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NYT's The Mini crossword answers for July 2

Mashable - Tue, 07/02/2024 - 05:03

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for July 2 SEE ALSO: 'Wordle' today: Here's the answer hints for July 2

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Tuesday, July 2, 2024:

Across"Yes, ___!" (chorus from a group of line cooks)
  • The answer is chef.

Lover of the club music scene
  • The answer is raver.

"Humble" home
  • The answer is abode.

They can't stand up by themselves because they're "two-tired," in an old groaner
  • The answer is bikes.

It is written
  • The answer is text.

DownWhat the "spider" actually is in a spider roll
  • The answer is crab.

Nun's outfit
  • The answer is habit.

Bring to mind
  • The answer is evoke.

UPS competitor
  • The answer is Fedex.

Take a breather
  • The answer is rest.

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

In Ukraine War, A.I. Begins Ushering In an Age of Killer Robots

NYT Technology - Tue, 07/02/2024 - 05:00
Driven by the war with Russia, many Ukrainian companies are working on a major leap forward in the weaponization of consumer technology.

Cities might hold the key to sustainable woodworking

Mashable - Tue, 07/02/2024 - 05:00
Cambium is a startup reusing fallen urban trees to decarbonise wood-making.

Samsung Galaxy Ring leak: 5 reported health-tracking features, including snore detection

Mashable - Tue, 07/02/2024 - 05:00

The Samsung Galaxy Ring is one of the most highly anticipated tech products of 2024. Ahead of the recently announced July 10 Samsung event, AndroidAuthority claims that it unearthed some health-tracking features the new wearable may sport, including snore detection and menstrual-cycle prediction.

These reported Galaxy Ring features were discovered during an APK teardown of Samsung Health. However, until we hear directly from Samsung, we have no clue whether AndroidAuthority's claims are accurate.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 leak in new pictures 5 Samsung Galaxy Ring health-tracking features, according to new report

AndroidAuthority claims that it activated the UI of several health-focused Galaxy Ring features. According to the outlet, the Galaxy Ring can track and measure the following:

  1. Heart rate

  2. Stress

  3. Skin temperature

  4. Menstrual cycle

  5. Snoring

AndroidAuthority says that the Galaxy Ring can detect snores by using the phone as a companion, similar to the Galaxy Watch. Plus, the phone will reportedly need to be charging and adjacent to the user.

On top of that, the tech outlet, complete with screenshots, claims that users will get the opportunity to see timestamped audio recordings of their snoring and deep breathing.

However, we hope that you have your grain of salt ready. All of this is hearsay until we get official word from Samsung.

Train at home to be an ethical hacker for just $40

Mashable - Tue, 07/02/2024 - 05:00

TL;DR: Ever wanted to learn ethical hacking? Through July 21, pay only $39.97 for this ethical hacking bundle, which teaches you the ABCs of white hat hacking.

Businesses dread getting hacked, but here's the twist: They often hire hackers — white hat hackers, that is. These ethical hackers are skilled IT professionals who hunt down vulnerabilities and fix them before they can be exploited. It's no wonder these pros are in high demand, raking in top dollar to keep organizations safe from cyber threats.

If you want to get into the business of hacking for the greater good, consider picking up this ethical hacking training bundle. Through July 21, you can snag this 18-pronged bundle on sale for only $39.97.

This expert-led training collection packs 18 extensive courses, with each one focusing on a specific white hat hacking method. The courses are taught by legit industry professionals, including penetration tester Aleksa Tamburkovski, senior information security consultant and IT trainer Gabriel Avramescu, and security evangelist Atul Tiwari. With their years of experience, you'll master the skills needed to safeguard systems like a pro.

As you go through the lessons, you can expect to get to grips with a litany of tools used in ethical hacking like NMAP, PyCharm, and Burp Suite, as well as the many methods you can try to protect a system. You'll learn how to perform vulnerability scans and exploit them to gain control over systems, gather password hashes and crack passwords, execute cross-site scripting and SQL injections, and more. Plus, interactive tests will ensure you can practice and apply your new skills immediately.

Great for beginners, these courses are accessible on any device and can be completed at your own pace. Upon finishing each course, you'll earn a certificate of completion to showcase your new skills on your resume.

If you've always wanted to learn ethical hacking skills, this is your chance. Through July 21, you can grab this ethical hacking bundle on sale for just $39.97.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: StackCommerce The All-in-One Super-Sized Ethical Hacking Bundle $39.97 at The Mashable Shop
$1,098.00 Save $1,058.03 Get Deal

Advance your cybersecurity career with this $70 advanced certification bundle

Mashable - Tue, 07/02/2024 - 05:00

TL;DR: Through July 21, you can amp up your skills with this cybersecurity course bundle on sale for $69.97 (reg. $535).

In the rapidly evolving tech career landscape, staying ahead with up-to-date skills and certifications is essential for advancement. If you’re looking to deepen your expertise and expand your career opportunities in cybersecurity, this advanced cybersecurity professional certification bundle is a terrific place to start.

