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SAVE $80: As of May 13, the Braun IPL Silk·Expert is on sale for $299.94 at Amazon. That's a 21% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Braun Braun IPL Silk·Expert $299.94 at Amazon
$379.99 Save $80.05 Get Deal

If you want to save money on salon treatments, why not give an IPL device a go? IPL is one of the best long-term solutions for hair removal that can be done at home. It stands for Intense Pulsed Light and is a hair removal process that uses light pulses to target hair follicles, so it reduces hair growth over time. It's not a laser, but works similarly by focusing on the pigment in hair. It's a relatively painless, long-term solution for hair removal.

Laser hair removal uses a concentrated single wavelength of light, making it more precise and powerful. IPL, on the other hand, uses a broad spectrum of light, covering a larger area but with less intensity. IPL is slightly less effective than laser but is much gentler on the skin, and can be done from home, which is always a bonus.

SEE ALSO: All the best Dyson beauty dupes we've tested

And as of May 13, you can treat yourself to the Braun IPL Silk·Expert for 21% off. The package includes the actual device, a Venus razor, a changeable cap, and a vanity travel case. The Braun device also benefits from skin tone sensors, a handy tool that optimizes the power of every flash to your skin tone.

This is a limited-time deal at Amazon, so don't delay and miss out.

The best deals this week, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

• Energizer AA Batteries (24 Count), Double A Max Alkaline Battery — $13.31 (List Price $21.98)

• Roku Ultra 4K Ultimate Streaming Player (2024 Release) — $79.99 (List Price $99.99)

• Beats Pill Bluetooth Speaker — $99.95 (List Price $149.00)

• Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System — $239.00 (List Price $299.99)

• Roborock Qrevo Master Robot Vacuum and Mop — $799.99 (List Price $1599.99)

• Peloton Bike — $1,145.00 (List Price $1445.00)

• Claritin 24 Hour Allergy Medicine, Non-Drowsy Prescription Strength Allergy Relief, 100 Count — $37.49 (List Price $49.99)

Prime Video has renewed Beast Games, the controversial Squid Game-inspired game show created by YouTuber Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson. It looks as though the class action lawsuit by Season One contestants hasn't done much to deter Amazon from doing it all over again.

Announced on Monday, Beast Games will be getting two more seasons, enabling yet more struggling people to battle it out for a significant cash prize. The first season featured 1,000 contestants competing in various challenges for a sum which grew to $10 million by the last episode. 

SEE ALSO: Contestants of MrBeast's Amazon show allege unsafe conditions during filming

"Y’ALL ARE NOT READY FOR THE BIG STUFF WE HAVE PLANNED," Donaldson wrote in a post on X.

Donaldson also addressed his previous revelation that he lost "tens of millions" of dollars on Beast Games' first season, which cost over $100 million to produce.

"Going bigger is my specialty, [going bankrupt is] the least of my concerns haha," wrote Donaldson, responding to an X user's query on the matter. "Yeah ideally don’t lose 8 figures though."

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Amazon claims that Beast Games is its most-watched unscripted show ever, with 50 million viewers within less than a month of its premiere last December. However, these viewership numbers may have come at the expense of participants' wellbeing, with Beast Games' production having faced significant criticism regarding the issue. 

Beast Games contestants' lawsuit claimed production 'void of humane standards'

Alleged problems with Beast Games' production first surfaced when the first round of games was filmed in Las Vegas last July. At the time, Vital Vegas reported that multiple contestants and at least one staff member alleged poor conditions, while a source at a local hospital further claimed that "countless" participants were admitted due to lack of food and water. 

A representative for MrBeast denied such reports, stating that there were three medical events, two of which were unrelated to the production and one of which involved dehydration.

However, The New York Times reported one month later that Beast Games contestants had accused the production of severe mismanagement. Specifically, contestants claimed that they suffered physical injuries and were provided with inadequate food and medical care. The production also allegedly took possession of contestants' medicine, which was then difficult to access when needed, while participants who were menstruating reportedly weren't provided with underwear.

Several contestants further claimed that they had been told there would be 1,000 participants, only to discover twice that number upon arrival. This large number of people halved contestants' odds at winning the grand prize. The original 2,000 were subsequently cut down to 1,000 for a video on Donaldson's YouTube channel, not even making it to Prime Video's Beast Games series proper.

A MrBeast representative told The New York Times that the "promotional video shoot… was unfortunately complicated by the CrowdStrike incident, extreme weather, and other unexpected logistical and communications issues, which we are currently reviewing."

Then in September, several past Beast Games contestants filed a lawsuit in a California court accusing MrBeast's production company and Amazon of a laundry list of offences. These allegations included failure to pay minimum wages or overtime, failure to provide uninterrupted meal or rest breaks, sexual harassment, negligent infliction of emotional distress, unfair business practices, and false advertising. The lawsuit even claimed that the production was "so void of humane standards" that MrBeast's production crew allegedly offered to cover the cost of contestants' therapy.

All of this isn't even to mention the questionable premise of basing a reality show on Squid Game's dystopian capitalist death game. Considering the cruelty of Beast Games' inspiration, it's unsurprising that real contestants allegedly didn't have a great time.

TL;DR: Create anything, even NSFW art, with a lifetime subscription to Imagiyo for only £30.33.

