, you can try using a Mac to record your iPhone's screen. The easiest method is to use the iPhone Mirroring app that ships with your Mac. You can connect the iPhone wirelessly to your Mac, and use the macOS Screenshot tool instead.

QuickTime Player offers another way to do this, but you'll need to plug your iPhone into your Mac using a USB cable. Open QuickTime Player, and go to File > New Movie Recording to get started. Click the down-arrow button next to the record button, and select your iPhone to start recording.

Save space by switching your default screenshot format to JPG

Your Mac takes high-quality screenshots by default, and it uses the PNG format for these images. The drawback is file sizes, and especially on newer Macs with high-resolution displays, you can end up with dozens of megabytes per screenshot. If these screenshots are taking up too much space on your Mac, you can use the following Terminal command to switch the default screenshot format to JPG.

defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpg; killall SystemUIServer

Be aware that this will significantly reduce the quality of your screenshots, and in particular, it may make text illegible in these images. If that's bothering you, then you can restore PNG screenshots by replacing "jpg" with "png" in the command mentioned above.

Apple Just Added These New Android Devices to Its Trade-In List

Jake Peterson — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 20:00:00 +0000

It's a weird time to be shopping for new tech. On the one hand, "RAMageddon" is making devices more expensive and harder to find; on the other, companies are trying new tactics to get you to buy new stuff more frequently. Take Apple: While it might be more difficult than ever to buy a MacBook Air from the company, Apple will now let you "lease" new products for one-, two-, or three-year agreements. Sure, Macs and iPads might cost more than ever, but you might find it easier to pay those prices over 24 or 36 months, interest-free.

Each device's payment plan is presented without a trade-in in mind, but you can apply a trade-in if you choose to lease. Apple will lower your payments based on the value of the device you hand over at the time of signing. The better the value of your device, the lower your payments will be. What's especially interesting given the current tech market is that Apple seems to be sweetening the pot for customers with trade-ins, which will likely only push more towards this "Apple Upgrade" program.

Apple increased the trade-in values for many of its products

As reported by 9to5Mac, Apple just increased its trade-in values for a number of products. Most of these are Apple's own devices. The company bumped up the trade-in values of many iPhones, Apple Watches, iPads, and Macs, some more than others. You can now get up to $70 more for your iPhone 16 Pro than you could before, or up to $20 more for your iPhone 13 Pro Max. The actual amount depends on the device in question, and the condition you bring it to Apple in.

If you're trading in a Mac, the numbers are definitely more significant. Apple bumped some models' trade-in values up over $100, and increased Mac Studio values by $260. That said, other values were much smaller: You can only get another $25 for your iMacs, and Apple didn't change the $315 maximum for your iMac Pro.

Here's a full list of Apple's maximum trade-in values, assuming your device meets all qualifications:

iPhone trade-in values

iPhone 16 Pro Max: Up to $720
iPhone 16 Pro: Up to $630
iPhone 16 Plus: Up to $485
iPhone 16: Up to $480
iPhone 16e: Up to $310
iPhone 15 Pro Max: Up to $530
iPhone 15 Pro: Up to $420
iPhone 15 Plus: Up to $340
iPhone 15: Up to $335
iPhone 14 Pro Max: Up to $405
iPhone 14 Pro: Up to $335
iPhone 14 Plus: Up to $235
iPhone 14: Up to $235
iPhone SE (3rd generation): Up to $85
iPhone 13 Pro Max: Up to $340
iPhone 13 Pro: Up to $285
iPhone 13: Up to $205
iPhone 13 mini: Up to $155
iPhone 12 Pro Max: Up to $240
iPhone 12 Pro: Up to $195
iPhone 12: Up to $135
iPhone 12 mini: Up to $90
iPhone SE (2nd generation): Up to $45
iPhone 11 Pro Max: Up to $160
iPhone 11 Pro: Up to $145
iPhone 11: Up to $110
iPhone XS Max: Up to $95
iPhone XS: Up to $70
iPhone XR: Up to $90
iPhone X: Up to $60
iPhone 8 Plus: Up to $40
iPhone 8: Up to $40

Apple Watch trade-in values

Apple Watch Series 10: Up to $165
Apple Watch Ultra 2: Up to $305
Apple Watch Series 9: Up to $135
Apple Watch Ultra: Up to $205
Apple Watch Series 8: Up to $95
Apple Watch SE (2nd generation): Up to $60
Apple Watch Series 7: Up to $70
Apple Watch Series 6: Up to $45
Apple Watch SE (1st generation): Up to $30

iPad trade-in values

iPad Pro: Up to $720
iPad: Up to $260
iPad Air: Up to $490
iPad mini: Up to $300

Mac trade-in values

MacBook Pro: Up to $855
MacBook Air: Up to $580
iMac: Up to $380
iMac Pro: Up to $315
Mac mini: Up to $480
Mac Studio: Up to $1305
Mac Pro: Up to $2195

More Android devices qualify for Apple's trade-in program too

Equally noteworthy, however, is that Apple has expanded the list of Android devices eligible for trade-in values too. If you're looking to switch from Android to iPhone, there's a good chance Apple will give you some money towards a new purchase or lease.

