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Apple's new desktop operating system, macOS 15 Sequoia, will launch a bit earlier than is typical this year.

This is according to a new report by MacRumors, which claims that Apple plans to launch it alongside iOS 18 in mid-September. Both iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia were initially announced during Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

Apple typically launches new versions of iOS in September, but the latest macOS typically comes a little later. For example, macOS Sonoma launched on Sept. 26, a week after iOS 17. And its predecessor, macOS Ventura, launched on Oct. 24, more than a month after iOS 16.

SEE ALSO: The best MacBooks: Which Apple laptop should you buy in 2024?

The reason for the unison launch, MacRumors claims, is making sure that cross-platform features, such as iPhone Mirroring, are working as intended at launch.

Apple Intelligence features, on the other hand, reportedly won't be part of iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia at launch. These AI features, which include tools that help you write, AI-enabled image creation and editing, and a smarter Siri, will show up in macOS 15.1 and iOS 18.1, which should launch in October.

We'll get the official word from Apple in the first half of September, when the company typically holds its iPhone launch event. The most likely date this year is Sept. 10, though Apple has historically launched new iPhones both earlier and later than that.

“It’s happening, but people don’t want it public.”

In 2014, BuzzFeed was the viral video behemoth churning out 80 videos a month on YouTube to satisfy social media algorithms. Video producers, who had the skills to create content all on their own, needed to turn out six videos a month to keep their jobs, finding new ways to keep an audience coming back for more daily uploaded content. 

Keith Habersberger, a tall and quirky theater major, and Zach Kornfeld, a zany neurotic with an eye for editing, had just started working at BuzzFeed and were brainstorming what could do well during Facebook's "pivot to video" era. This was a time when Facebook executives pushed that video views were the way to grow in media, and used incorrect and misleading viewer data as a selling point. 

SEE ALSO: Welcome back, MySpace: Instagram adds profile songs

Eventually, they decided to try on ladies' underwear for a video. Most of their colleagues wanted nothing to do with that public humiliation, except for two: the stoic Eugene Lee Yang and wife guy (who later had an extramarital affair with an employee) Ned Fulmer. 

"We couldn't find anyone willing to do it beyond the handful of guys in the video," Kornfeld told Mashable in an interview about the group's 10-year journey. "I remember thinking it was such an obvious viral hit that no one wanted to make it. It seemed too easy."

The video was a smashing success (22.5 million views as of this publication), so the group decided to stick together. They thought it would last for maybe three videos, Kornfeld remembered, as they thought that would be all there was to "mine" from the group. 

But a decade later, the Try Guys are still going strong (though they are down to two original members), evolving into their self-controlled YouTube channel with eight million subscribers. From live shows to their own short-lived Food Network series, the group has survived sharks, algorithmic shifts, and even a cancellation.

Buzzy beginnings for the Try Guys   

The Try Guys almost didn't survive their first few years, however. Their bosses at BuzzFeed were opposed to the idea of the quartet, since having four producers on one video would lower the amount of content they could produce. But the group felt they had obvious chemistry and knew that an audience could grow attached to a recurring cast of faces. So, while still making their necessary deliverables for the company, they worked on Try Guys videos on the side.

"As an employee, your value is directly related to how many viral videos you made and how well those viral videos did," Habersberger said. "There was a culty vibe where you were celebrated if you had a super amazing video." 

A lot of those videos in the first few years of BuzzFeed featured blurred or blocked-out nudity  (making it allowed on YouTube), from trying stripping to laser hair removal. Though most of the lewd content was blocked out in editing (except for a pissing competition where Kornfeld's penis was accidentally shown without his consent — though he did manage to joke about it years later), it still helped garner a mostly female audience that remains to this day. The content they created "was an antidote to the male gaze, or at least the idea of toxic masculinity," Kornfeld said. Their "vulnerability" without their clothes allowed them to share a new side of themselves that had rarely been seen by men in the media. 

One of their most successful videos featured them showing off their bodies to recreate Kim Kardashian's butt-filled 2014 Paper magazine cover, uploaded within 24 hours of the photo hitting the internet. Shooting the video after hours and editing it overnight, Habersberger said they were never "compensated for those extra hours" but they "did it because we knew it would do well." 

"We saw a whole bucket of storytelling that was under-tapped, under-explored, and that we could use our experience and our identity to be a cipher for the audience to explore this part of storytelling that was very primed to be viewed and to be shared," Kornfeld explained. 

