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When you're on the hunt for the best laptop under $500, there are two important words to keep in mind: "Buyer beware."

Many popular gadgets have wildly inflated prices, but in the highly competitive laptop market, you get what you pay for. That means it can be very dangerous to buy a "cheap" laptop. Choose wrongly, and you'll be stuck with a slow, outdated computer that causes more problems than it solves.

Mashable has previously tested some of the best cheap laptops overall, but if $500 is your upper limit, then you're going to be priced out of some popular budget laptops. Even so, there are some great computers within your budget that we highly recommend.

Not all of the laptops we tested made our final cut. Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable A quick guide to laptop pricing

You can buy a cheap Chromebook for as little as $100, while our favorite gaming laptop will set you back over $2,000. And in our guide to the best laptops in general, you'll find machines that span the budget spectrum. If you're only interested in laptops under $500, you'll be priced out of Ultrabooks, MacBooks, and most gaming laptops, though you still have some solid options.

Typically, laptops fall into one of the following categories:

• Chromebooks ($100-$650): These computers have minimal storage and are designed to run web applications. They're light, portable, and very affordable. At the upper end of this price range, cloud-based gaming Chromebooks offer a smart alternative to expensive gaming laptops.

• Budget laptops ($250-$750): Even the best budget laptops won't have the most impressive specs, but they should have enough RAM and storage for everyday use at school or work.

• MacBooks ($850-$3,500): The cheapest MacBook worth buying (the M2 MacBook Air) will set you back $850 when it's on sale, while a fully specced-out MacBook Pro can cost as much as $3,500.

• Ultrabooks ($1,000-$3,500): These high-end laptops have enough processing power to handle tasks like photo and video editing. They typically have a sleek and modern aesthetic, too. MacBooks also fall into this category.

SEE ALSO: I've reviewed over 59 laptops and this is the best Windows laptop of 2024 What are the best affordable laptops under $500 in 2024?

Below, we've put together a detailed guide to the best budget laptops for under $500, including Chromebooks. The right laptop will vary depending on your needs, but the Acer Aspire 5 is our overall top pick. Check out our other contenders below.

When it comes to shopping for the best cheap laptops, you can do a lot with $1,000. (Heck, even $500 cuts some mustard nowadays.) But you'll probably have to make some compromises along the way to stay below that price point.

That doesn't mean you have to settle for a total clunker that doesn't tick any of the boxes on your must-have specs list. It just means you have to shop a little smarter than someone with unlimited funds.

SEE ALSO: The best laptops of 2024, tested and reviewed

That's where we come in. The Mashable team is constantly reviewing new laptops, and we can recommend several affordable machines for different budgets, operating system loyalties, and use cases based on our hands-on testing.

What is the best cheap laptop?

As of mid-2024, we believe the best cheap MacBook is the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air powered by the previous-generation M2 chip. It's speedy enough for most people, it's got a great keyboard, and it starts at $999 (though it's often on sale for less than $900). Among Windows PCs, the Lenovo Yoga 7i 14 (Gen 9) is currently the best laptop under $1,000 that we've tried. It has a newer processor and a good battery life, it doubles as a tablet, and it comes in at a starting price of $899.99. We've gone deeper on these picks and some other solid options below.

As a final note, we've removed the Acer Chromebook 516 GE as a pick because it's no longer available for purchase anywhere. (It used to be our favorite cheap cloud gaming laptop.) However, Acer recently replaced it with the newer Chromebook Plus 516 GE, which is effectively the same laptop with a newer processor, a darker finish, and some new Gemini AI tools. We can't fully recommend it just yet because we haven't finished testing it, but it looks great on paper. We'll update this story as soon as we publish our full review.

FYI: We've listed the pricing and specs of our testing units, which may not apply to each laptop's base model.

Soundbars are a sleek, impressive (optional) addition to your entertainment setup — sometimes at the expense of making a dent in your budget and decor. They can rescue you from tinny, underwhelming TV speakers and give you a way to play your favorite music.

On the other hand, some soundbars don't necessarily deliver quality sound, cost a pretty penny, and can kill the vibe of a perfectly curated mid-century-modern credenza — a big, black bar in the middle of a colorful setup or muted natural wood tones can sometimes throw a decor scheme off kilter. What it comes down to for a product like this is good quality sound and the buyer's needs.

Enter stage left: The Sonos Ray soundbar. Sonos is an established audio technology brand with a focus on sound quality and technologically innovative features. Much of its equipment ranges in price from $200 to $900, increasing if you purchase tech bundles based on your audio needs. A primary draw to the brand is its expertly engineered smart speakers' sound quality and ability to build upon one another for a tailored audio experience. You can connect multiple products in their app and listen to the same audio throughout your home.