New this week are the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, Google Pixel 9 Pro, Google Pixel 9, OnePlus 13, and OnePlus 13R. While that's good news for these devices owners looking to upgrade, some Android users have some bad news: Apple lowered trade-in values for the following: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G, Google Pixel 8 Pro, Google Pixel 7 Pro, and Google Pixel 7. Apple only reduced these values by $5 or $10, so it isn't major, but it's interesting to see which devices the company feels aren't worth quite as much.

Here's the full list of Android devices and their trade-in values with Apple:

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G: Up to $125
Samsung Galaxy S22+ 5G: Up to $85
Samsung Galaxy S22 5G: Up to $85
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G: Up to $95
Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G: Up to $75
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G: Up to $55
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: Up to $315
Google Pixel 9 Pro: Up to $305
Google Pixel 9: Up to $210
Google Pixel 8 Pro: Up to $155
Google Pixel 8: Up to $115
Google Pixel 8a: Up to $105
Google Pixel 7 Pro: Up to $90
Google Pixel 7: Up to $60
OnePlus 13: Up to $250
OnePlus 13R: Up to $165
OnePlus 12: Up to $200
OnePlus 12R: Up to $115

Five Ways to Make Gemini Behave More Like Google Assistant

Eric Ravenscraft — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 19:30:00 +0000

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Google Assistant is about to get one heck of a headstone in the Google Graveyard. The voice assistant has been a handy tool for years, but the company has finally decided to replace it with Gemini entirely. If you’re not exactly thrilled about the AI-ification of every app you use, there are a few ways to make Gemini behave a bit more like the Assistant of yore.

The switch from Assistant has been coming for a while; it’s a seismic shift for a lot of devices. On top of deprecating Assistant on Android phones and tablets, it’s also disappearing for Wear OS devices and some Android Auto cars. Some smart home devices and TVs will still support Assistant, but you can switch to Gemini (and you might want to since the choice is likely to be made for you eventually).

Regardless of how you feel about AI chatbots, using Gemini might become unavoidable if you’re in the Google ecosystem. So, if you want to keep the functionality you had in your phone, car, or kitchen, it might take a little bit of effort. Here’s how to get started.

Set your default assistant everywhere

When September rolls around, you’re going to be pushed to Gemini on your Google-powered phone, tablet, and watch, but that might not cover all your devices. If you’re going to be reprogramming your muscle memory, you may as well do it all at once.

Depending on when you set up your Google Home or Nest devices, you might’ve gotten a prompt to upgrade to Gemini. If not, open the Google Home app, tap your profile picture, and choose “Home settings.” Here, you should find a banner that lets you set up Gemini for Home.

It might sound counterintuitive to move away from Assistant in order to make Gemini work more like Assistant, but in the next sections I’ll walk through how to rebuild your favorite Assistant commands. This step will make the whole system work more consistently, but activating Gemini on your smart speakers is technically optional. Just be aware that if you opt not to do this, you might hit some bumps if your phone and smart speaker try to compete to respond to your commands with different assistants.

Turn off personalization features you don’t need

Part of the appeal of Google Assistant was its simplicity. Turn your lights on and off, set reminders, stuff like that. No trying to plan your meals for you based on your travel itinerary and anime viewing history or whatever. If that kind of simplicity appeals to you, consider taking the opposite of our previous advice, and turn off many of the “Connected Apps” you find there.

In the Gemini app on your phone, you can find this under Settings > Personal Intelligence > Connected Apps. Here, you’ll find a list of apps you can connect (or disconnect) to affect how Gemini responds. You might want to turn off some of these to simplify your assistant’s responses, like Google Workspace or Search Services. These use data connected to your Google account to personalize your results, which might muck up what you’re trying to accomplish.

However, some of these apps should probably stay on. Google Home, for example, is used to control your smart home devices, and Utilities handles things like timers and alarms. Other functions are, in typical Google fashion, a bit convoluted. Reminders, for example, are typically handled by Google apps like Tasks (or sometimes Keep or Calendar?) so you might want to keep Workspace enabled, depending on your needs.