For a limited time, you can get permanent access to this comprehensive training bundle for just $69.97 and save hundreds off of the regular price. Besides the reasonable price, one of the best parts is you don't have to step foot in a classroom to learn.

This bundle offers five detailed courses totaling over 175 hours of learning content, covering a wide array of cybersecurity certification exams and topics. From foundational principles to advanced techniques, each course is designed to equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills to excel in the cybersecurity field.

NIST Cybersecurity & Risk Management Frameworks teaches you the foundations of the government-created risk management frameworks (RMF) process so that you can bring your knowledge to cybersecurity positions with the U.S. government.

Another course goes into the eight core domains of information security, preparing you for the CISSP test. This (ISC) CISSP course is ideal for test prep, training new security pros, and team training. 

Other courses help prepare you for the Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) exam and the CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner tests.

All of the courses feature comprehensive multiple lessons and are designed to help you prepare to achieve industry-recognized certifications that can significantly boost your career prospects.

With 175 hours of comprehensive content and hands-on training for advanced users, you’ll be well-equipped to take the next steps in your cybersecurity career.

Get this advanced cybersecurity professional certification bundle while it's on sale for $69.97 through July 21.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Getty Images The Ultimate Advanced CyberSecurity Professional Certification Bundle $69.97 at The Mashable Shop
$535.00 Save $465.03 Get Deal

Edit PDFs on your MacBook, iPad, or iPhone — just $30 for a lifetime pass

Mashable - Tue, 07/02/2024 - 05:00

TL;DR: Get a lifetime Premium Plan subscription to PDF Expert for your Mac for just $29.97 (reg. $139) through July 21.

For many of us, managing PDF documents efficiently is essential for personal and professional productivity. Whether you're handling contracts, reports, or any other online document — even books —  having a reliable PDF tool can make all the difference.

PDF Expert offers a solution that addresses common PDF issues. And for a limited time, you can secure a lifetime subscription to the Mac version of the Premium Plan for just $29.97 (reg. $139.99). A separate license for iPhone/iPad devices is also on sale.

This could be a much-needed tool for professionals like lawyers, real estate agents, college students, and others who frequently work with these types of files, and this offer comes with lifetime access for your device. Whether you're looking to edit text, annotate files, merge documents, or fill out forms, PDF Expert is designed to have all the tools you need in one interface.

PDF Expert is built to help you modify text, images, and links with precision. It promises the ability to add comments, highlights, and notes to your PDFs, which can not only enhance collaboration but can also empower you to review and work on documents more effectively.

This can also be an organizational tool for your files. PDF Expert allows for combining multiple PDFs into a single document and rearranging pages. You can also split pages, extract them, and save them as separate files.

This comprehensive tool helps you convert files as well, so you can convert PDFs to formats like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint or back to PDF again, to possibly save yourself some time.

Billed as an all-in-one document management tool, you can grab it at a discount for a limited time.

Get a lifetime subscription to PDF Expert for Mac's Premium Plan while it's on sale for $29.97 (reg. $139.99) through July 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Readdle Limited PDF Expert Premium Plan: Lifetime Subscription (Mac) $29.97 at The Mashable Shop
$139.99 Save $110.02 Get Deal

Snag a lifetime of documentary streaming for only $160

Mashable - Tue, 07/02/2024 - 05:00

TL;DR: For a limited time, get this deal on a lifetime subscription to MagellanTV, a documentary streaming service, on sale for just $159.97 through July 21.

Summer is here, and so are your favorite TV shows. The roster of summer programs this year is pretty strong, with fan-favorite dramas and comedies returning to everyone's screens. But if you're having streaming fatigue, you might want to do a TV palate-cleanser and consume some documentaries instead.

A treasure trove of quality brain food, MagellanTV is a streaming service that offers a library of documentaries that goes beyond what you'll find on the other streaming sites. For times when you want to learn instead of just mindlessly binge watching the same old shows, the platform offers a plethora of genres to choose from, ranging from nature to history to science and from space to true crime. Through July 21, you can grab a lifetime subscription to the service for just $159.97 (reg. $999).

Access more than 3,000 high-quality movies and docu-series created by the world's best filmmakers, all available to you right off the bat, with new content added weekly so you always have something fresh to watch. They promise zero advertising or other interruptions that can disrupt your streaming. There are even exclusive playlists that can take you into the rabbit hole of the people, places, and events that shaped the world.

Featuring compatibility with streaming devices, you should be able to cast MagellanTV programs from your iOS device to a Roku, FireTV, Chromecast, or smart TV. It's designed to stream from up to five devices concurrently — no need to be in the same household.

Instead of the regular $999 price for the lifetime pass, you can snag a lifetime subscription to MagellanTV for just $159.97 through July 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.   

Opens in a new window Credit: MagellanTV MagellanTV Documentary Streaming Service: Lifetime Subscription $159.97 at The Mashable Shop
$999.00 Save $839.03 Get Deal

The consequences of making a nonconsensual deepfake

Mashable - Tue, 07/02/2024 - 05:00

Lawyer Sean Smith has seen up close how nonconsensual deepfakes, a form of image-based sexual abuse, can ruin lives.