Opens in a new window Credit: Imagiyo Imagiyo AI Image Generator: Lifetime Subscription (Standard Plan) £30.33
£375.60 Save £345.27 Get Deal

Digital creativity has never been more accessible, yet many of us remember the days when crafting a single image meant wrestling with layers and plugins for hours on end. Now there’s a way to generate stunning visuals in seconds simply by typing a description of what you have in mind. Create anything, even NSFW art, with a lifetime subscription to Imagiyo for only £30.33.

Imagiyo uses Stable Diffusion AI alongside FLUX AI to turn text prompts into high-quality images ready for commercial use, and there aren’t many limits to what you can create. Here’s what that means.

What art can you make with Imagiyo?

What do you want to make first? It only takes a brief description to put Imagiyo’s advanced algorithms to work, and unlike other image generators, Imagiyo actually lets you really follow your creativity. Craft stunning landscapes, visualise characters from books, or go for something a little more daring. Imagiyo supports NSFW content creation. Just set your prompts to private and let your mind run wild.

Imagiyo’s commercial-use license means you can take some of the images you generate and incorporate them into client projects, social media campaigns, or personal portfolios without fear of copyright issues.

Each month, you receive 500 image-generation credits and can submit up to two prompts at once. Unused credits roll over, so you never lose access to your creative potential. Best of all, Imagiyo delivers your purchased engine updates and feature improvements automatically, ensuring you always work with the latest AI models.

You have until June 1 to get an Imagiyo AI Image Generator lifetime subscription for £30.33.

StackSocial prices subject to change

FREE BOOKS: The latest Stuff Your Kindle Day takes place on May 13-17. Mental Health Matters, hosted by Indie Author Central, offers mental health rep books for free.

The Stuff Your Kindle Day schedule has been crazy in 2025. We're not complaining. These special events provide an awesome opportunity to stock up on hundreds of books for absolutely nothing.

And better yet, the books that you download are yours to keep forever.

SEE ALSO: To Paperwhite or not to Paperwhite, these are the best Kindles in Amazon's lineup

The latest Stuff Your Kindle Day is focused on mental health. To celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month, Mental Health Matters (hosted by Indie Author Central) is offering mental health rep books for absolutely nothing. This is your chance to stock up on books without spending anything.

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

When is Stuff Your Kindle Day?

The Stuff Your Kindle Day schedule has been really busy in 2025. Every month has been hectic, and May is following suit.

Mental Health Matters, hosted by Indie Author Central, is offering free mental health rep books from May 13-17. Unlike a lot of 24-hour events, you can plenty of time to download these free books. Relax, you've got this.

Who can take part in Stuff Your Kindle Day?

The great thing about Stuff Your Kindle Day is that anyone can participate. Kindle, Kobo, and Nook readers can download these books for free. You can even download these books on your preferred app and read them straight from your phone, as you can also find these free titles on the Google Play and Apple Books apps.

Which e-books are free?

Finding these free books is straightforward thanks to Indie Author Central. They've set up a helpful hub page with everything organized by subgenre, with something for everyone.

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

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

Shop Stuff Your Kindle Day deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Kindle (16GB) + 3 Months of Kindle Unlimited $109.99 at Amazon
$145.96 Save $35.97 Get Deal Why we like it

These popular e-readers help you take your entire library on the go. With weeks of battery life and an anti-glare display, you can read anywhere and anytime with the Kindle. Prices start at $109.99, a great price for those on a budget, but if you want to save even more, you can get three months of Kindle Unlimited absolutely free during Stuff Your Kindle Day.

Kindle Unlimited costs $11.99 per month and allows you to borrow up to 20 months per month. For a limited time, you can get three months of Kindle Unlimited for free, saving you $35.97.

TL;DR: Unblock XVideos from anywhere in the world with a VPN. The best VPN for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.

The online world is full of restrictions and blockades. There are good reasons for these restrictions, but there is also something to be said for protecting your right to online freedom.

Popular porn sites like XVideos will be restricted in many locations around the world, but there's nothing wrong with accessing your favorite site at an appropriate time and place. Fortunately, there is a simple workaround for bypassing online restrictions to access sites like XVideos from anywhere in the world,

Want to unblock porn sites like XVideos for free from anywhere in the world? We have the information you need.

How to unblock XVideos for free

VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect to a secure server in another location. This straightforward process bypasses content restrictions so you can access porn sites like XVideos from anywhere in the world.

Unblock XVideos by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that supports access to XVideos

4. Unblock XVideos

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (2-year subscription + 4 months free) $139 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for unblocking porn sites are not free, but most do offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites and then recover your investment at a later date. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it works well if you're temporarily away from home on an unsecured network.

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

What is the best VPN for porn?

ExpressVPN is the top choice when it comes to unblocking porn sites like XVideos, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

• Strict no-logging policy

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Unblock XVideos for free with ExpressVPN.

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

The main part of a tree .

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

TRUNK

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A popular American morning show.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 13, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

TODAY

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A suspended period of time.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 13 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 13, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

LIMBO

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A floor mattress.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for May 13 Hurdle Word 4 answer

FUTON

Final Hurdle hint

Usually poured onto mashed potatoes.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

GRAVY

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

TL;DR: Unblock Pornhub from Idaho with a VPN. The best service for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.

There are restrictions and blockades all over the online world, stopping you from going where you want to go. It's a frustrating reality of the modern world, but you don't need to put up with it.

The world of porn was rocked earlier this year after a number of states introduced laws that required visitors to upload ID before accessing pornography sites. As a result, Pornhub banned visitors from those states from accessing their website. To bypass this blockade, users have needed to get creative.