The Sonos Ray is pretty small for a soundbar. Credit: Han Schneider / Mashable

The Sonos Ray Soundbar ($279) occupies a unique space in Sonos's line of products and the broader soundbar market. Because of its lower-end price, it's a no-frills soundbar that doesn't even come with a remote or Bluetooth connectivity (really? in 2024?). This gave me pause at first, but upon testing and reflecting, I realized that not everything needs Bluetooth connectivity, nor does your tech need to possess every single feature possible if you only have one distinct purpose. And the Sonos Ray does deliver on the bottom line requirement of any speaker: true, quality sound.

I tested the Sonos Ray Soundbar and was pleasantly surprised that such a simple product could deliver on its few, albeit simple, promises. When many soundbars on the market are an eyesore, I thought it was excellent that the Sonos Ray soundbar can come in a crisp white that blends in well if you don't want that classic soundbar shape and color plunked into your home's aesthetic.

SEE ALSO: Sonos Era 300 review: Absolutely huge sound What is the Sonos Ray Soundbar good for?

The Sonos Ray soundbar is sleek, petite, crisp (in make and sound), and an all-around small but mighty soundbar to add to your entertainment system. However, you can't necessarily expect much more from this lower-cost soundbar from Sonos. It can make the audio of Nintendo's Tears of the Kingdom crystal clear such that you can make out the lush swishing of the animated grass and the crunch of gravel under Link's feet. It made Jeff Probst's narration of Survivor challenges burst from the TV with crisp, emphatic clarity, amplifying every splash, splat, and squelch of the contestants flailing in the ocean, sand, and mud.

That said, the options and possibilities for your Sonos Ray soundbar on its own are not limitless. It comes with a power cord and optical input cord, and that's it. I searched the box for a second for a remote, but Sonos wanted to simplify this particular soundbar (almost) to a fault. To my disappointment, I could not connect the soundbar to my projector during my initial test run. Without making any other purchases (say converter cables or additional products from Sonos), the only way to get the Sonos Ray up and running for an entertainment system is via your TV's optical cable, also known as a SPDIF cable.

This was new for me when it comes to a fancy gadget from a brand that foundationally prides itself on smart speakers that don't visually boast their specs but secretly pack so many different features and promise state-of-the-art synchronicity between pieces of your system.

The Sonos Ray has minimal physical controls and doesn't come with a remote. Credit: Han Schneider / Mashable Is the Sonos Ray Soundbar budget-friendly?

The simplicity of the Sonos Ray soundbar is not necessarily a "downside" to the product as it's clear the brand developed the product with the intent to offer a (relatively) budget-friendly purchase option within its portfolio of devices and within the broader sea of soundbar options. The Sonos Ray soundbar comes in at $279, much lower than the average soundbar price on the market among brands like Sony, Bose, and Sonos's larger, more versatile Arc soundbar ($899). However, some research will reveal that many higher-cost soundbars from competing brands go on sale near the Sonos Ray price point.

Typically, a sale that ranks competitively would make me override a review and just recommend the better product.

However, I don't particularly think that's necessary in this case. Size doesn't equal power or sound quality with this model, and it brings into question why soundbars have to be so large and unwieldy in the first place. The Sonos Ray comes in a classic black or a sleek white that I think blends into its surroundings delicately.

The folks who would benefit from opting for an on-sale soundbar that rivals Sonos Ray's price would be anyone who really wants a wider portfolio of features.

What features does the Sonos Ray Soundbar come with? 

The Sonos Ray is no-frills when it comes to features, but you do still have to sign up for and use the Sonos app to set it up and use it. This can be a true dealbreaker for folks who don't want to get their phone involved or prefer not to have an account attached to their device for digital privacy reasons.

As far as apps go, though, the Sonos app is very user-friendly and takes care of as much as possible for you. Once you plug in the speaker and sign up for the app, the app will find the product for you and connect it to your WiFi if you're already logged in. All you have to do is turn on your TV and get to watching and listening. I also liked that the Sonos Ray is compatible with IF remotes (infrared). I simply pointed my TV remote at the speaker to configure it and was ready to go in a matter of seconds.

Sonos really puts its money where its mouth is when it comes to sound quality. There's no doubt about it — these products sound great for music, movies, TV, weekend-long Survivor binges, and more. There are also incredible internal settings for your speaker that you can control via the intuitive app. However, the Sonos Ray doesn't have a microphone or any smart home compatibility built into the product. Although, if that's a must, you can finesse it into a broader smart home system with smart plugs.

These features include "speech enhancement" for those who want a crisper dialogue while enhancing the overall sound. During more action-packed, bass-heavy programming, the dialogue sometimes needs a little help rising above the rest of the excellent audio projection. 

