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Editor's note: Check out our oft-updated live blog for all new developments about the Microsoft/CrowdStrike outage.

You'll have to bear with FedEX and UPS. It's probably hard to coordinate deliveries when every computer simultaneously crashes because of a CrowdStrike bug.

That may not be a literal description of what happened to UPS and FedEx on Friday, but you get the point. Both of the major mail carriers issued statements (FedEx via its website and UPS via CBS) in the hours after a faulty CrowdStrike software update temporarily rendered most Windows PCs on the planet inoperable. According to both companies, packages might be a little delayed.

SEE ALSO: Microsoft outage impacting flights globally. See the latest.

"The FedEx network is operating across the globe, but potential delays are possible for package deliveries with a commitment of July 19, 2024," FedEx said. UPS, in a similar statement, said "there may be some service delays" but noted overall that its delivery fleet was functional.

A slightly delayed delivery is inconvenient, but far from the worst consequence of Friday's computer kerfuffle. The dreaded "blue screen of death" came for airlines, hospitals, TV stations, and even Times Square. There is a fix for the problem that unfortunately requires manual human intervention (meaning it'll take a bit before everything is back in order), but Friday's outages may be a wake-up call for those who didn't realize just how interconnected the world's technological systems are.

Editor's note: Check out our oft-updated live blog for all new developments about the Microsoft/CrowdStrike outage.

On Thursday, a Microsoft outage linked to a failed CrowdStrike update affected industry giants across travel and finance, and underscored the risks of our dependence on digital technology. As people flooded into work this morning — and CrowdStrike scrambled to get systems up and running — reactions to the outage on X captured a full spectrum of human emotion.

Here are the best memes, moments, and memories from that harrowing time. 💔

Congratulations to all who celebrated! Tweet may have been deleted Condolences to those who still had to work... Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Bless those who lived in ignorant bliss Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Pouring one out for the folks who are even more miserable than usual at an airport Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted And to all the engineers and IT soldiers out there, we salute you 🫡 Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted

Editor's note: Check out our oft-updated live blog for all new developments about the Microsoft/CrowdStrike outage.

On Friday morning, nearly every Microsoft Windows machine in the world seemed to suffer from outages related to a faulty CrowdStrike software update that rolled out on Thursday. Now, the head of Microsoft has issued a statement — but don't expect too much from it.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella took to X (formerly Twitter) to let everyone know that Microsoft knows what's going on and is working with affected companies and services to fix it.

Tweet may have been deleted Microsoft blames CrowdStrike for its woes

Nadella's statement came hours after CrowdStrike provided one to the press to confirm that the outages were not related to cyberattacks nor any other malicious activity. The outages provided anyone who woke up on Friday morning with constant news headlines about various sectors dealing with delays or shutdowns.

Airports, banks, 911 emergency dispatchers, hospitals, and TV networks around the globe had to resolve technical issues first thing on Friday morning.

SEE ALSO: Microsoft outage impacting flights globally. See the latest.

The good news is the issue is resolvable. CrowdStrike released guidance on how to fix the problem shortly after it was discovered, though it involves manually booting the machine into safe mode and deleting a file. As such, any company or service that relies on lots of Windows machines will have to spend some time fixing them all manually.

Definitely more interesting than your average Friday, if nothing else.

SAVE 44%: As of today July 19, three-pack Philips Hue A1 Bluetooth Lightbulbs are on sale at Amazon for $59 off. This takes the price down from $134.99 to $75.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Philips Philips Hue A1 Bluetooth Lightbulbs $75.99 at Amazon
$134.99 Save $59.00 Get Deal

There's magic in having just the right lighting: it can soothe, inspire, and rejuvenate. With Bluetooth-enabled smart lightbulbs, you can curate the lights to fit whatever headspace you're in.

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These lightbulbs can sync up with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit, enabling voice-assistant control. There's also the Hue App, an easy-to-use hub for controlling your lights. We love this convenience, but even more appealing is how these lights let you play with color: not just different variations of white, but across the whole spectrum of the rainbow. There are millions of color settings to choose from!