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

How to unblock Pornhub for free in Idaho

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

Unblock Pornhub by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that supports access to Pornhub

4. Visit Pornhub

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (2-Year Subscription + 4 Months Free) $139 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

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

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

What is the best VPN for Pornhub?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking porn sites like Pornhub, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

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

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Unblock Pornhub for free in Idaho with ExpressVPN.

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

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for May 13 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Where products are bought

• Green: Toppings on an Italian favorite

• Blue: They feature hues

• Purple: They share a second word

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Places to shop

• Green: Kinds of pizza

• Blue: Ending with colors

• Purple: ___ Cleaner

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

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

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #702 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Places to shop: BAZAAR, FAIR, MARKET, OUTLET

• Kinds of pizza: HAWAIIAN, PLAIN, SUPREME, VEGGIE

• Ending with colors: EVERGREEN, INFRARED, MARIGOLD, QUICKSILVER

• ___ Cleaner: BATHROOM, DRY, PIPE, VACUUM

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 13

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

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

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

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 13 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 13 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Keep on keeping on

The words are survival-related.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are ways to describe one's determination.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Stay Strong

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for May 13

• Endure

• Last

• Survive

• Stay Strong

• Persevere

• Abide

• Persist

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

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

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

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for May 13 Where did Wordle come from?

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

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

What's the best Wordle starting word?

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

What happened to the Wordle archive?

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

Is Wordle getting harder?

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for May 13, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

To be alert.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter A appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter A.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

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

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

AWARE.

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 13

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

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

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

On Monday night, Samsung finally lifted the veil off the Galaxy S25 Edge. Just a few hours prior to that, I got to put my grubby little fingers all over it.

At an event for media on Monday, I went hands-on with Samsung's latest flagship phone, part of a new wave of ultra-thin phones. The $1,099 Galaxy S25 Edge is honestly one of the easier new devices to explain to a layperson because its entire reason for being is that it's pretty much the same as the other Galaxy S25 phones, but a whole lot thinner. You get the same chipset, the same software features, similar enough camera specs, and a comparable battery, depending on which Galaxy S25 model you compare it to.

The S25 Edge is available for preorder now from Samsung, Amazon, and Best Buy, though Samsung is offering a $50 discount and 256GB of bonus storage. The phone will be available starting May 30.

Let's dig in.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge $1,049.99 at Samsung
$1,099.99 Save $50 Pre-order Here Samsung Galaxy S25 hands-on preview All three colors. Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable SEE ALSO: Samsung heats up AR glasses race with new microdisplay technology

The event I went to didn't include unlimited access to the phone, so I couldn't get benchmark scores, perform detailed camera tests, or anything like that. However, that's actually fine in this case because there isn't much new on the internal side for the Galaxy S25 Edge (again, that's kind of the point). Specs-wise, here's what you get:

• 6.7-inch AMOLED display with adaptive 120Hz refresh rate

• Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip

• 12GB RAM

• 256GB/512GB storage

• 3,900mAh battery

• 200MP wide rear lens

• 12MP ultra-wide rear lens

• 12MP selfie cam

Compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Samsung's top-of-the-line flagship that starts at $1,299, the Edge's specs are actually pretty similar. It's a bit smaller (the Ultra's display is 6.9 inches), but you get the same chipset, the same amount of RAM, and the same storage options, minus a 1TB option on the Ultra. Crucially, the same 200MP main rear lens from the Ultra is here too. However, you only get a 12MP ultra-wide lens (this was 50MP on the Ultra), and you don't get a telephoto lens at all on the Edge. So, no super-zoom.

Look at how tiny that thing is. Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable

While detailed battery testing will have to wait, the size of the battery is an early concern. At 3,900mAh, it's a tiny bit smaller than the 4,000mAh cell in the base S25, and a lot smaller than the 5,000mAh cell in the S25 Ultra.

Let's stop kidding around, though. The S25 Edge's specs are nice and important, but the selling point of this phone is what it looks and feels like, not what's inside. With just 5.8mm of thickness, it's a good deal thinner than the 7.2mm base S25. Its 163g weight is comparable to the S25's weight of 162g, though it should be noted that the S25 Edge is much taller and wider than that phone.

What's it like IRL?

There isn't much to say other than it's remarkably thin when you actually see and feel it. The height and width are just about at the upper end of what I consider acceptable, in the sense that I could feasibly use the phone full-time with just one hand if I needed to. But it's just so thin and light, especially considering the state-of-the-art chipset inside of it and the high-powered camera lens on the back. Needless to say, it feels good, but there isn't much to it beyond that.

To be fair, Samsung leaked the hell out of this phone, so we've more or less known what to expect for weeks.

Again, it's very small. Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable

While more thorough testing will have to come later, I should note that Samsung told me this phone has software parity with the other S25 phones. That means all of Samsung's recent AI features are included, too. It can't be said enough: The only thing separating the Edge from the other S25 phones is how thin it is.

But that might be enough for some people. I welcome it after years of phones getting way too big and bulky.

So, if you miss the smaller phones of years gone by, this one's for you.

On Monday, May 12, after months of teases and leaks (so many leaks), Samsung finally released its newest smartphone, the Galaxy S25 Edge. The new ultra-thin smartphone has a body just 5.8mm thick and a starting price tag of $1,099.99.

Customers can pre-order the new phone now through May 30 at the Samsung online store, as well as from retailers like Amazon and mobile carriers.

Samsung has a straightforward pitch for the S25 Edge: It has feature parity with the Galaxy S25 line, but in a much thinner (and in some cases more affordable) package. Mashable's Alex Perry got to preview the phone ahead of its launch, and you can check out his first-hand impressions.