There's also "night sound," which dampens the deeper bass elements of the speaker — if you want enhanced audio while a baby, pup, partner, or roommate is asleep nearby. Sonos prides itself on device intelligence (i.e., intelligent features like device synchronicity, Alexa, Google, and Apple Home compatibility, and a lot more). It also offers Sonos's impressive "Trueplay Tuning," which measures how sound bounces off surfaces in your home and adjusts its audio performance accordingly for the smoothest, most dimensional audio experience possible.

Does the Sonos Ray Soundbar sound good?

Speaking of bouncing off surfaces, another feature I liked about the Sonos Ray soundbar is that the hardware speakers face forward, angling the audio directly out and at the viewer. This means that the Sonos Ray soundbar is the perfect candidate for fitting into a petite cubby inside a TV stand, a built-in shelf for a soundbar, or anywhere that would otherwise annoyingly envelope multi-directional sound and create a little cove of cacophony instead of a luxury audio experience.

Is the Sonos Ray Soundbar worth it?

The Sonos Ray's strengths lie in the same spaces that some may point to weaknesses — because this product is about fitting the buyer's needs. It's a straightforward install of one cord between itself and the TV, and a very easy-to-use app may be great for folks who don't care about all of that smart home hoopla (ahem, my parents). It is smaller and shorter than many soundbars on the market for those with little space on their TV stand or entertainment setup. The Sonos Ray soundbar could also neatly fit under a monitor in a gaming setup for gamers looking for a seamless luxury sound experience that fits into their space.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this speaker also follows through on music sound quality. The audio quality for music speaks for itself when you get one of your favorite heard-it-a-million-times songs going. The treble and bass quality are striking, even at a shallow volume level. The catch on the music aspect of the Sonos Ray is in line with its previously stated weaknesses: there's no Bluetooth connectivity. That doesn't matter here because you can play any music streaming app via your phone by simply selecting the speaker in the apps. One of the most striking things about the music quality on the Sonos Ray soundbar is how clear and crisp each guitar strum and cymbal hit is when listening to Palehound's “Eye on the Bat.”

Sonos Ray $265.49 at Amazon
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If you were lucky enough to have a good dad growing up, imagine if they were suddenly taken away for reasons you don't quite understand. Would you wonder why he was no longer around to sing you songs or talk with you? Would you be angry at his absence? That's the starting point for Angela Patton and Natalie Rae's moving documentary Daughters, which premiered at Sundance earlier this year and is now available to stream on Netflix. 

The movie follows four girls — Aubrey, who excitedly recites her multiplication tables; Santana, who helps her mom take care of her younger siblings; Ja'Ana, who struggles to remember what her father looked like before he went to prison; Raziah, who wishes she could tell her dad about her day — and their incarcerated fathers as they prepare for the rare chance to hold and hug one another during a father-daughter dance. 

As the documentary explains, the availability of in-person visits have sharply declined in prisons across the country, meaning years could pass between opportunities for children to hold their parent's hand or sit in their lap. The result that this has on the daughters in the film is profound. As the filmmakers check back in a year and then three years after the dance, missing out on time spent with a parent due to incarceration has lasting consequences on the girls' behavior and their well-being. It's heartbreaking to see the pieces of childhood lost as collateral damage. 

What is Daughters about? Credit: Netflix

The first voice in Daughters belongs to Patton, founder of the Girls for a Change nonprofit, which aims to empower young Black girls. Their Date with Dad event, which reunites daughters with their incarcerated fathers for one day, is a signature program of the organization. “They already know what they need… The wisdom lives inside of them,” Patton says of the girls. She explains that the idea for the event came from girls she worked with; it was the suggestion of bringing a dance to their dads that led to the program's creation in Richmond, VA, before expanding to Washington, D.C. 

In preparation for the big event, the fathers enroll in a 10-week coaching class that will try to prepare them through the emotions of that day, examine their own family history, and rededicate themselves to being there for their daughters. The men's conversations are just as emotionally wrenching as the interviews with their daughters, revealing generations of pain and their intentions to do better for their kids. But the powerhouse moments really belong to Aubrey, Santana, Ja'Ana, and Raziah, who are unafraid to be honest about their hurt and confusion over their situation. Reuniting with their fathers is such a joyful but bittersweet moment; the men are in various stages of their sentences, and it may be years or even decades before they will have the chance to freely hug their daughters once again. 