Revamp your home with Philips Hue A1 Bluetooth Lightbulbs and save when you shop today's deal at Amazon.

GET $400 OFF WITH PRIME: As of July 19, the iRobot Roomba j7+ (7550) self-emptying robot vacuum is available for $399.99 at Amazon, down from $799.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: iRobot Our pick: iRobot Roomba j7+ (7550) self-emptying robot vacuum $399.99 at Amazon
$799.99 Save $400.00 For Prime members Get Deal

If you didn’t get a chance to grab a robot vacuum during Prime Day, you’re in luck. Amazon still has dozens of robovacs on sale, including the iRobot Roomba j7+ (7550).

As of July 19, Prime members can get the iRobot Roomba j7+ (7550) self-emptying robot vacuum for $399.99, down from $799.99. That’s $400 off the listing price and the lowest price we’ve ever seen this model go for.

SEE ALSO: The Roomba Combo j7+ is pretty good at cleaning and really good at not eating phone chargers

The iRobot Roomba j7+ (7550) lets you create a smart map and schedule cleaning sessions, while the self-emptying base means you don't have to empty the dustbin as often. Pet owners will also appreciate its P.O.O.P (Pet Owner Official Promise) guarantee, which ensures the vacuum won't run over pet waste, or they’ll replace it for free.

With PrecisionVision Navigation and a three-stage cleaning system, this robot vacuum is definitely worth considering if you're looking for a smarter, hands-off cleaning solution.

Windows PCs around the entire planet crashed this morning because of a CrowdStrike update glitch. You may have heard about it.

But what you may not have heard about is just how many services have been affected by the biggest global IT outage in years. It's not quite a Y2K level of apocalyptic meltdown, but everything from airline travel to broadcasting, 911 calls, and even surgeries, have been troubled by the CrowdStrike outage.

Here is just a partial list of things that have been brought down by the CrowdStrike glitch.

Airlines Tweet may have been deleted

Perhaps one of the most striking sectors to be disrupted by the CrowdStrike outage was the airline industry. Flights were grounded globally on Friday morning, with major U.S. airlines like Delta and Allegiant halting operations alongside airlines from countries like France, Spain, Australia, and India.

911 calls

Many public and private sector services rely on Windows machines for basic infrastructure and tasks — and the CrowdStrike outage has revealed that 911 emergency dispatchers are no exception.

Emergency call services went down in places like Alaska and Ohio, with local authorities releasing lists of alternative phone numbers citizens can use instead. Weirdly, in Alaska, 911 was still working in Anchorage, the state's biggest city, even while the system was down in the rest of the state.

Hospitals

Medical systems around the world also suffered as CrowdStrike's update glitch brought Windows PCs down on Friday morning. Bloomberg reported that British hospitals were having trouble pulling up important patient data, while New York's Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center had to actually delay the start of any surgical procedures that use anesthesia.

One French hospital had employees manually direct patients to appointments because the check-in process was busted. Interestingly, Pittsburgh's UPMC healthcare provider claimed very few of its Windows devices had problems and there were no disruptions.

Stock markets

While one might expect a massive Microsoft-linked IT outage to have an effect on Microsoft's stock price, the outage actually temporarily prevented stocks from being traded at all in some places. For instance, the London stock exchange had to delay the start of trading on Friday morning.

Because companies runs different systems, many remained unaffected, including the the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, which got up and running on Friday without any issues.

TV broadcasts

Obviously, TV broadcasting requires lots of computing technology, and with the global popularity of Windows, the CrowdStrike outage was sure to affect at least some networks.

One of the most prominent was the U.K.'s Sky News, which went off the air for a bit on Friday due to the Windows outage. Multiple TV channels in France were also hit, with one being unable to display weather information for viewers due to the technical difficulties. Here in the U.S., NBC News and MSNBC had temporary problems due to CrowdStrike, as have several smaller local networks around the country, per Adweek.