In the meantime, we're breaking down everything we've learned about the new phone so far, including how to save $50 on the purchase price and get 256GB of extra storage for free. Amazon is also offering a gift card promotion for shoppers who opt for the 512GB version

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge $1,049.99 at Samsung
$1,099.99 Save $50 Pre-order Here Where to buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is available for preorder through May 30 at Samsung. If you preorder through Samsung, you'll also get a $50 discount and an automatic upgrade from 256GB to 512GB of storage. Meanwhile, Amazon is offering a $50 gift card with preorders of the 512GB model.

You can also preorder the new phone from Amazon and Best Buy. Or, if you prefer to buy directly from your mobile carrier, you can do that as well.

• Preorder the Galaxy S25 Edge at Samsung - $1,049.99 $1,099.99 (save $50, get 256GB extra storage)

• Preorder the Galaxy S25 Edge at Amazon - $1,099.99 ($50 Amazon gift card)

• Preorder the Galaxy S25 Edge at Best Buy - $1,099.99

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: By the numbers

Crucially, the new S25 Edge has the same Snapdragon 8 Elite processor you'll find in other Galaxy S25 devices. Here's the full specs breakdown:

• 6.7-inch AMOLED display with adaptive 120Hz refresh rate

• Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip

• 12GB RAM

• 256GB/512GB storage

• 3,900mAh battery

• 200MP wide rear lens

• 12MP ultra-wide rear lens

• 12MP selfie cam

Yup, it's thin. Credit: Alex Perry / Mashable

So, besides the svelte body, how does the phone compare to the rest of its S25 siblings? It has surprisingly similar specs to the $1,299 S25 Ultra, Samsung's current flagship smartphone. While the display is a little smaller, it has the same RAM and starting storage options. It also has the same primary 200MP main rear camera lens, although its 12MP ultra-wide lens isn't quite as powerful as the Ultra's 50MP. The S25 Edge is also lacking the Ultra's telephoto lens.

However, for the average user, all the crucial features are here, including all of the S25's signature AI features. The S25 Edge also features a new Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 front display, which Samsung says is more durable.

The new thin Samsung phone is available in three colors: Titanium Silver, Titanium Icyblue, and Titanium Jetblack.

There’s a new contender in the Samsung Galaxy S25 lineup, and it’s aimed squarely at the phone obsessives who want just a little bit less. With the ultra-thin S25 Edge, Samsung is officially celebrating the age of the thinner smartphone. The new Galaxy S25 Edge offers similar features to even the flagship S25 Ultra, only with a slimmer body.

The Galaxy S25 Edge debuts as the fourth model in the series, lining up alongside the S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra.

Let’s not waste time: we're focusing on how the Edge compares to the S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra in terms of price, specs, and overall performance.

On paper, the quartet might look like close cousins. But dig a little deeper, and you'll find distinct differences that matter — especially if you're the type who geeks out over camera systems or counts every dollar. (You can also read up on our first-hand impressions of the new S25 Edge.) Here's how it shakes out:

Meet the S25 Edge, the new ultra-thin Galaxy phone from Samsung. Credit: Alex Perry / Mashable Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge vs S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra: Price

Samsung is leaning into premium with the S25 Edge, which launches at a starting price of $1,099. That puts it above both the standard S25 and the Plus, but still shy of the Ultra’s $1,299 price tag. For the money, you’re getting 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM right out of the gate.

S25 Edge:

• 256GB/12GB RAM: $1,099.99

• 512B/12GB RAM: $1,219.99

S25 Ultra:

• 256GB/12GB RAM: $1,299.99

• 512B/12GB RAM: $1,419.99

• 1TB/12GB RAM: $1,659.99

S25+:

• 128GB/12GB RAM: $999.99

• 256GB/12GB RAM: $1,119.99

S25:

• 128GB/12GB RAM: $799.99

• 256GB/12GB RAM: $859.99

If you're watching your wallet, the S25 is the obvious pick. It skimps on storage compared to the Edge and Plus, but still packs the same 12GB of RAM. And since all three models run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, performance is nearly identical across the board — unless you’re the kind of person who insists on squeezing every frame out of AAA mobile games.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge vs S25 line: Design The S25 Ultra... Credit: Joe Maldonado/Mashable ...and the noticeably slimmer design of the S25 Edge. Credit: Alex Perry / Mashable

Design-wise, the Edge — well, takes the edge. With curved sides, a sleek titanium frame, and a profile that’s both slimmer and just as light as the S25 and Plus, it’s clearly the more refined piece of hardware. That said, you’ll have to settle for fewer looks: the Edge launches in just three color options, while the S25 and Plus come in a rainbow of seven.

The Edge also features a 6.7-inch display with a peak brightness of 2,600 nits — bigger than the base S25 and matching the Plus. All three have AMOLED panels, but the Edge gets an upgrade with new ceramic glass out front, adding a bit more durability (and flair) to its face.