Daughters celebrates and centers Black girlhood.  Credit: Netflix

Between the tearful moments (and there are a lot of them), the filmmakers sprinkle beautiful interstitial scenes of girls playing with each other, riding their bikes, running their fingers through blades of grass or splashing in a river. There are also plenty of poignant close-ups of a smaller hand grasping onto their parent's hand, showing that even as they grow older, they still rely on that sense of touch and the security, warmth, and love that comes with it. These scenes are typically used as background visuals behind a voice-over or contemplative beats by singer and cellist Kelsey Lu, but they beautifully illustrate what's at stake here, and what organizers, communities, and families are fighting for — offering these girls an ongoing connection with their fathers and the chance to enjoy moments of a carefree childhood as much as possible. 

Cinematographer Michael Cambio Fernandez plays with different formats, using both digital and film to give Daughters the feeling of a family album. Grainy handheld footage, artistic black-and-white scenes, and starkly somber interview footage all meld together to give viewers a sense of every side of the story — including that of the hesitant mothers. We see the excitement of the girls' faces as they get ready for their big dance, the glee on the men's faces as they help each other tie their ties and get dressed up for their daughters. For a fleeting moment, there is hope and joy in everyone's faces, happy cries of “Daddy!” and “I love my dad!” fill the room. 

Daughters is easily one of the best documentaries you'll see all year. It's enlightening, it's moving, and it's stunning to watch. Patton and Rae focus on the experience of four little girls to illustrate such a specific loss that's often overlooked in conversations about the criminal justice system. The documentary leaves you with more to think about, some tears to dry, and perhaps the feeling you should call your dad to tell him you love him. 

How to watch: Daughters is now streaming on Netflix. 

The first batch of M4 MacBooks are reportedly on the horizon, according to some juicy gossip from Bloomberg's respected Apple leaker Mark Gurman.

We already saw a glimpse of the M4 chip's capabilities when Apple debuted it on the iPad Pro. Interestingly, this is the first time that Apple has ever rolled out an M-series chip on an iPad before a Mac.

The first Apple device to receive an M4 chip is the iPad Pro Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

We're not sure why Apple injected this chip into its most premium tablet before integrating it into a MacBook Pro. (Perhaps Apple wanted to give us a teaser of what's to come). But based on the mind-blowing battery life runtime we got for the iPad Pro, as well as the impressive performance numbers, the M4 MacBook Pro models are likely going to make Windows PCs squirm.

That being said, let's take a look at all the leaks and rumors we've been hearing about M4 MacBooks. Plus, we'll also take a sneak peek at leaks and rumors of other upcoming Macs.

M4 MacBook Pro release date

According to an April report from Gurman, the next MacBook Pro will drop some time in later this year. He didn't supply an exact date, but the MacBook Pro is expected to come before the M4 MacBook Air, which is poised to drop in the spring months of 2025.

The current-gen entry-level MacBook Pro Credit: Apple

This matches a rumor from Ross Young, another respected analyst. According to Young, who posted a leak on his subscriber-only feed on X (formerly Twitter), Apple fans can expect an M4 MacBook Pro release "later this year," he said.

Based on what Apple has done historically, this means that Apple will likely hold a Mac event on October or November to unveil the new M4 MacBook Pro. However, as BGR noted, the best guesstimate is October.

According to Gurman, the entry-level M4 14-inch MacBook Pro will be released first, followed by the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with the more powerful M4 Pro and M4 Max chips (likely end of 2024 or early 2025).

M4 MacBook Pro models

Similar to the M3 MacBooks that dropped last year during the October "Scary Fast" event, we're expecting the following M4 MacBook models this year:

• 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 (cheapest)

• 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro

• 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Max

• 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro

• 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Max (priciest)

According to Apple, compared to the M2 CPU, the M4 processor is 50% faster. The Cupertino-based tech giant also claims that rendering performance has a four-fold performance jump.

M4 MacBook Pro design

We haven't seen any design rumors regarding the M4 MacBook Pro, but it likely won't get a significant overhaul. As MacRumors said, behind the scenes, Apple is planning a MacBook launch with a new OLED display. However, this isn't expected until 2026.

What about the MacBook Air?

Apple is working on new M4 MacBook Air models, according to Gurman, but they won't be released this year.

The current-generation MacBook Air Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

New 13.6-inch and 15-inch M4 MacBook Air models will likely drop some time next spring.

What about the M4 iMac?

According to Gurman, a new M4 24-inch iMac, similar to the M4 MacBook Pro, is slated to launch in late 2024.

The current-generation iMac Credit: Apple

We don't know any other details.

What about the M4 Mac mini?

We know quite a few details about the M4 Mac mini. According to Gurman, it will launch in two configurations: M4 and M4 Pro. Plus, it's due to drop some time at the end of 2024 or early 2025.

The Mac mini won't necessarily look different, but it will be significantly smaller. The Mac mini, by the way, hasn't had a design change since 2010. (As 9to5Mac pointed out, it lost its DVD drive and changed the I/O options, but it always remained a 7.7-inch aluminum slab.) It's expected to be the tiniest desktop computer that Apple has ever made.