As the videos started to perform better (and their bosses started to accept the format), branded opportunities started to roll in. Paid partnerships gave them bigger budgets to smash cars and pretend to be adrift at sea, raising the production value and teaching the members about the more traditional side of media (though they didn't get paid any extra cash). "We went from $300 to $600 a video, to suddenly having $20,000 or more, which allowed us to make something really cool," Habersberger said. 

After four years of making a corporation money with their content, the Guys knew it was time to create something of their own. In 2018, the group negotiated a deal with BuzzFeed where they managed to keep their intellectual property and the name "Try Guys" while BuzzFeed kept getting clicks on their older videos. At the time, former BuzzFeed employees were sharing their negative experiences in "Why I Left BuzzFeed" videos, so having a positive mutual departure was best for everyone's brand. 

"We felt there were more ways that we could build this brand than BuzzFeed was allowing us to do," Habersberger said. "We felt like we could do tours, we could have better merch, we could have other experiences, but that wasn't the agenda of BuzzFeed at that time." 

Branching out and navigating controversy

When striking out on their own, they wanted to "have a variety of programming," Kornfeld said, that "explored the different avenue[s] of ourselves" with a fairly limited budget. One of the first videos they filmed for the new channel was "Candid Competition," a reality show where Kornfeld asked different grocery stores to make him a custom cake. Originally, Kornfeld felt certain "that it had failed and that it was a dud," but after spending some time with an editor, it became one of his "favorite pieces of chaos." 

Now free from the shackles of creating boilerplate content where they just "try" things, they shared their struggles with fatherhood, medical issues, and creating their own company. Repeatable formats like Keith Eats the Menu, where Habersberger tries every dish at a restaurant, and Which Try Guy knows the other the best, allowed them to push out content cheaply and quickly. 

In 2022, as the channel was on the rise with their Food Network show No-Recipe Road Trip set to premiere, a scandal shook the group to its core. Fans on Reddit discovered that Fulmer, whose main characteristic was talking about his wife in videos, was having an affair with a producer. Fulmer, who had a stake in the company, was bought out and removed. The three remaining members released a tense statement on their channel that went so viral Saturday Night Live spoofed it.

When asked about this era of the Try Guys, Habersberger and Kornfeld jokingly played a game of rock, paper, scissors, to see who would answer. 

"Our first goal was to do right by our staff, by each other, and by the audience," Kornfeld said. "We remain very proud of how we navigated a less-than-fortunate situation…Having a shakeup like that gave us the courage to take risks and to imagine a better future for us."

"We spent a year trying to figure out what we should do," Habersberger added. "It was an unfortunate thing that happened, that probably was a necessary change for this business to last as long as possible."

SEE ALSO: This man flew first class on six U.S. airlines to see which offered the best experience

Out of this controversy came what they describe as the "fuck it" era, where the three remaining members created the content that they wanted to make. They had been "playing the algorithm game for 10 years" and wanted "to focus on the audience we've already built and try to make stuff for those people," Habersberger said. That meant doing a livestreamed version of Romeo and Juliet and renting out a movie theater for Kornfeld to screen a short film. These weren't the best "business decisions," they both admit, but it was what they wanted to make. It showed them that the ad-based model of depending on YouTube revenue just wasn't sustainable for them. 

Today's Try Guys

After two years of controversy and ill-advised business decisions behind them, the Try Guys knew they had to evolve to save their growing business and keep their team of editors, producers, and more employed. "Our audience was interested in a depth of connection," Kornfeld said. "That just isn't what YouTube is built for."

That's why in May 2024, the Try Guys announced that the channel would undergo a rebrand. 2nd Try is a subscription service that expands the group to other members and viewpoints. Viewers can spend $5 a month or $50 for the year to get early access to ad-free, uncensored videos to the troupe's catalog. Some viewers found the move controversial, especially since weeks prior, fellow BuzzFeed alums Watcher announced their own streaming service which also ended in a couch apology. At the same time, Yang announced that he would be leaving the group. 

Former BuzzFeed colleagues like Kwesi James and internet darlings like baker Jonny Manganello are part of a rotating roster of faces breathing new blood into the channel. The group is bounding into new territory, like creating their own comic book and trying drugs on camera. 

Turning from post-grads forced to make six videos a week into cultural icons didn't happen overnight. Their decade of work and experimentation is impressive, and it leaves the future wide open to possibility.  

"I think we had to go through that valley to see what was broken in what we were doing, to then imagine a better future," Kornfeld said.

Pachinko Season 2 is worth watching for its updated opening title sequence alone.