S25 Edge:

• 6.7-inch display

• Thickness: 5.8mm

• Weight: 163 grams

• Colors: Titanium Silver, Titanium Jetblack, and Titanium Icy Blue

S25 Ultra:

• 6.9-inch display

• Thickness: 8.2mm

• Weight: 218 grams

• Colors: Blueblack, Coralred, Pinkgold, Navy, Mint, Icy Blue, Silver Shadown

S25+:

• 6.7-inch display

• Thickness: 7.3mm

• Weight: 190 grams

• Colors: Blueblack, Coralred, Pinkgold, Navy, Mint, Icy Blue, Silver Shadown

S25:

• 6.2-inch display

• Thickness: 5.84mm

• Weight: 162 grams

• Colors: Blueblack, Coralred, Pinkgold, Navy, Mint, Icy Blue, Silver Shadown

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge vs S25 Ultra, S25+, S25: Camera The rear cameras on the S25 Edge. Credit: Alex Perry / Mashable The rear cameras on the S25 Ultra. Credit: Joe Maldonado/Mashable

For the mobile photographers — or just the friend in the group who always nails the shot (shoutout to you) — Samsung’s camera game is still strong across the board. But here’s the twist: to keep the S25 Edge slim and slick, Samsung made one major cut. Literally. The Edge drops one camera compared to its siblings. However, on balance, the average user won't miss much. The S25 Edge has the same 200MP main rear camera and all of the same AI photo editing features as the S25.

So, while you do lose out on the ultra-wide and ultra-zoom lenses, it doesn’t exactly feel like a huge downgrade. Plus, that 200MP main sensor blows past the 50MP shooters on the S25 and Plus. Here's the quick breakdown:

S25 Edge

• 200MP main

• 12MP ultra-wide

• 12MP front

S25 Ultra

• 200MP main

• 50MP ultra-wide

• 50MP telephoto

• 12MP front

S25+

• 50MP main

• 12MP ultra-wide

• 10MP telephoto

• 12MP front

S25

• 50MP main

• 12MP ultra-wide

• 10MP telephoto

• 12MP front

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge vs S25: Battery and Performance

The rear camera wasn’t the only casualty in the Edge’s quest for sleekness. Battery capacity took a hit, too. While the S25+ leads the pack with a hefty 4,900mAh cell, the Edge trims things down to 3,900mAh. The base S25 splits the difference at 4,000mAh. On paper, that might sound like a loss for the Edge, but battery life is more than just numbers.

Early reviews peg the S25 and S25+ at around 14 hours of runtime. The Edge doesn’t have official estimates yet, but given its smaller cell, expect slightly less — unless Samsung’s software optimization pulls off something impressive.

As for raw performance, all three phones are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, tuned for serious multitasking, mobile gaming, and AI-enhanced everything. You’re also getting top-tier memory and storage across the board: LPDDR5x RAM and UFS 4.0, just like the S24 line. In other words, no one's getting left behind in the speed department.

S25 Edge

• Battery size: 3,900mAh

S25 Ultra

• Battery size: 4,900mAh

S25+

• Battery size: 4,900mAh

S25

• Battery size: 4,000mAh

Which should you buy? The new Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge launches in three colors. Credit: Alex Perry / Mashable

If you’re all about value, the base S25 is hard to beat. It delivers flagship-tier performance, the same Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, and a solid camera setup at the lowest price point. The S25+ is the sweet spot for battery life and versatility, offering the best endurance and a more complete camera system thanks to that telephoto lens. And if you want true flagship performance, the S25 Ultra is for you.

But if design, display, and pure camera power matter more to you than an extra lens or a few hundred milliamps, the S25 Edge earns its name. It’s sleeker, bolder, and packs that beastly 200MP sensor — though you’ll give up a telephoto and a bit of battery to get it. This is the model for people who want premium, but not Ultra-premium.

Most importantly, the S25 Edge manages to offer a much slimmer body without sacrificing too many flagship features. So, if you had your eyes on the S25 Ultra but the price or size put you off, then the S25 gives you the best of all worlds.

Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy S25 Edge, and just as the leaks foretold, it is one extremely slim device.

Featuring a 6.7-inch QHD+ display, the Galaxy S25 Edge's ultra thin form factor measures just 5.8mm thick and weighs in at 163g (5.7oz). This slight, lightweight build means the Galaxy S25 Edge feels practically dainty in hand, especially if you’re accustomed to more hefty devices such as the 227g (7.99oz), 8.25mm-thick iPhone 16 Pro Max. 

Mashable briefly held the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, and even compared the phone's thickness to that of a leather belt. The phone was still around twice as thick, but the fact that there's even a reasonable comparison to be made was notable.

SEE ALSO: Samsung reveals Galaxy S25 Edge details ahead of launch Top: The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. Bottom: A leather belt. Credit: Amanda Yeo / Mashable

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge's slim form even enables it to remain fairly thin if you add bulk in the form of a case. 

Using a case helps the S25 Edge lie flat when placed on its back, as without one its cardboard-thin design and dual protruding rear cameras enable the phone to seesaw considerably. This may not bother some, however it did have me uneasily envisaging the potential impact to its structural integrity if a reasonable weight were applied.

Fortunately for those who prefer their phone naked, Samsung claims that the Edge is more resilient than its slight form may indicate. This includes curved edges, a titanium frame, and Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 covering its back. 

Credit: Samsung

Samsung focused heavily on the Galaxy S25 Edge's design, with its thin form factor the phone's main drawcard. Even so, the S25 Edge also aims to deliver comparable power to its non-Edge Galaxy S siblings, sporting the same Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. The S25 Edge boasts a 200MP wide-lens camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, and a 12MP selfie camera. It also has an IP68 water resistance rating, allowing it to withstand being immersed in up to 1.5m (5ft) of freshwater for up to half an hour.

The Galaxy S25 Edge's 3,900mAh battery isn't quite as big as the S25 Ultra's 5,000mAh one, however Samsung states that its latest device should still have enough juice to last all day depending on your usage. It can also charge from zero to 55 percent in approximately 30 minutes.