Times Square

Lastly (and perhaps of least importance), Times Square in New York City went dark on Friday morning because, you guessed it, the big screens displaying advertisements in the area run on Windows.

Tweet may have been deleted

Much of the world woke up Friday discovering much of the internet wasn't working due to an outage caused by cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. And, unfortunately, it doesn't appear like the problems will be totally fixed for quite some time.

Now, if it's just your personal Windows computer that's affected, there appears to be a workaround. The CrowdStrike issue caused many Windows computers to display the Blue Screen of Death but announced a fix around 2:30 a.m. ET. Mashable has the full coverage and steps but effectively you have to delete a file and reboot.

SEE ALSO: CrowdStrike announces Microsoft outage workaround. How to deal with the Blue Screen of Death.

That workaround aside, global issues still persist. Think of how complicated it may be to individually fix the countless machines and services that use Crowdstrike. Everything from airlines, to banks, to emergency services, to healthcare providers, to grocery stores were down or disrupted. Unfortunately, the problems might not go away soon.

Tweet may have been deleted

Wrote Mashable Senior Editor Stan Schroeder:

"While the issue has been 'identified, isolated, and a fix has been deployed,' per CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz, actually fixing it is not always trivial. This is not a simple update which can easily be deployed to all systems over-the-air, as many of the affected systems crash right after booting up, meaning they're in an endless boot loop. This, in turn, means that the fix must be applied manually...to each affected system, and in large companies, this can take many hours."

Kurtz later admitted in an interview with TODAY that a complete recovery from the issue would take a while.

"It could be some time for some systems that just automatically won’t recover," he said.

So, uhh, buckle up for a Friday with lots of services down.

Check out Amazon's best deals of the day on July 19:

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Amazon Prime Day is dead and gone (until October, at least), but there are still quite a few lingering deals that have our attention. If you were waiting for that paycheck to hit and missed out on shopping during the official event, we've rounded up a few great deals that are live two days later. Deals on most of Amazon's own devices dried up right after the event ended, but top brands like Apple, Soundcore, Fitbit, Yeti, and TheraGun still have deals going strong.

Here are our top picks for the best Amazon deals of the day on July 19, two days after the official Prime Day shopping extravaganza.

Our top pick Opens in a new window Credit: TheraGun TheraGun mini $149.00 at Amazon
$199.00 Save $50.00 For Prime members Get Deal

Massage guns are definitely worth the hype, but they're not cheap — especially if you want a TheraGun device. Fortunately, Prime Day knocked the prices down on multiple TheraGun gadgets, including the TheraGun mini, TheraGun Sense, and TheraGun Prime. We've tested the TheraGun mini and are huge fans of its ergonomic and compact design. With three speeds, three different head options, a triangular shape, and a simple setup, it's an "effective handheld massager for both at-home and on-the-go care." Usually $200, you can snag it on sale for $149 with Prime.

Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Hybrid ANC headphones $55.99 at Amazon
$79.99 Save $24.00 For Prime members Get Deal

If you're a Prime member, you can still snag this exclusive 30% off deal on the Soundcore Life Q30 noise-cancelling headphones. Regularly $79.99, the headphones are on sale for only $55.99. These babies pack dual noise-detecting microphones to sense and filter out up to 95 percent of low-frequency ambient sound. You can choose from three different noise-cancelling modes and listen for up to 40 hours on a single charge (or 60 without ANC turned on). The hybrid design also allows you to connect them using an AUX cable.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Max $394.99 at Amazon
$549.00 Save $154.01 Get Deal

One of Senior Editor Stan Schroeder's favorite tech deals of Prime Day is still live: 28% off the AirPods Max. "The AirPods Max are stupidly comfy, they sound amazing, look good, and play nice with Apple gadgetry," he writes, noting that he wouldn't normally buy them at full price. However, at $394.99 (reg. $549), they're down to a record-low price that makes them much more worth grabbing. At the time of writing, every color is still on sale and in stock.

Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Fitbit Google Ace LTE $179.95 at Amazon
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The new Fitbit Ace LTE by Google just debuted last month, so a $50 discount is pretty impressive. The watch is designed for kiddos as a way to gamify getting active. It encourages and rewards movement and play throughout the day, while giving parents the ability to keep tabs on their little ones. Parents are able to call, text, and voice message their kids on an Android or iOS phone, see their real-time location, control who their child contacts, and restrict game access during specific times. It's a great pick for parents hoping to swap their kid's screen time for physical activity.

Opens in a new window Credit: Yeti Yeti Rambler 30-ounce travel mug $29.40 at Amazon
$42.00 Save $12.60 For Prime members Get Deal

The ultimate solution for those who regularly have to reheat their coffee, the Yeti Rambler travel mug can keep your drink hot for hours. No need for multiple reheats — its double-wall vacuum-insulated design holds temperature as long as you need it to. Plus, it comes with a stronghold lid with dual-slider magnet technology that makes it easy to sip on the road without worrying about bumps and turns causing spills. The 30-ounce option is down to just $29.40 for Prime members, which is not only a rare discount, but also the lowest price we've seen to date.

None of these deals catching your eye? Check out Amazon's daily deals for even more savings.

Windows computers are seeing the Blue Screen of Death, flights are being grounded, and websites are down, all because of an update gone wrong from CrowdStrike.

"CrowdStrike is aware of reports of crashes on Windows hosts related to the Falcon Sensor," CrowdStrike wrote in an alert at 1:30 a.m. ET on Friday. "Symptoms include experiencing a bugcheck\blue screen error related to the Falcon Sensor. Our Engineering teams are actively working to resolve this issue and there is no need to open a support ticket."

The CrowdStrike crash didn't just affect personal computers, though — it affected everyone who uses the cybersecurity company or Windows, a wildly popular operating system that supports loads of devices and companies.

"We're aware of an issue affecting Windows devices due to an update from a third-party software platform. We anticipate a resolution is forthcoming," a Microsoft spokesperson said.

Among the companies affected are banks, so if yours isn't acting right, don't freak out. Here's a list of banks and financial apps that might be affected by the outage, according to DownDetector.

• TD Bank

• Charles Schwab

• VISA

• Bank of America

• Chase

• Capital One

• Arvest Bank

• Wells Fargo

• Square

• US Bank

• SNAP EBT

• E-Trade

This is likely not a complete list of the banks suffering the effects of the Microsoft outage, but does show the problem has had a widespread impact on financial institutions.

This is a developing story...

Featured Video For You What is CrowdStrike and why users are getting Windows blue screens

GET 50% OFF: One-month and six-month GeForce NOW Priority or Ultimate memberships are 50% off until Aug 18.

Opens in a new window Credit: GeForce NOW Our pick: GeForce NOW Summer Sale Get 50% off premium memberships Shop Now

Attention all gamers: GeForce NOW’s summer sale is live, and you won’t believe just how good it is this year.

From now until Aug 18, you can lock in a one-month or six-month GeForce NOW Ultimate or Priority membership for a whopping 50% off the regular price. Bonus: Nine new games were added to the cloud throughout this week, including Capcom’s Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, so the timing couldn't be better.

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Credit: GeForce Now

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SAVE 50%: Max launched a brand-new deal for college students this week. Verified students can get a Max with Ads subscription half off, bringing the price down from $9.99 per month to $4.99 per month. That's $5 less per month.

Opens in a new window Credit: Max Max with Ads monthly subscription $4.99 at Max
$9.99 Save $5.00 Get Deal

When you're on a student's budget, there's not always tons of room for extra expenses, especially when it comes to expensive streaming services. Now, the days of bumming logins can be over: Max is offering a special discount for college students.