SEE ALSO: 'Pachinko' Season 2 trailer teases more sweeping family drama — with the help of BLACKPINK's Rosé

Like Season 1's stirring opener, this sequence features members of the Baek family dancing, carefree, down aisles of pachinko machines. In a new twist, though, these credits are split across two pachinko parlors: A muted, 1940s-era parlor with wood-paneled machines, and a much larger, rainbow-bright parlor from the 1980s. Characters from the show's earlier timeline dance through both sets, a joyful reflection of the ways in which history, both personal and global, layers itself over the present.

These echoes of the past — some joyful, some tragic — persist throughout the main body of Pachinko's second season, which remains a magnificent portrait of a family across generations.

What's Pachinko Season 2 about? Sungkyu Kim, Eunchae Jung, Kang Hoon Kim, Minha Kim, Eunseong Kwon, and Lee Minho in "Pachinko." Credit: Apple TV+

Once again, Pachinko splits its time between the lives of Sunja (Minha Kim) and her grandson Solomon (Jin Ha), both of whom find themselves in periods of extreme transition.

In Osaka in 1945, Sunja struggles to keep her family afloat during World War II. As the American forces close in on Japan, a reunion with her former lover Koh Hansu (Lee Minho) — and father of her eldest son Noa (Kang Hoon Kim) — offers Sunja an escape to the countryside. There, she, Noa, her youngest son Mozasu (Eunseong Kwon), and her sister-in-law Kyunghee (Eunchae Jung) can wait out the end of the conflict.

SEE ALSO: 'Dìdi' review: Don't miss the coming-of-age comedy that's among the year's very best movies

While Pachinko continues to focus on Sunja's hard work to ensure her and her loved ones' survival, it also opens up to a coming-of-age story for Noa and Mozasu. The two face anti-Korean prejudice from their Japanese compatriots everywhere from schoolrooms in Osaka to the rolling rice fields of the countryside. Yet they also form new dreams and new friendships. Among them? A bond with Hansu, whose secret connection to Noa looms large over the season.

Meanwhile, in Tokyo in 1989, Solomon is fighting a war of his own against businessman Abe (Yoshio Maki) in retaliation for the loss of his career. Centered around discussions of real estate deals and starting his own fund, his is a struggle that's so far removed from Sunja's own that her older self (Academy Award winner Yuh-Jung Youn) can barely understand it. But of course, it’s in the moments where younger Sunja and Solomon’s stories intersect — or diverge — that Pachinko finds some of its most potent meaning.

Pachinko Season 2 continues to be an exceptional exploration of the past. Jin Ha in "Pachinko." Credit: Apple TV+

Pachinko's earlier timeline stands by itself as a moving tale of perseverance through dark times, full of simple life-affirming moments like family dinners or days spent flying kites. But it also elevates the later timeline by constantly reminding of us of everything that brought Solomon to where he is today. His business ambition has roots in Noa's own drive to study for a university entrance exam. Any time a character in the past mentions wanting to go to America, we recall that Solomon went to Yale.

There are differences, too: In one episode, Noa learns a valuable lesson in forgiveness, while Solomon forgoes any kind of forgiveness in favor of revenge. The lack of Noa in 1989 reverberates through the past as well, making every scene with him a new step on the inevitable march towards his absence.

Throughout it all, Pachinko remains one of the most stunningly crafted shows on TV. Each set, costume, and prop bursts with lived-in texture. Often, the series slows down to detail the everyday processes that make up the Baeks' lives, from days spent working on a rice farm to hours spent making family meals. Each scene is so evocative you can almost feel sweat on the back of your neck in tandem with theirs, or smell the food they pass around their table.

Occasionally, Pachinko Season 2 breaks this carefully conjured realism, for better or worse. In the "better" corner, we have a tense sequence counting down to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki — an inevitability from the very first episode. Mundane activities play out in a Nagasaki factory, rendered in black and white, as if we're watching a newsreel of the moments leading up to the bombing. It's a breathtaking stylistic change, and marks a shift in the rest of the season. Unfortunately, Season 2 does stumble a tad in its final episodes, with love triangles and the occasional "shocking" reveal tending towards soap opera-esque melodrama.

Overall, though, Pachinko Season 2 is a triumphant achievement for one of TV's best shows. Like Pachinko's characters in the 1989 timeline, who can always sense the brush of history at their backs, you'll feel like you can reach out and touch the past just by watching.

Pachinko Season 2 premieres Aug. 23 on Apple TV+, with a new episode every Friday.

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Have you heard the one about how aliens have infiltrated human society in order to take over Earth without us noticing? How they’ve slipped beneath the skin of all sorts of folks, from new mothers to famous politicians, and they are heck-bent on… uncovering the recipe for marmalade? OK, so Secret Invasion this ain’t. The Becomers, a sci-fi rom-com from Little Sister writer/director Zach Clark, feels like what Jim Jarmusch’s deadpan touch could do with a Body Snatchers remake.