Smith, a family law attorney with the Roseland, New Jersey, firm Brach Eichler, recently represented both the families of minor victims and perpetrators throughout educational disciplinary proceedings.

His clients have included teen girls whose images were taken from social media, then digitally "undressed" by their male classmates, who used software powered by artificial intelligence.

The apps and websites capable of creating explicit nonconsensual deepfakes typically market themselves as satisfying a curiosity or providing entertainment. As a result, users likely don't understand that the resulting imagery can inflict painful, lifelong trauma on the person whose likeness has been stolen — who is almost always a girl or woman. The victim may never be able to remove every synthetic photo or video from the internet, given how difficult it is to track and delete such content.

SEE ALSO: Explicit deepfakes are traumatic. How to deal with the pain.

This can lead to professional, personal, and financial devastation for survivors. The same can be true for perpetrators when their name and reputation is associated with creating nonconsensual deepfakes. They may face suspension or expulsion if they're a student, and also face criminal and civil penalties, depending on where they live.

"It destroys lives on every side," Smith told Mashable.

This typically isn't made clear to youth and adult users who engage in image-based sexual abuse.

Is it illegal to make a deepfake?

Despite the absence of information about the consequences of nonconsensual deepfakes, their rise has prompted several states to pass legislation criminalizing them.

Meanwhile, Congress has introduced but has yet to vote on a bill that would give victims the right to file a civil suit against perpetrators. A separate federal bill would criminalize the publication of nonconsensual intimate imagery, including that created by AI, and require social media companies to remove that content at a victim's request.

In some states, offenders can face civil penalties should the victim successfully sue them for damages. Their wages may be garnished or their property seized to pay for such damages.

Last year, Illinois amended an existing law in order to make deepfake offenders liable when they distribute nonconsensual synthetic images. A survivor can sue the person who disseminates the content for damages, which may result from emotional distress, the cost of mental health treatment, the loss of a job, and other related costs.

"When the laws get enforced, it's going to be a black mark that will follow a person for a very long time..." - Matthew B. Kugler, professor of law, Northwestern University

In New York, dissemination of nonconsensual deepfakes can lead to a year spent in jail, a fine, and a civil suit. Florida imposes both criminal and civil penalties for the "promotion" of nonconsensual synthetic material. The state's law also expanded the definition of "child pornography" to include deepfakes of minors engaged in sexual conduct.

Indiana, Texas, and Virginia are among the states that have made the creation of nonconsensual deepfakes punishable by jail time.

Many states, however, don't yet have laws that make the creation or distribution of deepfakes illegal, or give victims the right to sue. Additionally, it may be difficult for victims to pursue criminal or civil penalties against the person who promoted the content because their identity is unknown, or because law enforcement is understaffed to investigate potential crimes.

But Matthew B. Kugler, professor of law at Northwestern University, says that shouldn't give people a false sense of security.

"When the laws get enforced, it's going to be a black mark that will follow a person for a very long time, and no one's going to feel bad about the fact that that black mark follows [the offender] for a very long time," Kugler says.

In 2020, Kugler studied public attitudes toward sexually explicit, nonconsensual deepfake videos in a survey of 1,141 U.S. adults. The vast majority of the respondents wanted to criminalize the act.

There is another potential legal consequence to creating nonconsensual deepfake imagery, regardless of whether the offender's state imposes criminal or civil penalties.

Adam Dodge, a lawyer and founder of Ending Tech-Enabled Abuse (EndTAB), says that a victim can file for a protective or restraining order if she knows who's responsible for the creation or distribution of the imagery. In many jurisdictions, image-based abuse qualifies as a form of harassment.

Such restraining orders are discoverable in background searches conducted by potential employers, Dodge says. A restraining order can also be applied to a youth offender. Though a minor's legal record is meant to be sealed, Dodge has seen instances where the information becomes public.

What happens to minors who create or share a nonconsensual deepfake

Teens who find deepfake apps or sites, either through word of mouth or ruthless internet marketing and search strategies, often don't grasp the potential fallout for victims or themselves, says Smith.

He notes that because the phenomenon is so new, school-based discipline can vary widely. At public schools, which are legally obligated to keep students enrolled to the extent that it's possible, the punishment can vary from brief in- or out-of-school suspensions.

But Smith says that private schools, with their own codes of conduct, may quickly escalate to expulsion.

The victim's parents may also pursue legal action in an effort to hold the perpetrator and their family accountable. Though Smith hasn't seen such a case yet, he expects some parents to begin filing civil lawsuits against a perpetrator's parents on the grounds of negligent supervision. Any damages won could potentially be covered by homeowner's insurance, unless the parents' carrier restricts such claims.

Teens could also be subject to criminal penalties, including those related to child pornography and other criminal statutes. Smith is aware of juvenile proceedings against teens who've created nonconsensual deepfakes. Though they did not serve time in jail, the offenders entered into a private agreement with the state as culpability for their actions.

In Florida, however, two teens were arrested and charged with felonies last December for disseminating nonconsensual deepfakes.