The chassis is reportedly the size of an Apple TV. While the new M4 Mac mini is expected to have a smaller footprint overall, it will be slightly taller than the current-generation Mac mini.

What about the M4 Mac Studio?

Yes, according to Gurman, the M4 Mac Studio is also getting a refresh, but not until some time in the middle of 2025.

What about the M4 Mac Pro?

The aforementioned April Bloomberg report claims that the next Mac Pro, packed with an M4 Ultra chip, will drop during the "second half of 2025."

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Opens in a new window Credit: Tykr Tykr Stock Screener: Premium Plan Lifetime Subscription $119.99 at The Mashable Shop
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Opens in a new window Credit: Retail King Microsoft Project 2021 Professional: Lifetime License for Windows $19.97 at The Mashable Shop
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Keeping track of project details can be overwhelming, especially when managing multiple tasks, deadlines, and team members. Microsoft Project is the perfect tool to bring order to your projects, making sure everything runs smoothly and efficiently — get a lifetime license on sale for just $19.97 through September 3.

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TL;DR: Get lifetime access to 10TB of secure cloud storage from Internxt on sale for $349.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Internxt Internxt Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription: 10TB Plan $349.99 at The Mashable Shop
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Internxt is built with your privacy in mind. Featuring end-to-end encryption and zero-knowledge technology, only you can access your files. Unlike other cloud services, Internxt never stores or transmits your data, passwords, or encryption keys in an unencrypted form. This means you retain full control over your information, free from prying eyes.

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It's good to know that our planetary defense systems work.

The European Space Agency revealed that on July 6 the automated systems that sleuth the skies for potentially hazardous objects like asteroids sent out a warning.

"The object, estimated at around 50 m [164 feet] in diameter, was spotted hurtling towards Earth on a path that would take it uncomfortably close to the moon and our planet," ESA wrote. "But thankfully, this was no asteroid."

SEE ALSO: If a scary asteroid will actually strike Earth, here's how you'll know

As objects move through the sky against the background of stars, different observatories (like the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) identify whether it's a new object, and if so, if it might pose a hazard to Earth. In this case, follow-up observations determined the detected object was ESA's Juice spacecraft, short for Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer. The probe, en route to the deeper solar system, is flying by Earth and the moon to exploit our gravity as it slingshots through space.

Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted

It turns out the Juice spacecraft isn't nearly 50 meters across. Its solar panel wings measure 27 meters (88 feet) from tip to tip — which is still quite big for a deep space probe. But it appeared very bright, owing to its reflective solar panels, so ESA's automated system initially estimated the object was a larger rock reflecting more light.

Scanning the skies for potentially menacing objects is essential. It gives us time to prepare, and if necessary, evacuate a certain area. "You need to know what's coming, when it's coming, and how hard it's going to hit," Eric Christensen, the director of the near-Earth object-seeking Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona, previously told Mashable.

"You need to know what's coming, when it's coming, and how hard it's going to hit."

Some space rocks do inevitably veer into our neck of the solar system woods from time to time. But space agencies haven't spotted any threats. There "continues to be no known asteroid on course to collide with our planet for at least the next 100 years," ESA said.

The risks of an asteroid impact

Here are today's general risks from asteroids or comets both tiny and very large. Importantly, even relatively small rocks are still threatening, as the surprise 56-foot (17-meter) rock that exploded over Russia and blew out people's windows in 2013 proved.

• Every single day about 100 tons of dust and sand-sized particles fall through Earth's atmosphere and promptly burn up.

• Every year, on average, an "automobile-sized asteroid" plummets through our sky and explodes, explains NASA.

• Impacts by objects around 460 feet (140 meters wide) in diameter occur every 10,000 to 20,000 years.

• A "dinosaur-killing" impact from a rock perhaps a half-mile across or larger happens on 100-million-year timescales.

TL;DR: Grab the Flash Pro Plus 100W power bank on sale for $199.97 (reg. $319) through September 3 and never run out of battery again.

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Nothing disrupts a busy day like a dead battery. Whether you're in the middle of a crucial work call, navigating a new city, or streaming your favorite show, running out of power can be a giant headache.

Enter the Flash Pro Plus 100W Graphene USB-C 25,000mAh power bank, a solid solution to your battery woes. Through September 3, get it for $199.97, or 37% off.

Designed to keep your devices powered up no matter where you are, the Flash Pro Plus offers an impressive 100W output. This means you can charge up to six devices at once: your iPhone, AirPods, Apple Watch, and more. MagSafe compatibility allows for wireless charging up to 15W, perfect for devices like the iPhone 12 Pro.