The phone has 12GB of RAM, with 256GB and 512GB storage options to choose from. Both sizes are available in all three colourways: Titanium Silver, Titanium Icyblue, and Titanium Jetblack.

Credit: Samsung Top: The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Bottom: The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. Credit: Samsung

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge will be available from May 30, with preorders open now.

The Federal Railroad Administration has brought in the tunneling company to help with a multibillion-dollar rail project.

The Office fans, rejoice! Peacock has revealed more details about its upcoming spinoff of the beloved workplace comedy — including its title.

Called The Paper, the series comes to us courtesy of Greg Daniels, who led the American adaptation of The Office, and Michael Koman (Nathan for You, Girls5eva, How to with John Wilson).

From its release date to which of The Office's stars are returning, here's everything you need to know about The Paper.

SEE ALSO: All 185 episodes of 'The Office,' ranked What is The Office spinoff about?

Even though this new show is set in the same universe as The Office, we aren't going back to Scranton, Pennsylvania. Instead, we'll be heading to Toledo, Ohio, following The Office's pivotal (yet mostly unseen) documentary crew on their next project. In a press release issued by Peacock, the series logline reads:

The documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch is in search of a new subject when they discover a dying historic Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it with volunteer reporters.

SEE ALSO: 'The Office' reboot is a good idea — if Michael, Jim, Dwight, and Pam aren't in it Are any The Office characters returning for The Paper?

Yes! At NBCUniversal's 2025 upfront presentation, The Office star Oscar Nuñez revealed that he would be reprising his role as Oscar Martinez in The Paper. As of May 12, 2025, he is the only confirmed returning Dunder Mifflin character. It's fitting that at least one person who worked at a paper company winds up in a show called The Paper, right?

Who else stars in The Paper?

Domhnall Gleeson (About Time, Ex Machina) and Sabrina Impacciatore (The White Lotus) both star in The Paper. Gleeson plays Ned, the publisher who turns to volunteer reporters.

The pair lead an ensemble cast that includes Martinez, as well as Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Ramona Young, and Tim Key.

Is there a trailer for The Paper?

There is not a trailer for The Paper yet, but Peacock has released a first look image, which you can see below.

Credit: Aaron Epstein/Peacock

The photo sees Gleeson attempting to rally his newsroom, and you can even see Oscar in the background. How do you think this office environment compares to Dunder Mifflin, better or worse?

When does The Paper come out?

The Paper is set to premiere in September of 2025, although Peacock has yet to announce the exact airdate.

UPDATE: May. 12, 2025, 2:21 p.m. This article has been updated to include new information about the release of "The Paper."

Even if you've never fallen victim to a tech support scam, you've likely been targeted. Have you ever gotten a pop-up, or a cascading series of pop-ups that crowd your entire screen, warning you that your device has been compromised and urging you to call tech support ASAP? If the unlucky victims who fall for these tricks give the scammers access to their computer, the perpetrators can plant malware, steal personal information, or even wipe out victims' bank accounts.

Now, Google wants to use AI to stop these scams in real time for Google Chrome users.

"Chrome has always worked with Google Safe Browsing to help keep you safe online. Now, with this week's launch of Chrome 137, Chrome will offer an additional layer of protection using the on-device Gemini Nano large language model," Google said in a blog post. "This new feature will leverage the LLM to generate signals that will be used by Safe Browsing in order to deliver higher confidence verdicts about potentially dangerous sites like tech support scams."

SEE ALSO: 6 popular scams and the warning signs for each

According to Google's blog post, research shows that LLMs are particularly capable of detecting, understanding, and fighting tech support scams — before you even have to face them. By using LLMs on-device, Google doesn’t have to wait for users to report the scams and can instead "see threats when users see them."

"We’ve found that the average malicious site exists for less than 10 minutes, so on-device protection allows us to detect and block attacks that haven't been crawled before," the Google blog post reads. "The on-device approach also empowers us to see threats the way users see them."

Basically, Chrome will evaluate pages using Gemini Nano LLM to see if the page has "triggers that are characteristic of tech support scams" like, for instance, "the use of the keyboard lock API." Then, Chrome sends information about the page to Safe Browsing, which will determine if the page is a scam or not. If it is a scam, Chrome will show a warning.

Cybercriminals are getting more and more creative every day, thanks in part to new AI tools. Now, tech companies are using their own AI systems to combat the onslaught of scams.

Have a story to share about a scam or security breach that impacted you? Tell us about it. Email submissions@mashable.com with the subject line "Safety Net" or use this form. Someone from Mashable will get in touch.

You may balk at the concept of paying for a dating app, but others certainly don't: Daters spent $3 billion on apps in 2020, up 15 percent from the previous year. These days, singles aren't afraid to fork out cash for additional features on these apps, which were the most common way couples met each other for years before COVID.

The dating app Bumble, in particular, is one of the most popular with 42 million monthly active users in 2020, according to a spokesperson. Bumble is famous for only allowing women to message men first in the case of heterosexual matches. Here's how it works: Once a couple matches, the woman has 24 hours to message first. Then, the man has another 24 hours to message back. If one or both of these messages isn't sent, the match "expires," or disappears. (In cases with nonbinary people, they can message first).

SEE ALSO: Daters have a 'reality gap' about gender equality, Bumble says

Both Bumble and Tinder (which, by comparison, had 75 million monthly active users in 2020) utilize "hot or not"-esque swiping, but only Bumble has this restriction on who gets to message first — as well as more filters to choose from, like your astrological sign and whether you drink. The app's subscription, Premium, offers additional tools, like being able to undo a swipe and seeing who's already liked you.