Smith says that parents and teens urgently need to understand these and other consequences.

"The problem with this technology is that the parents and the kids don't realize how big a mistake the use of the technology is," Smith says. "How just the introduction of the technology onto a cellphone…can create this much larger lifetime mistake."

If you have had intimate images shared without your consent, call the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative’s 24/7 hotline at 844-878-2274 for free, confidential support. The CCRI website also includes helpful information as well as a list of international resources.

Walmart vs. Amazon: Which retail giant has the best deals?

Mashable - Tue, 07/02/2024 - 05:00

It's a tale of two retail behemoths vying for your dollars.

In one corner is Amazon, the scrappy bookseller-turned-global ecommerce empire that's the reason why we're all a tad impatient. In the other is Walmart, the veteran department store with one-stop, starburst-studded supercenters in every neighborhood.

SEE ALSO: Amazon Prime Day 2024 is July 16 and 17: Everything you need to know

From speedy shipping to sitewide sales and members-only perks, both retailers pull out stops to entice shoppers to buy from them instead of their rival. But in the battle of Walmart vs. Amazon, whose deals are actually better?

Mashable's shopping team has spent years tracking discounts on popular tech that the two of them have offered. Here's how we see things.

Where Amazon wins: Variety and deal-finding tools

Amazon and Walmart are both massive mega-marketplaces, but Amazon has an advantage in terms of product selection. Its virtual shelves are stocked with more brands and more items at different price points, and it hosts considerably more third-party sellers, so there's simply a bigger pool of products for it to put on sale. That includes more newer releases, too, which reliably prompt price-drops on older models when they launch.

The other pro to shopping on Amazon is that consumers have more deal-finding tools at their disposal (beyond your usual shopping browser extensions or Google Shopping features). If you have Amazon's mobile app, there's an option under your account settings to get notified when specific products go on sale — look under Your Account > Message center > Deal alerts. You'll also see available and upcoming discounts on related products there.

Credit: Screenshot: Amazon

Members of Amazon's Prime service who have a newer Echo smart speaker can enable a similar "Advanced deal alerts" feature on the device that flags them when items on their Wish List are about to go on sale (up to 24 hours ahead of time).

When it comes to verifying those deals, a dedicated Amazon price-checking website called CamelCamelCamel is a helpful tool that can pull up an item's complete price history using the URL of its product page. (There's also a supplementary browser extension.) The site occasionally misses coupons and skips over limited-time deals during sitewide sales, including its flagship summer Prime Day event. But it's generally great for determining whether a discount is even worth considering. The Mashable shopping team relies heavily on it to appraise Amazon deals year-round.

Here's the Amazon price history of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones as of late June 2024, per CamelCamelCamel. Credit: Screenshot: CamelCamelCamel

There's no CamelCamelCamel equivalent for Walmart, though there is a tool in the free browser extension Honey (called "Droplist") that can offer some Walmart price history insights for products. However, it only uses data from the past 120 days, and it doesn't appear to take third-party sellers into account — which can sometimes pose a problem. (More on those later.)

Where Walmart wins: Already-low prices and hidden gems

Walmart sells a smaller selection of products compared to Amazon, and that selection mainly revolves around low-end and/or older products. (The M1 Apple MacBook Air appeared on Amazon at release in 2020, for instance, but it only made its way to Walmart when it was discontinued in early 2024.) This is a drawback for shoppers in search of new, upgrade-worthy products. But it also means things can be pretty cheap at Walmart from the jump, outside of any sale or deal, which has its appeal for bargain hunters. (To continue my example, Walmart permanently priced the M1 Air at only $699 — $300 off Apple's MSRP — when it finally landed there.) 

Walmart also occasionally does this thing to on-sale items where it lists deflated sticker prices — prices that are lower than the items' actual MSRPs — which makes their discounts seem worse than they really are. (We've run into this on Amazon, too, but it seems to happen far more often at Walmart.)

SEE ALSO: Walmart+ is offering new limited-time perks like Apple Music — here's how to sign up

Take this 65-inch Samsung QLED TV: Walmart had it marked down from $997.99 to $798 during its Deals Holiday Kickoff Event in October 2023, advertising a discount of $199.99. But when the Mashable shopping team searched for the TV's model number on the Samsung website, we discovered that it had an MSRP of $2,699.99 there — meaning Walmart's deal was actually saving shoppers just over $1,900.

We're not exactly sure why Walmart chooses to do this, since it kind of works against its bottom line. (Wouldn't the bigger discount entice more shoppers to buy…?) But it can result in pleasant surprises for meticulous shoppers who cross-check prices before adding items to their carts; you're saving more than the retailer lets on, and snagging a deal that may have sold out sooner had it been advertised accurately.

Finally, Walmart periodically releases extra-cheap products as "Special Buys" during sales. It doesn't attach any original MSRPs to these products, so there's no way of determining how much you're actually saving, but the prices tend to be low enough that it almost doesn't matter. (See: this 65-inch onn. 4K TV, which went on sale at Walmart for $278 a few weeks before Black Friday 2023. We don't know how much it's truly worth, but compared to other TVs of that size, it's absurdly cheap.)