Use Instructions for Gemini to create custom commands

I’ve been singing the praises of this feature for a while, but if you’re frustrated with how Gemini behaves, the most powerful tool to bend it to your will is the Instructions for Gemini (previously Saved Info) tool. While ostensibly this is used to store information about yourself that you want Gemini to keep in mind, you can use it to create custom shorthand commands that work a lot more like how Assistant used to.

To access this, head to Settings > Personal Intelligence > Instructions for Gemini in the Gemini app. Here, you can add custom instructions in natural language. So, for example, let’s say you want to turn off the living room and kitchen lights with a short command, you could add the following instructions: “If a prompt consists solely of ‘good night’, turn off the lights in the living room and kitchen.” You can further tailor this command to make sure it works reliably.

This can also be a handy way to make sure that Gemini uses the right app or tool for the commands you want to run. For example, if you want to add a note to your Google Keep app, but Gemini keeps trying to set reminders via the Tasks app or whatever, you can add custom instructions to “Always use Keep to store notes and reminders” so your future commands work the way you want them to.

Use Scheduled Actions to help replace routines

Google Assistant’s routines feature has moved around over the years, and it currently lives in the Google Home app. But in keeping with Google’s long-standing strategy of “build two of everything”, you can also use Gemini’s scheduled actions to replace some of this functionality. While it’s not strictly necessary, as long as Google Home automations exist, it can be easier to do everything from the one app you’re being pushed into anyway. Especially if you’re worried that the older method will suddenly be removed.

In the Gemini app, head to Settings > Scheduled actions, and tap New Action. Here you can give your routine a name, describe what you want Gemini to do in the same natural language you can use for other Gemini commands. You can also set a time and frequency you want the action to occur.

Gemini works a little differently than Assistant, so some of these commands might not run with as much precision as you’re used to. Gemini notes in the app that scheduled actions are prepared up to an hour in advance, so keep that in mind. This tool can be handy for things like a morning routine, giving you a morning briefing at the same time as turning on your lights. But if you want very simple actions—like, say, just turning on the lights—you might still want to use the automations in the Google Home app.

Choose the fastest model (where you can)

One of the biggest annoyances with the forced switch to Gemini is that commands can take a lot longer to process. Recognizing a few key words like “turn on lights” is fast. Trying to process whole sentences is more complicated. If you preferred the speed of Assistant and don’t need more complex analysis of your instructions, changing your model can help.

In most cases, you can’t change the default Gemini model (Google, please), but in the Gemini app, you can tap the model dropdown and choose whatever the latest, lightest model is. At time of writing, that’s 3.5 Flash-Lite, but it may be different later. Typically, the fastest model will be whichever one has the oldest version number, paired with words like “Flash” or “Lite”.

You can also find an optional toggle labeled “Extended thinking” which usually attempts more complex processing. But it also adds extra processing time, dragging out simple commands like setting alarms. Disable this, and you’ll typically get faster answers. Depending on how you invoke Gemini, you might not have the option to tweak your models, but when you can, you can find a pretty significant speed boost by making these changes.

DuckDuckGo Just Made It Easier to Share Links Without Getting Tracked

Jake Peterson — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 18:30:00 +0000

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It's tough to stay private on the internet. It's hardly an even playing field: If you use apps and websites as they're designed, your every move is almost guaranteed to be tracked so that companies can compile a profile to target you with ads. That even extends to simple tasks like sharing links with friends: You might think you're simply communicating in private, but as soon as you click "copy" on that link, trackers attach themselves to the URL and come along for the ride.

It doesn't have to be this way. There are many steps you can take to prevent trackers from stalking you across the internet—some more intense than others. And while stripping tracking URLs from links isn't new, it isn't exactly common knowledge, either. That's why whenever a company makes it a bit easier, I'm all for it, so today I'm celebrating DuckDuckGo.

DuckDuckGo now makes it easier to strip trackers from links on iPhone

As highlighted by fellow CNET Group site ZDNet, DuckDuckGo's iOS app now includes a feature that automatically eliminates tracking elements from links. That way, you can share links with friends, family members, and coworkers without worrying about trackers following along.

The feature, "Copy Clean Link," doesn't do anything you couldn't do yourself. As ZDNet explains, the feature cuts out everything in the URL in question from the "?" on; essentially, all of the tracking information. Without that data, you turn the URL into a "clean" link, so trackers won't necessarily know you're the user who shared that URL in the first place. You can do this yourself by opening the URL and deleting this text manually, but tapping Copy Clean Link is certainly more convenient.