What makes the Flash Pro Plus truly exceptional is its advanced graphene battery technology. Not only does it charge your devices faster, but it also boasts a longer lifespan compared to traditional batteries. With a hefty 25,000mAh capacity, you can charge your phone up to six times or give your laptop a full charge, making it great for tech enthusiasts and professionals who are always traveling around.

Crafted with Panasonic's high-quality battery cells, this power bank ensures reliability and safety. It comes equipped with multiple USB-C ports and a USB-A port, offering versatile charging options for all your gadgets. Plus, its thin, compact design means you can easily slip it into your bag and take it anywhere.

Keep your devices charged and ready with this powerful, portable solution — no more frantic searches for power outlets at airports or coffee shops (it's also TSA-approved)!

Priced at $199.97 through September 3, the Flash Pro Plus 100W power bank with MagSafe compatibility is an investment in convenience and peace of mind.

Keep shopping for privacy and security products here.

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The adage "you can never go home again" speaks to the indifference of time passing. Sure, you can go back to your hometown whenever, but the "you" and the "home" will never be the same again. This is the dilemma facing the trans protagonist in the indie drama Close to You, which is both fronted and produced by Elliot Page (Umbrella Academy). After years of personal struggle, Sam is finally in good standing with himself. But what will happen when this him goes back to a home — and family — who may not understand? 

Made after Page came out as trans in 2020, this touching and clearly personal film grapples with issues of trans acceptance and the definition of family — but not successfully. 

What's Close to You about?  Credit: Courtesy of Greenwich Entertainment

Canadian actor Elliot Page stars as Sam, a trans man who is traveling to his hometown of Cobourg, Canada, to visit his family for the first time since transitioning. Directed by Dominic Savage, Close to You begins with some simple visual storytelling by establishing Sam in his Toronto rental, where he comfortably walks around without a shirt, his scars from top surgery on casual display. While making breakfast, he's joined by his housemate, who offers support but suggests maybe Sam need not put himself under the microscope of his family just because it's his dad's birthday. 

SEE ALSO: 70 best LGBTQ films to stream right now

Despite his reluctance, Sam will go. Much of the drama will play out in his childhood home, between his parents, siblings, and their respective partners. However, woven throughout these family beats are bits of a romantic reunion between Sam and his high school bestie/crush Katherine (Hillary Baack). What begins as an enthusiastic conversation on a train spins into long walks and heavy-handed talks about what was and what could be. 

Close to You takes a big risk that doesn't pay off.  Credit: Courtesy of Greenwich Entertainment

Though Savage and Page are credited as screenwriters on the film, the production was made up largely of improvised dialogue — including a 53-minute take that is considerably cut down in the final edit. While a daring approach, it is the movie's biggest obstacle. A woeful lack of structure means one scene tumbles into another with little motivation. Sam's walks with Katherine feel so disjointed from the rest of the movie that I began to wonder if they were a flight of fantasy. Was Sam so under pressure by the tense family dynamics in the house that he imagined a safe space with the girl of his dreams smiling warmly at him? Or were the walks along the beach just a sincerely sentimental cliche? 

A strong narrative structure wouldn't be a problem if Close to You played as a slice-of-life drama. But there too the film feels thin, in part because the dialogue — again, much of it improvised — lacks specificity. There's a slog of naturalistic but uncompelling dialogue occurring between collections of characters that does little to distinguish them from each other. Sam has two sisters (Janet Porter and Alex Paxton-Beesley), and they're chiefly defined by the men they date. One has a friendly beau who is smiling and enthusiastic to meet Sam. The other sister boasts a sneering transphobe (David Reale) for a fiancé, the kind who insists he's just asking questions and trying to play by "the rules" while making everyone else uncomfortable. 

As the sisters seem to exist chiefly to introduce opposing attitudes toward Sam, one might wonder why they are needed at all. Couldn't the sisters be in opposition, as opposed to the boyfriends? Doesn't it weaken the stakes to have a family outsider giving voice to the tiresome transphobic talking points? As it is, the collection of kin feels ill-defined, and some are outright unneeded. 

Further frustrating, Savage's staging of the introduction of the family is in a clumsy and darkly lit wide shot. So, it's difficult to make out from the jump who is who. Later, when one of this crew (Daniel Maslany) pours his heart out to the film's hero, it might have been a touching moment — if I had any idea who he was in relation to Sam! It's as if Savage is taking for granted that these abstractions of characters will be enough, perhaps relying on audiences to plug and play their own family into the roles, for better or worse. But with cinematography that gives little focus to anyone's close-ups save for Page, it's hard to see, much less connect with, the majority of the ensemble. 