Where both win: Memberships are useful for scoring deals

In addition to other benefits, Amazon and Walmart's membership services both unlock varying degrees of access to certain deals during tentpole sales throughout the year.

For its part, Amazon's Prime membership ($14.99 per month or $139 per year) is non-negotiable if you want to shop the best deals during Prime Day (scheduled for July 16 and 17 this year); that includes several invite-only deals. No Prime, no access — but making use of its free 30-day trial still counts you in, which is nice.

This members-only restriction doesn't apply to Amazon's Cyber Weekend sales as a whole, though it did introduce some invite-only Black Friday deals for Team Prime as part of them last year. We wouldn't be shocked if those became permanent fixtures.

SEE ALSO: Amazon's invite-only deals are back for Prime Day 2024: What to expect from this year's lineup

Meanwhile, a Walmart+ membership ($12.95 per month or $98 per year) unlocks early access to Walmart's biggest sitewide sales throughout the year — usually three to five hours before they're open to the general public. Those sales would be its summer savings event, which is usually competes with Prime Day (simply called "Walmart Deals" this year, and set for July 8 to 11), as well as its end-of-year Cyber Weekend programming. Featured deals can sometimes sell out during this early-access phase or get slightly more expensive once the paywall lifts, so it's worth taking advantage of this membership perk if a sale includes a steep discount on something you've been shopping around for.

There's one catch, which is that early deals access for Walmart+ members is restricted to paid members; you don't count if you're using its free 30-day trial. On the plus side, we usually see subscriptions go on sale for half price immediately before Walmart's summer and Black Friday sales.

Where both lose: Sketchy third-party sellers and inflated prices

Bagging a truly good deal from either retailer involves a good deal of due diligence on the part of you, the shopper.

For starters, be sure you know exactly who you're buying from — because it may not be Amazon or Walmart themselves. Amazon is better known for hosting myriad third-party merchants, but Walmart's listings are also rife with them. 

Some of these merchants are simply storefronts for verified brands, like Roborock or Dyson. But many, many others across both retailers are shady sellers who may be shipping counterfeit products or operating under funky refund and return policies that are different from their platform's guidelines.

Credit: Screenshot: Amazon Credit: Screenshot: Walmart

These are typically easily identifiable by their names, like Superdealstore, Delight Tech Electronics, and busylittlebee. (None of those words are in the bible.) However, we've encountered one instance where an unauthorized seller was using the same name and branding as the real one on Amazon.

This isn't to say that all third-party sellers are malicious or scammy, but enough are that we recommend avoiding them entirely. Your best bet is to stick with products that have "Ships from/Sold by Amazon.com" or "Sold and shipped by Walmart.com" labels underneath the "Add to cart" buttons on their listings.

Amazon and Walmart also both periodically dabble in something called price anchoring, which is when they inflate products' MSRPs to make discounts look higher than they really are. (They don't do this as often as they used to, but we still catch it from time to time.) Think of these as the Warios of Walmart's secretly amazing deals with deflated MSRPs.

This laptop has a two-year-old mobile processor — there's no way it usually costs more than $1,000. (That odd-numbered MSRP is a strong indicator of some strangeness, too.) Credit: Screenshot: Walmart

This underscores the importance of price-checking deals whenever possible. Plugging a product's name or model number into Google and seeing what it's going for on its manufacturer's website is a solid rule of thumb that can be extremely revealing — sometimes in a good way, sometimes not.

When the competition heats up: More insights about Prime Day and Cyber Weekend

Amazon and Walmart both reliably drop their prices to new or year-round record lows when major savings events roll around — the biggest ones being in midsummer around Prime Day, plus Black Friday and Cyber Monday. (As mentioned, Walmart typically hosts its own festivities alongside Prime Day.) These sales also seem to prompt them to get their acts together in categories that are normally dominated by third-party sellers, like laptops, and offer more (legit) deals of their own.

Neither Amazon nor Walmart formally offer price-matching, but if they're selling the same products during these sales, you can expect to see very similar or identical numbers across the board. (Matching each other's freak, as it were.) Sometimes it takes a bit for one retailer to adjust its prices to rival the other's, but it usually happens eventually. We tend to see the most overlap among low-end TVs, robot vacuums, laptops, headphones, and other budget tech, in addition to certain Apple products (particularly iPads, Apple Watches, and AirPods) and gaming consoles.

Prime Day

With respect to Prime Day specifically, Amazon religiously sticks to a 48-hour formula for its flagship sale, whereas Walmart's competing event normally lasts twice as long. 

That said, Amazon does offer weeks of official "Early Prime Day Deals" ahead of time, giving shoppers a chance to nab certain promotions before the chaos of the event. It will also tease some of its top day-of deals in a press release ahead of time, though they come in the form of a discount range, not exact pricing. ("Save up to 75% on select Amazon devices," for example.)