Low-key, lovely, and determinedly lo-fi, these aliens’ antics comment on the world they find themselves stumbling through, which just so happens to be the weird and wacky one modern-day Americans inhabit. Along the way, the film buries its sweet and tender romance under a good dollop of gross-out Cronenbergian body horror. There’s something here for everybody!

What's "The Becomers" about? Credit: Yellow Veil Pictures

Basically, it's Body Snatchers told from the point of view of the Snatchers themselves. The Becomers has that 1980s fish-out-of-water vibe in which comedies like Cocoon and Splash traded. These slimy assimilators, once under the skin of their fresh human vessels, have some wacky catching up to do. And we watch them fail and flail as they keep getting it wrong, immersed in situations they weren’t quite expecting. 

Putting the fluid in “gender fluid,” the routine goes like this: The aliens drop down from the skies via their little pink whirligig spacecraft, and they liquefy whatever unlucky person they cross paths with, quickly adopting their visage through, you know, science or whatever. The movie really doesn’t get too hung up on the particulars, and neither should you. Some very brief backstory lays out the dying planet that they’ve come from, but The Becomers is more concerned with the directly here and right now — with the weirdness of these weirdos continually finding themselves to be the least weird ones in the room.

So, after landing their spacecraft in the woods just off the highway, our primary alien (names aren’t really a thing in this story) first slips into the road worker who saw their ship land. But he’s no good; the alien needs a vehicle to be mobile. And what luck, there’s a young woman pulled over on the side of the road just ahead. The fact that she’s pulled over because she’s actively giving birth is only a brief distraction the alien doesn’t seem too concerned with. They’ve got places to be, and babies can be dispatched easily enough. 

The problem is that every human being that the alien takes over also had places to be. They had lives they were in the middle of leading when they were so rudely interrupted by all this extraterrestrial chicanery. And aye, that’ll be the rub, as our alien steps into each person’s shoes for however long they’re in there, trying to pass as human. Clark mines great tension and even greater humor from each too-close-for-comfort encounter, as the alien is forced to find out what kind of person they’re inhabiting, and what kind of terrible skeletons they've got in their closets... or basements.

There's a dark but giddy humor as the alien tries on fresh bodies like the shopping spree scene from Pretty Woman. The Becomers becomes episodic as its space invaders strive to find that perfect fit, skin by skin. We never realized how lucky Julia Roberts was that she didn’t have to vomit acid onto every Louboutin that was too big or small in order to dissolve its carcass. Not until now, anyway! That would’ve been a very different movie. It would have been this one, in fact.

Acid baths aside, every night, no matter how outrageous the circumstances they find themselves in, the alien goes outdoors and calls out a strange sound into the darkness. A sort of music, which we eventually find out is the alien’s version of Daniel Day-Lewis' “I will find you!” speech from The Last of the Mohicans. Because it turns out that the alien’s life partner is also out there somewhere among humanity, in some random human form as well — also wandering, also looking for their partner in return. 

Separated by unimaginable distances and events beyond our pea-brained comprehension, it turns out that all these interstellar lifeforms are looking for is their one true love. Everybody together now: Awww!

The extraterrestrials of "The Becomers" are so extra.

But this is hardly a re-do of the heteronormative Earth Girls Are Easy. Not when gender is utterly meaningless to the members of this species, who insists on retaining a moist, leaking side-hole on their human-seeming exteriors. One where all sorts of gunky sexual shenanigans will go down, eventually gifting us with what might be the weirdest sex scene on-screen since Team America.

Once our literally star-crossed lovers finally do get reunited, the longest passage of the film finds our lead alien taking on the form of Little Sister actress Molly Plunk (a singular delight who profoundly gets the assignment), while her lover is first played by Jacquelyn Haas and then by Mike Lopez (All Jacked Up and Full of Worms) as their bodies betray them through a series of mishaps. But even as the bodies and actors and side-holes keep changing, we keep track of who’s who because one alien’s eyes glow pink while the other’s glow blue — no doubt another sly nod toward the deconstruction of gender constructs always scribbling in the film’s margins.

But as queer as the body snatchers and their acid-barfing escapades are, nothing quite prepares them for the queerness of humanity itself. As the aliens find and lose and find one another over and over again, we become witness to how truly outlandish our own proclivities would seem when viewed from slightly askance. 

Across the last act, as politics and cults and Facebook-radicalized suburbanite Satanists start inching into the frame, it becomes clear that this is a satire of our truly absurd moment as much as the 1956 Body Snatchers movie was a lacerating takedown of McCarthyism. Each generation gets the Body Snatchers it deserves, and 2023 deserves chaos. The Becomers brings it in buckets.