Interestingly, the feature doesn't pop up when you select a link the usual way, or even when you hit the Share button. Instead, you'll need to open the link in DuckDuckGo, long-press the address bar, and choose "Copy Clean Link." You'll find the same option if you tap the three lines in the bottom right, then scroll down and choose "Copy Clean Link." If you simply select the URL and use iOS' built-in "Copy" option, you'll grab the full URL—trackers and all.

DuckDuckGo's Copy Clean Link is an iOS-only feature for now

At this time, only iPhone users can use "Copy Clean Link" in DuckDuckGo. That doesn't mean that users of other platforms are out of luck: As previously mentioned, you can manually delete all characters in a URL starting with the "?" to achieve the same effect. That's easier done on desktop than mobile, of course.

If you need an alternative, Brave has a "Copy Clean Link" option as well. It works similarly to DuckDuckGo's—you can long-press the address bar on a webpage you're already visiting or, uniquely, you can long-press any link in the browser to get the option too.

This Loud and Rugged JBL Speaker Is $65 Off Right Now

Naima Karp — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 18:00:00 +0000

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

While there are plenty of new speaker releases to get excited about this summer, there’s nothing like a tried-and-true, well-rounded option from a reliable brand. The JBL Charge 6 is exactly that. Designed to survive everything from pool parties to camping trips and beach adventures, a brand-new unit is currently 35% off on Woot, bringing it to an all-time low of $129.95 (originally $199.95), according to price trackers.

JBL Charge 6 Bluetooth Speaker

With an IP68 rating, it’s fully waterproof, dust-proof, and drop-proof (surviving up to three feet), making it nearly invincible for all kinds of shenanigans. The 34-watt-hour battery lasts up to 24 hours, and you get an extra 4 hours with its Boost mode on, though you will sacrifice a bit of bass in exchange. It also acts as a power bank for other devices, letting you charge a phone or tablet. The speaker weighs 3 pounds and has a convenient handle looped through either end for carrying,

Controls are located on the top, and the companion app is relatively simple, with a few EQ presets and a seven-band custom EQ. PCMag, which gave the Charge 6 an "Excellent" rating, calls the sound “surprisingly punchy” with “substantial bass, even at low volume.” The review notes that it delivers booming volume while maintaining clarity and balance, and that the sound holds up well outdoors.

If you want a loud, portable speaker that doubles as a charger and delivers superior sound despite its relatively compact size, the JBL Charge 6 speaker is your best bet, and at a record-low price, it’s worthy of your attention. Keep in mind that on Woot, shipping is free for Amazon Prime members and $6 for non-members, and products come with a limited 90-day warranty.

Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now

Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds — $189.99 (List Price $249.00)

Apple iPad 11" A16 128GB Wi-Fi Tablet (Silver, 2025) — $399.99 (List Price $449.00)

Sony WH-1000XM5 — $248.00 (List Price $399.99)

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 With $50 Amazon Gift Card (40mm, Bluetooth, Graphite Band) — $379.99 (List Price $429.99)

Google Pixel 11 Pro 256GB Unlocked Phone With $200 Amazon Gift Card (Obsidian) — $1,099.00 (List Price $1,299.00)

Google Pixel Watch 5 (41mm, Wi-Fi, Obsidian) — $399.99 (List Price $399.99)

Deals are selected by our commerce team

If You Loved 'Futurama,' There's One Movie You Need to Watch Next

Jeff Somers — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 17:00:18 +0000

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Futurama has been one of the smartest and funniest TV shows for so long, it’s managed to get canceled and brought back several times. It’s easy to see why: Every single episode is jam-packed with jokes, and those jokes range from the incredibly stupid to jokes based on science that about four people in the world understand (and they all work in the Futurama writer’s room, apparently). Its bent vision of the future of the universe is always a delightfully deranged adventure, and if you’re looking to bring a little more of that vibe into your life (and you’ve already binged the hilarious TV shows in that category), you should absolutely watch Idiocracy immediately.

Why you should watch Idiocracy after Futurama

Idiocracy and Futurama share a fundamental premise: A man of average intelligence is frozen, wakes up in the far future, and has adventures. In Futurama, Philip J. Fry (Billy West) fits right in with the ludicrous sci-fi universe he finds himself in; but in Idiocracy, Soldier Joe Bauers (Luke Wilson) emerges from hibernation five centuries later to discover that humanity has regressed so drastically he is now the smartest man on Earth—by a long shot. And if you’re thinking that Futurama played around very specifically with that premise, you’d be right—in season 3, episode 7, “The Day the Earth Stood Stupid,” floating alien brains use a beam of energy to turn humanity stupid—but the beam doesn’t affect Fry, because—stay with me here—he is his own grandfather and thus lacks a crucial “delta wave” in his brain function, leaving him briefly the smartest human on the planet.