Close to You offers drama that is earnest but not earned.  Credit: Courtesy of Greenwich Entertainment

Even Sam can be a vexing enigma. Vocally, he expresses how he wishes to be seen by his family as the whole of who he is, and not solely defined as trans. However, his trans identity is the most talked-about element of the character in Close to You. Aside from the swift intro, we don't see much of his life in Toronto. The ambiguous dialogue keeps talk of his romantic life and community there very vague. When asked about his work — even repeatedly — he only says that he likes it, never mentioning what it is or why he enjoys it. It's less than small talk. What he does is never revealed, nor are any other friends, and so goes another opportunity to get to know Sam beyond his trans identity and his family's fighting. 

Sam's romance with Katherine does bolster the character, as it shows a side of him where he doesn't need to be on guard or constantly explaining his right to exist. These scenes seem to aim for a Before Midnight vibe, but again, improvised dialogue keeps things vague — albeit sweet and sentimental. While Page and Baack do share a warm chemistry, it's not so white-hot that the third-act possibility of a romantic runaway relationship feels likely, perhaps especially amid so much naturalistic dialogue that suggests only grounded choices are on the table. 

The bits that work best in this film are those between Sam and his parents. In a kitchen scene, his mother (Wendy Crewson) — desperate to show her support — awkwardly offers him money in the middle of asking him to help with the cooking. There is specificity, with her welcoming him into her space and trying to reach out the way many parents do. Later, his father (Peter Outerbridge) reflects on when Sam left home, laying out the fears he faced in not being within reach of his child. Here again, details paint the picture of these people, their relationship, and the stakes Sam and his family face. 

For much of the film, Close to You keeps us at arm's length. Its experiment with improvisation might have had great intentions in terms of seeking authenticity. However, this method ultimately fails in constructing a successfully engaging narrative or fleshed-out characters. Sam's journey is carried chiefly by Page's performance, which is sharp-eyed and big-hearted. However, as Sam meanders from romantic rendezvous to stressful dining room debate and back again, it's difficult to connect to the flow of the film, especially with so much stagnant dialogue. Despite good intentions, Close to You has lofty aims but wobbly execution. 

Close to You opens in theaters Aug. 16.

UPDATE: Aug. 14, 2024, 2:14 p.m. EDT This review was first published on Sept. 16, 2023, out of the film's world premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.

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 August 16 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer hints for August 16

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, August 16, 2024:

AcrossSenegal's neighbor to the east

• The answer is Mali.

___ Allen White, star of TV's "The Bear"

• The answer is Jeremy.

Make a getaway

• The answer is escape.

What's longer in the morning and evening than it is at noon

• The answer is shadow.

Voices below altos

• The answer is tenors.

No longer in the Drafts folder

• The answer is sent.

DownInterlocks (with)

• The answer is meshes.

Esoteric

• The answer is arcane.

Give false hope to

• The answer is leadon.

Ship into the country

• The answer is import.

"Surely you ___!"

• The answer is jest.

Coniferous trees with red berries

• The answer is yews.

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

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

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 16 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer hints for August 16

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: This or that

These words make good pairs.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

The answers are related to expressions.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Options.

NYT Strands word list for August 16

• Swim

• Sink

• Make

• Break

• Double

• Nothing

• Feast

• Famine

• Options

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.

TL;DR: Through Sept 3., organise any project with ease with a lifetime license to Microsoft Project Professional 2021, on sale for a one-time fee of £15.54 (reg. £194.50).

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Microsoft Project stands out as one of the original project management software systems, and it has built-in tools that allow you to track timelines, budgets, and resources efficiently. Through Sept. 3, you can grab a lifetime license to Microsoft Project Professional 2021 for Windows on sale for just £15.54. And once this Microsoft software is installed on your device, it's valid for the rest of your computer's life.

We won't say that Microsoft Project will make project management easy, but it brings you pretty close. Whether you're fiddling with a small task or navigating a long-term project, this intuitive app packs the tools to get it done.

Pre-built templates are available to give you a head start on any deliverable, while timesheets let you track time spent on project to accurately measure team productivity.

If you're having a tough time estimating timelines, you can either let the program auto-populate start and end dates based on dependencies (which you can tweak as needed), or you can make visual representations of schedules to reveal the bigger picture. You can even run what-if scenarios to see if your plans are foolproof. There's also an option to access built-in reports that point out inefficiencies, allowing you to see specific points of improvement.

This offer is only available to new users, and you'll need a device running Windows 11 or 10, or Windows Server 2019.

Keep all of your projects on track with a subscription to Microsoft Project.

Until Sept. 3 at 11:59 p.m. PT, a lifetime license to Microsoft Project 2021 for Windows is on sale for only £15.54.