The Becomers will open in select theaters starting on Aug. 23 and will be available via VOD on Sept. 24.

UPDATE: Aug. 20, 2024, 2:48 p.m. EDT "The Becomers" was reviewed out of Fantasia International Film Festival 2023 in this article, originally published on Aug. 2, 2023. This article has been updated to reflect the movie's theatrical and VOD releases.

Change is in the air in Pachinko Season 2.

SEE ALSO: 'Pachinko' Season 2 review: Decades-spanning family drama makes a triumphant return

Created by Soo Hugh, the decades-spanning adaptation of Min Jin Lee's novel of the same name continues to tell the intertwining stories of Sunja Baek (Minha Kim and Yuh-Jung Youn) and her grandson Solomon (Jin Ha). But there are some substantial differences at play. This season heads to new locations, elevates characters like Sunja's sons Noa (Kang Hoon Kim) and Mozasu (Eunseong Kwon) to higher prominence, and reunites Sunja with her former lover Koh Hansu (Lee Minho) after 14 years apart. There's even a new title sequence to usher us into Pachinko's next chapters.

Mashable spoke with Hugh about some of the biggest changes Pachinko viewers can expect in Season 2, including trips to the countryside, Noa and Mozasu's new roles, and what comes next for Sunja and Hansu.

The following interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Mashable: One big change coming into Pachinko Season 2 is we get a new title sequence with new actors, more pachinko parlors, and a new song, "Wait a Million Years" by The Grass Roots. What was the thought process behind changing up the sequence?

Soo Hugh, showrunner, writer, and producer of Pachinko: It's always the most fun part of the show, filming those title sequences. And we love Season 1's version, but half those actors aren't in the show anymore. We could have recut it, but I think it would have really hurt the flow of the title sequence. Redoing it also gave us an opportunity to bring more of our actors into the piece.

The song we chose, when you listen to its lyrics, you realize it's a love song. They say, "I would wait a million years." And so many of the storylines in Season 2 are about, what does it mean to find someone that really understands and sees you? That just became a bigger part of Season 2.

SEE ALSO: Apple TV+'s 'Pachinko' has an opening title sequence you'll want to watch more than once

In Season 1, you expanded on elements of the original novel, including an episode focused on Koh Hansu's experience in the Great Kantō earthquake of 1923. What was something from the novel you were most excited to expand upon or explore in Season 2?

We really bring up the second generation more in Season 2, so it becomes so much more Noa and Mozasu's story. Pachinko is this generational saga, so it's been nice to start building out their stories and adding their points of view. It makes it a challenge in some ways: There's so many more storylines to balance in Season 2 than we had in Season 1. We had to figure out how to deftly weave in all these stories without making it feel like all of a sudden we have too many things to follow.

Eunseong Kwon and Kang Hoon Kim in "Pachinko." Credit: AppleTV+

With the emphasis on Noa and Mozasu, we get a coming-of-age story in this season, with schoolboy angst and struggles to make friends. I'd love to hear more about that.

We want to try and create this portrait of what it is to be these characters in this time period. Even though we've never seen Solomon in school when he's a kid, when you see what happens to Noa, you understand something similar probably happened to Solomon as well. So there's this doubling — these are shared experiences between the generations.

SEE ALSO: 'Dìdi' review: Don't miss the coming-of-age comedy that's among the year's very best movies

At the end of episode 1, we see Sunja and Hansu reunite after being separate for most of Season 1. Tell me about crafting that reunion, and what it was like to bring these two characters back together.

We knew there was so much expectation riding on that scene. Season 1 ends with Hansu first seeing Sunja, and now episode 1 of Season 2 ends with them finally confronting each other. They haven't seen each other in 14 years. If you were in that situation, what would you say to that person? For Sunja, it's such a shock. So it was important to give it that dramatic weight, that emotional weight, and at the same time, making sure that we're not betraying who Sunja is. She's not just going to run into his arms!

Lee Minho and Minha Kim in "Pachinko." Credit: AppleTV+

Exactly. I know there are a lot of people who want to see these characters together, and a lot of people who don't. As Sunja and Hansu's relationship comes to the forefront this season, what is something you hope viewers take away or learn from this aspect of the story?

Something that I think is really important and that we want to emphasize in Season 2 is that these people don't even know each other that well. In Season 1, they were together only a few times before she got pregnant and had to decide that she couldn't live the life that he wanted her to live as a mistress. So Season 2 is actually the season where they get to know each other as people.