But with so many dating app options out there, is Bumble Premium worth it? The app gave me a two-month trial to see. I found that Premium wasn't worth it for me due to its cost, but its features — like the ones above — could tip the scales for you.

What is Bumble Boost and Bumble Premium?

While not advertised as such, Boost is like a lower pay tier to Premium. Here are the price breakdowns for both according to in-app numbers:

Bumble Boost:

• 1 week at $8.99

• 1 month at $16.99

• 3 months at 33.99

• 6 months at $54.99

Bumble Premium:

• 1 week at $19.99

• 1 month at $39.99

• 3 months at $79.99

• Six months at $119.99

• Lifetime for $199.99

With Bumble Boost, users can reverse a left swipe with Backtrack and extend time on matches for another day. Boost members also receive unlimited swipes; one Spotlight per week (which puts your profile at the top of the swiping "stack"); and five SuperSwipes a week (lets another user know beforehand that you want to match).

Featured Video For You How Tinder and other dating apps use algorithms to find your match — Horny on Main

Premium members have all those features, plus unlimited Advanced Filters (whereas other users can only use two at a time); the ability to rematch with expired matches; Travel Mode (swipe anywhere you want to); the Beeline to see everyone who's already liked you; and Incognito Mode, which hides your profile and only appears for those you swiped right on. As of publication, Incognito Mode is only available on the Bumble app, not the browser version.

Bumble Premium is pricier than other dating app subscriptions. For comparison, a week's worth of Bumble Premium, $19.99, is worth a month of Tinder Platinum. Hinge, meanwhile, is in the middle at $29.99 per month.

Is Bumble Premium worth it?

This question depends on how much you like and use Bumble — and how much you plan on using its paid-only features.

As I mentioned in my Tinder Platinum review, the ability to reverse swipes (called Backtrack on Bumble) is a game-changer. Sometimes — especially if you're a longtime app user, like I was — you swipe with abandon and may end up saying "no" to someone too fast. Backtrack eliminates left-swipe regrets; it's probably the premium feature I used most often.

Premium also gives some leeway to the rigid 24-hour rule, which is one reason why Bumble wasn't my favorite app in the first place. Some days I was busy and just didn't open it, and I'm sure that's true for some of my matches as well. The ability to extend a match was pretty useful, but keep in mind you only get an additional 24 hours.

This question depends on how much you like and use Bumble — and how much you plan on using its paid-only features.

Another valuable feature was Incognito Mode. As I live in New York City, there's an abundance of users on the app, and many aren't my type. Going incognito allowed me to be seen by only my hopeful matches. I enjoyed this increase in privacy.

These three additions (Backtrack, time extension, and Incognito Mode) are the best of the bunch, in my opinion. If you see yourself taking advantage of them, Bumble Premium may be for you.

I was ambivalent, however, about some of the other features, including Advanced Filters. Here are some filters Bumble offers:

Advanced Filters on Bumble. Credit: Screenshot: Bumble

In some cases, filters make sense. If you only want to date someone who shares your faith, for example, a religion filter makes searching for a partner easier.

In other cases, though, I question whether filters are helpful — like Zodiac sign. Are you really not going to date someone because they're a Gemini? Even an astrologer told Vice filtering out people by sign is a bad idea.

Further, when using a filter you're also cycling out people who didn't fill out that certain trait. When I filtered by whether someone smokes, for instance, that eliminated everyone who didn't share their preference. That could leave out people who are similar to you, but didn't write-in their choice because they wanted to keep it private, or they just didn't think to put it on their profile.

I didn't use Travel Mode at all, but if you're a frequent flier, I'm sure it'll be helpful.

SEE ALSO: How Tinder and other dating apps use algorithms to find your match — Horny on Main

Finally, the Beeline piqued my interest as I could see who already liked me, but after a couple weeks of not finding many matches there, I stopped checking it.

Should I buy Bumble Premium?

If you're already an active Bumble user and enjoy the app's unique features — such as women and nonbinary folks messaging first — and it's within your means, then try Premium out. The cost is comparable to Tinder Platinum, so if you use Tinder more often you may want to check out its subscription first. It's $10 more a month than Hinge's subscription Hinge+, but $10 less a month than Hinge X.

Keep in mind that Bumble Boost is an option, and it does come with Backtrack and match extensions. Should you want Incognito Mode or other features exclusive to Premium, however, you're going to have to pay up.

Like Tinder Platinum, I didn't experience much of a difference in quality or quantity of matches with Bumble Premium. While match extension is a boon, there were still days when I didn't check my phone as much or simply wasn't active on the app, and as a result, matches disappeared. If you're not diligent, that'll happen even with Premium.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bumble Bumble Premium Learn More

Over the weekend, President Donald Trump fired the head of the U.S. Copyright Office, Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter, less than a day after the office rushed out a sure-to-be-controversial report on artificial intelligence.

The report found that AI companies training their models on copyrighted materials may not be protected by the fair use legal doctrine. The report's findings are advisory, but they could be influential in upcoming court cases on the subject. Not only that, but on Thursday, May 8, President Trump fired the Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden, who oversaw the U.S. Copyright Office. In firing Dr. Hayden, The White House cited the Library's DEI initiatives.