SEE ALSO: Walmart's new Prime Day-rivaling sale is already much better than Walmart+ Week

On the flip side, Walmart always waits until its anti-Prime Day sale actually starts to put any deals up for grabs, but it will usually preview some of its best offers in a release well before then and use exact numbers — "Nintendo Switch Joy Con with Game for $69.00 (was $99.00)," for instance. (We use the word "exact" loosely because we frequently encounter inflated and deflated MSRPs here.)

Black Friday

In recent years, Amazon and Walmart have both moved to kick off their holiday shopping seasons extra early with Black Friday sales that begin in October. They both still save some of their deepest markdowns for Black Friday proper — it's always the fourth Friday of November — but it's always worth combing those early deals in case they wind up selling out (or getting pricier) down the road. As with Prime Day, both retailers preview these Black Friday deals in their own ways: Amazon's discounts are "up-tos," and Walmart's are (sometimes inaccurate) "before-and-afters."

Walmart takes a more structured approach to its Black Friday festivities, staggering its deals into a couple of mini week-long events leading up to Black Friday proper, so shoppers have a better idea of how long certain offers last. (They can stick around beyond that timeframe, but it's not guaranteed.) 

Alternatively, Amazon simply starts its Black Friday season sale on a certain day and adds or removes deals seemingly whenever it feels like doing so. Sometimes they'll run the course of the whole event, sometimes they'll be gone in a day. It's more of a revolving-door approach.

In the off-chance that something you buy from Amazon or Walmart during their Black Friday sales gets cheaper there later, you won't be able to get a price adjustment — but you can take advantage of their extended return policies. In the past, eligible year-end purchases from either retailer have been returnable through January 31 of the following year.

The bottom line: Where should you shop for the best deals?

To recap: Amazon is the place to shop if you want the most options, if you need help finding deals, and if you care how steep or elusive a discount is. For these reasons, it's our preferred retailer by a small margin: We like knowing exactly how much money a deal is saving shoppers, and we think an offer's rarity is important context. But Walmart can also fit the bill for value seekers who aren't super concerned about a product's brand, release date, or true MSRP — just that its price is low. Keep in mind that both retailers host huge savings events in the summer and before the holidays, which is when they bring their most competitive prices to the table.

If you're already an Amazon Prime or Walmart+ member, you might be inclined to peruse the respective retailer's wares first. It might give you exclusive or early access to certain deals. For those who haven't signed up yet, those free 30-day trials can be useful.

Ultimately, though, you're not doing yourself any favors by being loyal to a single retailer. One of the best ways to make sure you're getting the very best deal is by cross-checking prices across the web, comparing offers at Amazon, Walmart, and elsewhere… especially elsewhere. (For what it's worth, we have a lot of luck at Best Buy when it comes to deals on big-ticket items like TVs and laptops — and it's not swarming with questionable third-party sellers.)

For extra help finding the best, most up-to-date discounts on popular tech, consider bookmarking the Mashable shopping team's dedicated deals coverage, too. We only highlight the best deals we've personally vetted at Amazon, Walmart, and beyond.

Senior shopping reporter Leah Stodart and lead shopping reporter Bethany Allard contributed to this story.

Final 'Longlegs' trailer gives us a glimpse of Nicholas Cage as a serial killer

Mashable - Tue, 07/02/2024 - 04:51
Neon has released the final trailer for Osgood Perkins' "Longlegs", a horror with Nicholas Cage as the titular serial killer.

Grab lifetime access to a PDF power tool for Mac on sale for under £24

Mashable - Tue, 07/02/2024 - 00:00

TL;DR: Through July 21, edit and annotate any digital file with PDF Reader Pro for Mac, on sale for £23.70 (reg. £47.44).

The modern workplace might have ditched paper, but now we're drowning in the next worst thing: PDFs. Tons and tons of PDFs. And while these documents might be digital, they can still be a nightmare to manage. Some can't be edited, others are scanned so poorly they're unreadable, and some are just plain indecipherable.

To lessen your frustration, PDF Reader Pro may be worth the investment as your new PDF software for Mac. It lets you easily edit text, replace images, add signatures, and more on any PDF file. And once you get PDF Reader Pro set up on your MacBook or iMac, your license will never expire. Through July 21, you can grab a lifetime subscription to this PDF software for Mac for only £23.70 — no coupon code necessary.

With more than 90 million users and stellar reviews in the Apple App Store, PDF Reader Pro is a PDF powerhouse. It offers advanced reading features like bookmarks, search, and night mode, making it a snap to navigate any document. Editing? No problem. You can insert, add, and replace images and text and use markup tools like highlight and strikeout with ease.

If you're dealing with high-volume documents, the app’s high operation speed opens massive files with thousands of pages in just two seconds. From there, you can organise and rearrange pages, merge, split, rotate, crop, or delete portions, and you can even modify the original text and images. Need to batch-process multiple PDFs? No sweat. You can add watermarks, headers, and footers to your files, too.

In case you have a sensitive document in your hands, you can encrypt and protect it with a password, add a watermark, redact confidential parts with a black box that can't be removed or altered, and sign them with a legally binding digital signature. Plus, if you're collaborating with colleagues and clients, the app also makes it easy to comment, annotate, and create fillable forms.