What I'm interested in, more than a romance, is we actually see a friendship start to develop between these two people. That's even bigger than a romantic angle: How do these two people understand each other? Because now they're both parents, and their shared love for Noa really brings them together in a stronger way than just lust or romantic love.

We know from the Season 2 trailer that Hansu, Sunja, and Sunja's family end up in the countryside, meaning so much of their chance to reconnect happens in the country as opposed to the city. How will that new setting impact their burgeoning connection?

I love that question, because they fell in love in the Korean countryside when Sunja was a teenager, right? So there's something about the countryside that takes them back to being home, and there's a comfort in that. Hansu always says, in some ways, he's always looking for where home is. He lives in this big mansion with his Japanese father-in-law, and yet the place he feels most comfortable is with Sunja.

Pachinko Season 2 premieres Aug. 23 on Apple TV+, with a new episode every Friday.

The Justice Department is set to file an antitrust suit against the real estate company RealPage alleging illegal price-fixing facilitated by algorithms.

TL;DR: Wave goodbye to recurring streaming fees with lifetime access to Curiosity Stream on sale for £122.05 (reg. £305.17) through Sept. 3.

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When every show you want to watch is available on a different streaming platform, you end up shelling out way more money than you want to. But if you're someone who's into documentaries, there's a place where all of them live — and the best part is, you only have to pay once to watch them all.

Curiosity Stream was built for docu-buffs who need a break from those pesky subscription costs and want to pay just once for a lifetime of science, history, art, and so much more. Act fast and grab this lifetime deal for just £122.05 (reg. £305.17) through Sept. 3. 

Created by the founder of Discovery Communications, John Hendricks, this all-encompassing documentary streaming service provides unlimited access to over 3,000 documentaries and nonfiction titles on a vast array of topics, including science, history, technology, and nature. With content from award-winning filmmakers and leading experts, Curiosity Stream is perfect for lifelong learners and those with a thirst for knowledge.

Enjoy high-definition (1920 x 1080 pixels) streaming with new content added regularly, ensuring you always have fresh material to explore. Curiosity Stream offers exclusive series and in-depth explorations that you won't find anywhere else.

The lifetime subscription guarantees uninterrupted access to this ever-growing library on multiple devices — smart TVs, iPhone, Apple TV, Android and Android TV, Xbox One, and more — making it a valuable investment for curious minds of all ages. Delve into the wonders of the universe, uncover ancient civilisations, and stay up-to-date with the latest scientific breakthroughs, all from the comfort of your home.

Only pay once for this lifetime subscription to Curiosity Stream, available until Sept. 3 at 11:59 p.m. for £122.05.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Watch Phoenix Mercury vs. Atlanta Dream in the WNBA with WNBA League Pass. Avoid blackouts and watch the WNBA from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2024 WNBA season is well underway and it's Phoenix Mercury vs. Atlanta Dream next on the court. Players including Kahleah Copper and Rhyne Howard are expected to feature, so it's not a game you'll want to miss.

If you want to watch Phoenix Mercury vs. Atlanta Dream in the WNBA from anywhere in the world, keep reading to find out all the information you need.

When is Phoenix Mercury vs. Atlanta Dream?

Phoenix Mercury vs. Atlanta Dream in the WNBA starts at 7:30 p.m. ET on Aug. 23. This fixture takes place at the Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia.

How to watch Phoenix Mercury vs. Atlanta Dream

WNBA fans can live stream the 2024 WNBA season from anywhere in the world with the WNBA League Pass.

It's important to note, however, that the WNBA League Pass may not show locally televised games live in the participating teams' local areas. However, you can bypass this by using a VPN. These helpful tools work by hiding your real IP address so you can connect to secure servers in other locations. This means you can bypass blackouts to watch every WNBA League Pass game live, excluding games hosted by Amazon Prime Video.

To access every WNBA League Pass game, follow these easy 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 a location with no broadcast deals for the WNBA

4. Log in to WNBA League Pass

5. Stream every WNBA game live (except games hosted by Amazon Prime Video)

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 What is the best VPN for the WNBA?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for hiding your real IP address and streaming more sport, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 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.

Stream Phoenix Mercury vs. Atlanta Dream in the WNBA from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Watch Las Vegas Aces vs. Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA with WNBA League Pass. Avoid blackouts and watch the WNBA from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Las Vegas Aces and Minnesota Lynx are next on the court as the WNBA season continues. Las Vegas Aces have had a strong season thus far, and are among the top three teams shooting for the playoffs. The Minnesota Lynx will be fighting for a playoff spot after an improved performance over recent games.

If you want to watch Las Vegas Aces vs. Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA from anywhere in the world, keep reading to find out all the information you need. Don't miss out.