Idiocracy is more a tightly focused satire than Futurama, using its premise to mock modern problems and behaviors, but it’s very much on the same wavelength as the show. Just like the show, Idiocracy has loads of hilarious jokes about consumerism and how we’re all manipulated by advertising and marketing tricks, and the film is populated by the kinds of ridiculous characters fans of the show will recognize and love—like Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho (Terry Crews), the deeply stupid and incredibly violent President of the United States (whose hair is a character unto itself in this movie).

Like Fry often does, Joe finds himself responsible for saving the day despite being, well, pretty average in most ways. Exasperated by the dumbness all around him (this is a future America where the death penalty involves monster truck demolition derbies, the Supreme Court has been renamed the Extreme Court, and an energy drink called Brawndo is used for literally everything from medicine to crop irrigation), Joe plods along, doing his best, and (again, just like Fry) eventually scores a win.

For fans of Futurama, there’s no better choice for movie night. Rent Idiocracy on Prime Video.

Idiocracy (2006)

Bender’s Big Score (2007)

More movies that fans of Futurama should watch

Need more to watch? The obvious choice would be the actual Futurama films that were released—Bender’s Big Score (2007), The Beast with a Billion Backs (2008), Bender's Game (2008), and Into the Wild Green Yonder (2009). You can find them on Hulu as part of their Futurama collection, but the movies have been cut into episode-length slices. You can also buy each movie individually on Prime Video.

But if you’ve already watched the Futurama movies (and you probably have), here are a few more movies that aren’t Futurama but offer a similarly wacky sci-fi experience.

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Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

As a sci-fi series, Futurama has played around with actual time travel several times, so Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure is the perfect movie for fans of the show. In San Dimas, California, in 1989, Bill Preston (Alex Winter) and Ted Logan (Keanu Reeves) are slacker high school students in danger of failing history—which would have dire consequences for the rather utopian future of humanity. A man named Rufus (George Carlin) is sent back in time to help by giving them access to a time machine—and hilarious shenanigans ensue. Stream Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure on Tubi or rent it on Prime Video.

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

Spaceballs (1987)

Futurama’s writers love a good movie parody—they’ve hit Willy Wonka, Armageddon, Animal House, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest among many others. So one of the best parodies of one of our most cherished sci-fi franchises is the perfect follow-up to the show. It’s a Mel Brooks joint, so obviously this send-up of all things Star Wars (original trilogy only) can lean into the juvenile side, but it remains a demented takedown of a foundational science fiction universe. Plus, the long-awaited sequel is due in 2027, so a refresher is in order. Stream Spaceballs on Fubo or rent it on Prime Video.

Spaceballs (1987)

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005)

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005)

In a lot of ways, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy crawled so Futurama could walk. While this film, based on Douglas Adams’ original book, isn’t as pop-culture focused as Futurama, it has the same spirit of dizzy sci-fi craziness, from poetry as a torture device to an Infinite Improbability Drive that warps and bends reality every time it’s used. There are bizarre aliens, smart observations about the nature of our existence, and a rumination on the fundamental importance of towels. Rent The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy on Prime Video.

WALL-E (2008)

Futurama is funny, but it’s also very sweet-natured—Philip J. Fry may not be the brightest guy, but he means well, and the Planet Express crew almost always does the right thing. WALL-E has that same spirit while also hilariously lampooning modern life, giving us both an adorable, lonely robot marooned on an environmentally ruined Earth and a vision of humanity’s very fleshy, lazy, and kind of dumb future if we don’t change our ways. Stream WALL-E on Disney+ or rent it on Prime Video.

WALL-E (2008)

Megamind (2010)

If you love the rapid-fire gags in Futurama and enjoy the absurdity of wildly impractical technology, you’ll love Megamind. A parody of superhero stories, the film follows two alien babies who are sent ot Earth, Superman-style, when their worlds are destroyed. One becomes arch-villain Megamind (Will Ferrell), the other hero Metro Man (Brad Pitt), who battle each other until Megamind finally gets the drop on his rival, killing Metro Man—and deleting all meaning from his life in the process. With stuff like dehydration guns and realistic holographic disguises, Megamind riffs on sci-fi tropes in ways that Futurama fans will love. Stream Megamind on Peacock or rent it on Prime Video.

Megamind (2010)