With a subscription, you get full access to PDF Reader Pro, plus 24/7 support and free updates. So why let PDFs drive you nuts? Get PDF Reader Pro and take control.

Conquer your PDF frustrations with a lifetime subscription to PDF Reader Pro for Mac, on sale for just £23.70 (reg. £47.44) until July 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: PDF Technologies PDF Reader Pro For Mac: Lifetime Subscription £23.70 at the Mashable Shop
£47.44 Save £23.74 Get Deal

How to watch Austria vs. Turkey online for free

Mashable - Tue, 07/02/2024 - 00:00

TL;DR: Watch Austria vs. Turkey in Euro 2024 for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Euro 2024 quarter finals have mostly taken shape, with just one remaining spot up for grabs. Austria have really impressed in the tournament so far, whilst Turkey have shown glimpses of what they are capable of doing. We're expecting a tense battle for that place between two evenly-matched sides, and you can watch how things unfold without spending anything.

If you want to watch Austria vs. Turkey in Euro 2024 for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Austria vs. Turkey?

NAME vs. NAME in Euro 2024 kicks off at 3 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. BST on July 2. This fixture takes place at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany.

How to watch Austria vs. Turkey for free

Austria vs. Turkey in Euro 2024 is being broadcast by ITV, with free live streaming available on ITVX.

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

Access ITVX by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

  4. Visit ITVX

  5. Stream Austria vs. Turkey in Euro 2024 from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading services do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to ITVX without actually spending anything. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to stream every remaining Euro 2024 fixture for free from anywhere in the world.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

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

  • Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

  • Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

  • Fast connection speeds free from throttling

  • Up to eight simultaneous connections

  • 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Austria vs. Turkey in Euro 2024 for free with ExpressVPN.

How to watch Romania vs. Netherlands online for free

Mashable - Tue, 07/02/2024 - 00:00

TL;DR: Watch Romania vs. Netherlands in Euro 2024 for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Every remaining team is just a few games away from winning Euro 2024, which sounds straightforward but is obviously nothing of the sort. Every knockout game is going to be extremely tough, with everything on the line. It's win or bust, which generally produces tense matchups that are separated by mistakes or moments of genius.

Romania have lit up the tournament so far, winning hearts of fans around the world. The Netherlands have failed to impress, but that could all change in the knockout rounds.

If you want to watch Romania vs. Netherlands in Euro 2024 for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Romania vs. Netherlands?

Romania vs. Netherlands in Euro 2024 kicks off at 12 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. BST on July 2. This fixture takes place at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.

How to watch Romania vs. Netherlands for free

Romania vs. Netherlands in Euro 2024 is being broadcast by BBC, with free live streaming available on BBC iPlayer.

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

Access BBC iPlayer by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

  4. Visit BBC iPlayer

  5. Stream Romania vs. Netherlands in Euro 2024 from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading services do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to BBC iPlayer without actually spending anything. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to stream every remaining Euro 2024 fixture for free from anywhere in the world.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

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

  • Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

  • Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

  • Fast connection speeds free from throttling

  • Up to eight simultaneous connections

  • 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Romania vs. Netherlands in Euro 2024 for free with ExpressVPN.

How to watch Costa Rica vs. Paraguay online for free

Mashable - Tue, 07/02/2024 - 00:00

TL;DR: Watch Costa Rica vs. Paraguay in the 2024 Copa America for free on Sportitalia. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

It's the last day of the group stage in the 2024 Copa America, which means it's just two days until the quarter finals begin. And there are no more second chances once the knockout games begin. That's tournament football, as the pundits say.

Costa Rica are one of the smaller teams in the tournament and they've had a few tough fixtures so far, with games against Brazil and Colombia. Paraguay might be easier competition, though anything can happen in international football.

That's the great thing about the group stage: There's always a surprise lurking around the corner. So even when we're down to the last match, with the quarter final fixtures all but confirmed, there's always the chance of an electric game that will have an impact on the rest of the tournament.

If you want to watch Costa Rica vs. Paraguay in the 2024 Copa America for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.

When is Costa Rica vs. Paraguay?

Costa Rica vs. Paraguay in the 2024 Copa America kicks off at 9 p.m. ET on July 2. This fixture takes place at the Q2 Stadium, Austin.

How to watch Costa Rica vs. Paraguay for free

Costa Rica vs. Paraguay in the 2024 Copa America is available to live stream for free on Sportitalia.

Sportitalia may be showing the 2024 Copa America games for free, but the platform is unfortunately geo-blocked outside of Italy. But there is a way around the geo-restrictions when you sign up to a VPN. If you've never used one before, a VPN is a tool that can obscure your IP address and connect you to a secure server in Italy, which will enable you to watch all the 2024 Copa America action from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of Copa America by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

  4. Visit Sportitalia

  5. Watch the 2024 Copa America for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs usually offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. Take advantage of these offers to get access to free live streams — and all without actually spending any cash in the long run. Simply sign up for the free trial and you'll have enough time to watch all the 2024 Copa America fixtures before you claim back any initial investment. You may even decide that a VPN is worth the money and keep it on a more permanent basis.