When is Las Vegas Aces vs. Minnesota Lynx?

Las Vegas Aces vs. Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA starts at 9:30 p.m. ET on Aug. 23. This fixture takes place at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

How to watch Las Vegas Aces vs. Minnesota Lynx

WNBA fans can live stream Las Vegas Aces vs. Minnesota Lynx and the remainder of the 2024 WNBA season from anywhere in the world by using the WNBA League Pass.

However, the WNBA League Pass may not show locally televised games live in the participating teams' local areas. But not to worry, there's a way around this. You can beat these geo-restrictions by using a VPN, a useful tool that works by hiding your real IP address to help you connect to secure servers in other locations. So, you'll be able to bypass any blackouts and watch every WNBA League Pass game live, excluding games hosted by Amazon Prime Video.

You can access every WNBA League Pass game 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 a location with no broadcast deals for the WNBA

4. Log in to WNBA League Pass

5. Stream every WNBA game live (barring games hosted by Amazon Prime Video)

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 What is the best VPN for the WNBA?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for hiding your real IP address and streaming more sport, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 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.

Stream Las Vegas Aces vs. Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Watch the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix for free on ORF, ServusTV, or RTBF. Access these free streaming platforms from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Fans have been patiently waiting for competitive F1 racing for years, and after a disappointingly routine start to the season, it looks like things are heating up. Recent races have been thrilling battles between a number of drivers, and we're hoping for more of the same at the Dutch Grand Prix.

If you're interested in watching the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix?

The 2024 Dutch Grand Prix takes place over 72 laps of the 4,259-kilometre Circuit Zandvoor. The full schedule can be found here:

• Practice 1 — 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. ET on Aug. 23

• Practice 1 — 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET on Aug. 23

• Practice 1 — 5:30 to 6:30 a.m. ET on Aug. 24

• Qualifying — 9 to 10 a.m. ET on Aug. 24

• Race — 9 a.m. ET on Aug. 25

The good news is that it's possible to stream the Dutch Grand Prix without spending anything.

How to watch the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix for free

You can find free F1 live streams on these platforms:

• Austria — ORF or ServusTV (12 races each)

• Belgium — RTBF (every race)

ORF, ServusTV, and RTBF are geo-restricted, but anyone from around the world can access these free streaming platforms with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other countries, meaning you can access these streaming services to watch F1 for free from anywhere in the world.

Unblock free streaming services 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 Austria or Belgium

4. Connect to ORF, ServusTV, or RTBF

5. Watch the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix 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 trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch F1 live streams for free. This is clearly not a long-term solution, but it does mean you can stream the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix without actually spending anything.

What is the best VPN for F1?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for live streaming F1 for free, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Austria and Belgium

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is protected

• Fast streaming speeds

• 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 30-day money-back guarantee.

Watch the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream San Francisco 49ers vs. Las Vegas Raiders for free on DAZN. You can watch the NFL preseason for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 49ers' Quest for Six — to win their sixth Super Bowl — enters its 30th year, though the franchise has come close in recent NFL seasons. The 49ers lost to the Chiefs in overtime earlier this year at Super Bowl LVIII — an emotional sucker-punch of a loss. But experts are predicting big things for the 49ers this season. They're amongst the favorites, alongside the Chiefs, to win Super Bowl LVIIIX.

The Las Vegas Raiders meanwhile are battling to earn a spot in the playoffs, having failed to reach the playoffs for two consecutive seasons. But a preseason win over the 49ers might give the Raiders a boost heading into the 2024 season. Their Super Bowl drought extends back further than the 49ers' Quest for the Six, having last won a Super Bowl in 1983.

If you want to watch the NFL preseason for free, no matter where you are around the world, here's all the information you need.

When is 49ers vs. Raiders?

San Francisco 49ers vs. Las Vegas Raiders takes place at 10 p.m. ET on Aug. 23. This fixture will be played at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

How to watch 49ers vs. Raiders for free

To watch the NFL preseason for free, simply sign up with sports platform DAZN. This service is streaming the NFL preseason live and on-demand for free, though it's restricted to viewers outside the U.S., Canada, and China.

However, anyone can bypass these geo-restrictions with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and then connect you to secure servers in other countries, allowing you to unblock geo-restricted content from around the globe.

Access free live streams of the NFL 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 a location with free coverage of the NFL preseason

4. Visit DAZN

5. Watch the NFL preseason 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 actually free to use, but the leading VPN providers usually have incentive deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By taking advantage of these deals, you will be able to access free live streams of the NFL preseason — all without spending anything. Sure, it's a short-term fix, but this gives you enough time to watch the NFL preseason before you claim back any upfront investment.