However, the timing of the firings and the unusual circumstances surrounding the publication of the AI report has alarmed some copyright lawyers. Cornell H. Winston, the President of the American Association of Law Libraries, issued a statement to AALL members on Monday saying he was "deeply concerned" by the firings of Perlmutter and Dr. Hayden, though this letter did not mention the AI report specifically.

President Trump has pledged to take a business-friendly approach to artificial intelligence, and he issued two executive orders in April to promote the United States' leadership in the AI industry.

The Copyright Office's report is bad news for the AI industry

The U.S. Copyright Office has been working on a consequential three-part report about copyright law and artificial intelligence, with big implications for AI companies. At present, many legal aspects of artificial intelligence and copyright law are unsettled, with high-stakes court cases involving OpenAI and Meta currently working their way through the courts. 

The third and final report, "Copyright and Artificial Intelligence Part 3: Generative AI Training," dealt with precisely the type of fair use arguments at stake in some of these cases. Specifically, the report examines whether training AI models on copyrighted material such as books, movies, news articles, and images is a violation of copyright law, or whether it’s protected under the fair use doctrine. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, filed a lawsuit in April against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)

Rather than waiting to release a final version of the report and promoting its release, the office instead quietly released a “pre-publication version” of the report on Friday.

SEE ALSO: U.S. Copyright Office has registered 1,000+ works enhanced by AI

The preliminary version casts doubt on the viability of the fair use defense, potentially hobbling companies like Meta and OpenAI in the courtroom. Part 3 of the report also says that artists may suffer financial harm from AI-generated material that mimics the style of their work, as well as lost licensing opportunities if AI companies can train their models on copyrighted works without compensating the creators.

A concerning sequence of events The Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden, over the library's DEI initiatives. Credit: Shannon Finney/Getty Images

On Thursday, the Librarian of Congress was fired; on Friday, the U.S. Copyright Office released a pre-publication Part 3 of its report; and on Saturday, the leader of the Copyright Office gets sacked.

When the report was unexpectedly published late Friday, copyright lawyer and Associate Professor of Law Blake E. Reid with the University of Colorado Law School posited on Bluesky if a purge of copyright staff might be imminent.

Reid wrote, "the 'Pre-Publication' status is very strange and conspicuously timed relative to the firing of the Librarian of Congress. I continue to wonder (speculatively!) if a purge at the Copyright Office is incoming and they felt the need to rush this out."

Hours later, the White House fired Perlmutter.

In a statement provided to Mashable, a spokesperson with the U.S. Copyright Office provided only this brief comment: “On Saturday afternoon, May 10, 2025, the White House sent an email to Shira Perlmutter saying your position as the Register of Copyrights and Director at the U.S. Copyright Office is terminated effective immediately.’”

The office provided “no further comment at this time” to our questions about the timing of the report’s release. We reached out to the White House for comment on the report's release and Perlmutter and Dr. Hayden's firings, and we'll update this article if we receive a reply.

Reid described the artificial intelligence report as a "straight-ticket loss for the AI companies" on Bluesky. And in a phone interview with Mashable, Reid said it was strange the report was published so soon after the high-profile firing of the Librarian of Congress.

"It’s hard for me to come up with a sequence of events there that doesn’t involve the administration trying to do something about AI," Reid said. "I still don’t think we know what that something is…but I just saw that as being the Occam’s Razor explanation, especially with the register being fired the next day."

"The AI companies were hoping for the Office to kind of come around and throw them some lifelines in the litigation they could use to support their position," Reid said. Instead, the report concluded, "there are definitely some things that are beyond the bounds of what we’ve recognized as fair use. You know, the sort of language and sort of specific theories they used to back it up did not strike me as helpful, and are probably pretty unhelpful, to the AI companies if the report were to get picked up by a court."

Not a big surprise that the US Copyright Office has come out with a report about generative AI training data claims casting doubt on the fair use defenses of commercial developers. Endorses new theory of market harm.

— Pamela Samuelson (@pamelasamuelson.bsky.social) May 10, 2025 at 9:22 AM

Though some copyright lawyers are concerned, suspicious timing doesn't necessarily prove the events are directly related. The pre-publication version of Part 3 of the report is available to read online at the U.S. Copyright Office website.

Huge news, The Office fans: Peacock's highly anticipated spin-off of the beloved workplace comedy officially has a name and release date. Get ready to obsess over The Paper, premiering this September.

SEE ALSO: 'The Office' spinoff: Everything you need to know

Created by The Office showrunner Greg Daniels and Michael Koman (Nathan for You), The Paper trades Scranton, Pennsylvania for Toledo, Ohio, where the same documentary crew who followed Dunder Mifflin's employees has set their sights on a new subject: a struggling local newspaper. Its publisher (Domhnall Gleeson, About Time), lacks the budget for full-time reporters, so he turns to untrained volunteers in a last-ditch effort to revive the paper.

During NBCUniversal's May 12 upfront presentation, Peacock released the first image from the series, pictured above.

The image shows Gleeson standing on a desk, attempting to rally the newsroom — which includes a familiar face to any lovers of The Office out there. That's right, The Paper will feature the return of a beloved character from The Office, and it's none other than Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nuñez).

Nuñez announced his return alongside co-stars Gleeson and Sabrina Impacciatore (The White Lotus) at the upfront presentation. He shared that after The Office, he told Daniels he could see Oscar moving to a bigger city.

“Greg heard me and moved Oscar to Toledo, Ohio, which has three times the population of Scranton, so it’s nice to be heard," Nuñez joked.

In addition to Gleeson, Nuñez, and Impacciatore, The Paper stars Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Ramona Young and Tim Key.