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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 16'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.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for August 16 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for August 16 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Preparing for impact.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no reoccurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter B.

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...

BRACE.

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

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 August 16'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.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for August 15 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: Mid

• Green: US states

• Blue: Style of boots

• Purple: Things with ebb and flow

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: Meh

• Green: U.S. State Abbreviations

• Blue: Kinds of Boots

• Purple: Things That Go Up and Down

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

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

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #432 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Meh: AVERAGE, FAIR, OK, SO-SO

• U.S. State Abbreviations: HI, MA, OR, PA

• Kinds of Boots: ANKLE, COWBOY, GO-GO, THIGH-HIGH

• Things That Go Up and Down: ELEVATOR, SUN, TIDE, YO-YO

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.

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

Silicon Valley companies still worry that state lawmakers are jumping the gun on regulating a still-unproven technology.

A menacing asteroid, some six miles wide, triggered Earth's last mass extinction. Now, scientists have found where it originated.

Unlike most space rocks that impact our planet today, this behemoth object came from beyond the gas giant Jupiter. It was a "C-type asteroid" — which are the dark, carbon-rich leftovers of the outer solar system — and the impact scattered the fateful object's remains all over Earth, some 66 million years ago.

It was "a projectile originating at the outskirts of the solar system and sealing the fate of the dinosaurs," Mario Fischer-Gödde, who researches the origin of asteroids and planets at the University of Cologne in Germany, told Mashable.

SEE ALSO: NASA scientist viewed first Voyager images. What he saw gave him chills.

Fischer-Gödde led the new research, which was published in the peer-reviewed journal Science.

The asteroid left quite a mark. Today this impact zone is called the Chicxulub Crater, and is largely buried beneath the Yucatan Peninsula. The massive object struck in shallow water, blowing prodigious amounts of pulverized rock into the skies which drastically cooled the climate. A long, callous winter followed. Photosynthesis shut down. The food chain failed, and around 70 percent of Earth's species died. Though some dinosaurs survived.

A thin layer of sediment from this event, called the K-Pg boundary, is found around our planet. And one of the elements in it, ruthenium, is quite rare in Earth's crust, meaning that nearly 100 percent of the ruthenium in this widespread sediment sheet is from the infamous asteroid. Importantly, the researchers found the ruthenium isotopes (which are different types of ruthenium) in this telltale layer are similar to carbon-rich meteorites found all over Earth. What's more, the ruthenium samples didn't match the remnants of other major asteroid impacts, which came from objects formed in the inner solar system.

"We found that the composition of the asteroid that impacted at Chicxulub is the same as that of carbonaceous meteorites, which are fragments of carbonaceous (C-type) asteroids that originally formed beyond the orbit of Jupiter," Fischer-Gödde said.

Previous research suspected the culprit was a C-type asteroid, too, but didn't use ruthenium in the analyses. That's because making these ruthenium measurements is very difficult, and progressive technological advancements made the latest observations possible, Fischer-Gödde explained. Only three or so laboratories globally, including at the University of Cologne, can conduct this ultra-specialized research.

The C-type asteroid Mathilde as captured by the NEAR spacecraft on June 27, 1997. It's some 38 miles (61 kilometers) across. Credit: NASA / JPL / JHUAPL A depiction of an asteroid collision that likely lead to a mountain-sized rock heading towards Earth 66 million years ago. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech

As the solar system formed, many C-type asteroids came to inhabit the outskirts of the main asteroid belt, a ring containing millions of rocky objects between Mars and Jupiter. It's here the six-mile-wide Chicxulub impactor was probably propelled towards Earth. This was likely triggered by a collision between two asteroids, Fischer-Gödde explained. Or exposure to sunlight, causing a region on the space rock to heat up and release energy, could have given the asteroid a nudge (an outcome called the "Yarkovsky effect").

Such a huge collision with Earth, however, is extremely rare. A "dinosaur-killing" impact from a rock perhaps a half-mile across or larger happens on 100-million-year timescales. Astronomers have already found over 90 percent of the "planet-killer" asteroids that at times pass near Earth's neighborhood. There's no known threat of collision from these giant rocks for the next century; and the likelihood of an impact in the next thousand years is exceedingly low. (Meanwhile, impacts by objects around 460 feet in diameter occur every 10,000 to 20,000 years — an event that would be regionally devastating.)

Fortunately, should astronomers ever spot a large asteroid that threatens our humble world, NASA has successfully tested the first-ever endeavor to intentionally move an asteroid. It's a skill that needs significantly more refining, of course, but could prove useful in defending our civilization from future devastation.

NASA has never even needed to issue a warning about an incoming space rock, large or small. But if such an event ever transpires, you'll hear from the White House and many others — not just excitable tabloids.