What is the best VPN for the NFL?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream the NFL, 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 connection speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is currently on sale for $99.95 — a saving of 49% for a limited time only. With this plan you get a bonus three months at no extra cost, plus a year of unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream the NFL preseason for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Miami Dolphins vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers for free on DAZN. Watch the NFL preseason for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

With just two weeks until the NFL season kicks off for real, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Miami Dolphins — a second Florida showdown following the Buccaneers' preseason loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Dolphins are 2-0 in the preseason and want to head into the real competition with some momentum, following a patchy 2023 campaign and a 24-year losing streak in the playoffs. Will the Dolphins wrap up this preseason by showing fans they can do better in 2024?

If you want to watch the NFL preseason for free, no matter where you are around the world, here's all the information you need.

When is Dolphins vs. Buccaneers?

Miami Dolphins vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers takes place at 7.30 p.m. ET on Aug. 23. This fixture will be played at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

How to watch Dolphins vs. Buccaneers for free

To watch the NFL preseason for free, you can sign up with streaming platform DAZN. This service is showing the NFL preseason live and on-demand for free, but only to viewers outside the U.S., Canada, and China.

That's frustrating, but anyone can bypass these geo-restrictions by using a VPN. If you haven't used them before, VPNs are brilliant tools that can hide your real IP address (digital location) and then connect you to secure servers in other countries, which allows you to unblock geo-restricted content from around the globe.

Access free live streams of the NFL 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 a location with free coverage of the NFL preseason

4. Visit DAZN

5. Watch the NFL preseason 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 actually free to use, but leading VPN providers tend to offer incentive deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these deals, you can gain access to NFL preseason live streams — all without spending anything in the long run. Sure, it's a short-term fix, but it gives you enough time to watch the NFL preseason before claiming back any upfront investment.

What is the best VPN for the NFL?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream the NFL, 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 connection speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is currently on sale for $99.95, giving you an overall saving of 49%. The plan is available for a limited time and also includes a bonus three months at no extra cost, plus a year of unlimited cloud backup, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream the NFL preseason for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Atlanta Falcons for free on DAZN. Watch the NFL preseason for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

After a difficult 2023 season, the Jacksonville Jaguars are looking good in preseason action. They've notched up wins against the Kansas City Chief and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Particularly impressive was the fact that the Jaguars fielded mostly secondary players but still dominated against the Buccaneers. Preseason is always a chance for reserves to show their stuff.

Conversely, the Atlanta Falcons are 0-2 in preseason games, following a tricky season that saw them fire their head coach. This is only preseason, of course, so it makes no major impact other than seeing how the roster will likely shape up. But Falcons fans will be hoping to see rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. get some game time against the Jaguars. Can Penix be a difference maker for Atlanta in 2024?

If you want to watch NFL preseason games for free, no matter where you are around the world, here's all the information you need.

When is Jaguars vs. Falcons?

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Atlanta Falcons takes place at 7 p.m. ET on Aug. 23. This fixture will be played at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

How to watch Jaguars vs. Falcons for free

To watch the NFL preseason for free, you can simply register with DAZN.

This platform is showing the NFL preseason for free — both live or on-demand — but only to viewers outside the U.S., Canada, and China. However, anyone can bypass these geo-restrictions by using a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and then connect you with secure servers in other countries, which allows you to unblock geo-restricted content from around the globe.

Access free live streams of the NFL preseason 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 a location with free coverage of the NFL preseason

4. Visit DAZN

5. Watch the NFL preseason 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 to use, but the leading VPN providers tend to offer incentive deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these deals, you can gain access to NFL preseason live streams — all without spending a dime. This is a short-term fix, but you'll have time to watch the NFL preseason before recovering any upfront investment.

What is the best VPN for the NFL?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream the NFL, 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 connection speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is currently on sale for $99.95, which is an overall saving of 49%. The plan is available for a limited time and also includes a bonus three months at no additional cost, along with a year of unlimited cloud backup, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream the NFL preseason for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

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 August 22's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Where did Wordle come from?

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

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

What's the best Wordle starting word?

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

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles 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.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for August 20 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Aquatic parasite.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter E appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter L.

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...

LEECH.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for August 23 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer hints for August 23

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

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: The nose knows.

These words are intoxicating.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

The answers are aromas.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is CommonScents.

NYT Strands word list for August 23

• Cedar

• CommonScents

• Sandalwood

• Lavender

• Rose

• Lemon

• Musk

Looking for other daily online games? Find one you might like – or hints for another game you're already playing – on Mashable's Games page.

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