What is the best VPN for Sportitalia?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for unblocking Sportitalia to stream live sport for free, for a number of reasons:

  • Servers in 105 countries including Italy

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

  • Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

  • Fast connection speeds free from throttling

  • Up to eight simultaneous connections

  • 30-day money-back guarantee

There's a great limited time deal for ExpressVPN at the moment. A one-year subscription is on sale for just $99.95, which gives you a massive saving of 49%. Within that deal you get three bonus months at no extra cost, a year of unlimited cloud backup, and a reassuring 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Costa Rica vs. Paraguay for free with ExpressVPN.

How to watch Brazil vs. Colombia online for free

Mashable - Tue, 07/02/2024 - 00:00

TL;DR: Watch Brazil vs. Colombia in the 2024 Copa America for free on Sportitalia. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

It's the final day of group games in the 2024 Copa America. At this point we have a clear idea of how the tournament is shaping up and you've probably taken an educated guess on who you think will go on to win the whole thing.

It's true that Brazil are contenders in pretty much every tournament, whether it's the Copa America or World Cup. They're just one of those teams. But before they get to the knockout stages, they have to get through Colombia. The Colombians aren't exactly pushovers. The former Copa America winners can cause problems for any team of the international stage — as proved by the fact they placed third last time around. All of which means this is a big fixture that's not-to-be-missed.

If you want to watch Brazil vs. Colombia in the 2024 Copa America for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Brazil vs. Colombia?

Brazil vs. Colombia in the 2024 Copa America kicks off at 9 p.m. ET on July 2. This fixture takes place at the Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara.

How to watch Brazil vs. Colombia for free

Brazil vs. Colombia in the 2024 Copa America is available to live stream for free on Sportitalia.

Sportitalia may be showing the 2024 Copa America games for free, but the platform is geo-blocked outside of Italy. All you need to do to access Sportitalia is sign up to a VPN. If you've never used one before, a VPN is a tool that can obscure your IP address and connect you to a secure server in Italy, enabling you to watch the 2024 Copa America games from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of Copa America by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

  4. Visit Sportitalia

  5. Watch the 2024 Copa America for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs usually offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. Take advantage of these offers to gain access to free live streams, all without actually spending any cash long-term. Simply sign up for the free trial and you'll have enough time to watch all the 2024 Copa America fixtures before you claim back your investment. You may even decide that a VPN is worth keeping beyond the trial period.

What is the best VPN for Sportitalia?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for unblocking Sportitalia to stream live sport for free, for a number of reasons:

  • Servers in 105 countries including Italy

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

  • Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

  • Fast connection speeds free from throttling

  • Up to eight simultaneous connections

  • 30-day money-back guarantee

There's a great limited time deal for ExpressVPN right now. A one-year subscription is on sale for $99.95, for a saving of 49%. That includes an extra three months at no additional cost, a year of unlimited cloud backup, and a reassuring 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Brazil vs. Colombia for free with ExpressVPN.

'Harley Quinn' spinoff 'Kite Man: Hell Yeah!' has released its official trailer. Hell yeah!

Mashable - Mon, 07/01/2024 - 23:46
'Harley Quinn' spinoff 'Kite Man: Hell Yeah!' has released a new trailer, showing Kite Man running a bar with his girlfriend.

M. Night Shyamalan's 'Trap' trailer has Josh Hartnett as a deadly concert dad

Mashable - Mon, 07/01/2024 - 23:02
A new trailer for M. Night Shyamalan's psychological thriller 'Trap' has Josh Hartnett evading the police at a pop concert.

NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for July 2

Mashable - Mon, 07/01/2024 - 23:00

Connections is the latest New York Times word game 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 July 1's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections?

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

Tweet may have been deleted

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.

Tweet may have been deleted

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

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

  • Yellow: Hide

  • Green: Verba

  • Blue: Descriptors for a certain type of possessions

  • Purple: ___ (Synonym for "form of merriment")

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: PACK (AWAY FOR FUTURE USE)

  • Green: LATIN WORDS

  • Blue: ADJECTIVES FOR ASSETS

  • Purple: __ GAME

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 Connections #387 is...

What is the answer to Connections today
  • DEVELOP, AS IDEAS - BRAINSTORM, IDEATE, SPITBALL, WORKSHOP

  • KINDS OF CAKE - BIRTHDAY, CRUMB, MARBLE, POUND

  • TANGIBLE - CONCRETE, MATERIAL, REAL, SOLID

  • THINGS YOU CAN THROW IN METAPHORS - CURVEBALL, PARTY, TANTRUM, WRENCH 

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.

Is this not the Connections game you were looking for? Here are the hints and answers to yesterday's Connections.

'Wordle' today: Here's the answer hints for July 2

Mashable - Mon, 07/01/2024 - 23:00

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 June 29's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Where did Wordle come from?

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

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

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

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 used to be available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it. Unfortunately, it has since been taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times.

Is Wordle getting harder?

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

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Certain decoration.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no letters that appear twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter I.

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 Wordle #1109 is...

INLAY.

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.

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

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