This week, Max launched a new deal that lets college students score a Max with Ads subscription for 50% off. This takes the monthly subscription price down from $9.99 per month to $4.99. This extra $5 per month back in your pocket adds up to $60 over a year. The deal lasts for 12 months, and at the end of the cycle, students can sign up again (as long as they're still in college).

SEE ALSO: Last chance to shop hundreds of Prime Day deals: Our shopping experts have spoken

Students must live in the United States and be 18 or older to take advantage of the deal. Students also have to go through a verification process through UNiDAYS, which they'll be redirected to through the Max site. Once their student status is verified by UNiDAYS, they'll receive a discount code via email to claim the sale.

Head over to Max to get started and claim the discount.

Filmmaker Luke Gilford is joined by Mason Alexander Park, Charlie Plummer and Eve Lindley to discuss the significance of a film highlighting queerness in American rodeo culture.

It's cliche to say but college football is back. And it only feels trite to say, because at this point, despite all the hype, the memes, the teasers, and the trailers — none of this feels real. For the first time in 11 years, there is a college football game and it's called EA Sports College Football 25.

All 128 NCAA Division-1 FBS teams are in the game, and for an unprecedented first, this year's version of college football also features current players. It's a massive grab and statement for EA Orlando, which has been diligently working on the long-awaited successor to NCAA Football 14 since the 2021 announcement.

With the game launching across PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X on July 19, two of Mashable's biggest CFB fans took cracks at the game to find out if it was worth the wait. The biggest takeaway from our time playing is that CFB 25 gets the vibe of college football just right, even if the entire package could use some work. After all, it's still an EA game.

College Football 25 gameplay Credit: EA Orlando

Section written by Chance Townsend

Playing CFB 25 is a smooth and crisp experience. Of course, it's gonna play better than its 11-year-old predecessor, but there's a level of fluidity in here that even puts Madden to shame. This shines within the running game, which is ultra-fun, crisp, and doesn't feel too animation-heavy. Although there were times when hitting the open hole I felt like the animation was sucking me into a tackle. Running is the bread and butter of the CFB 25 experience, and honestly, it shows.

That doesn't mean the passing game didn't get some love, though. New to this version of the game is "revamped passing," which shows a meter above the receiver's head during a throw. This meter determines the accuracy, power and placement of a pass. Hit the golden spot in the meter, and make the catch, but if you misjudge it, you'll end up putting your receiver in a bad spot. It's very satisfying to use compared to Madden's placement and accuracy, though it lacks the precision of that option. However, if you like Madden's interpretation of passing or love to stick to the classics, both options are available to choose from.

The passing game in general is harder than in years past. There's a frustrating amount of dropped passes by receivers at the slightest bit on contact, which makes for a troublesome gaming experience — while probably true to life, its not fun to play with. So if you thought you could spam 4 Verts like you could in NCAA 14 for easy gains, well tough noogies buddy, get ready to learn how to RPO.

Speaking of the run-pass option, it's busted as hell. If you can't immediately make a decision when passing, you'll get an illegal man downfield penalty 90 percent of the time.

On top of that, the new two-part kick meter may also cause some yelling. Which, again, in real life, these things are difficult, but it doesn't make for a fun video game experience.

Defense, however, is not fun. On higher difficulties like All-American and Heisman, stopping anything felt impossible. To be fair, the last Frostbite Engine-era football game I played was Madden 18, so maybe I just suck ass, but I don't think Troy should realistically be dropping 35 on the Longhorns.

College Football 25 presentation and vibes Mike the Tiger has never looked so good. Credit: EA Sports

Section written by Alex Perry

College football holds a special place in my heart, probably unreasonably so. America's second-favorite version of its most popular sport is unlike any other. The games are often sloppy to the point of hilarity, intensely weird things happen all the time, and one time, a guy got so mad about a game that he poisoned historic trees on the opposing team's campus and called into a talk radio show to admit his guilt.

This colorful menagerie of nonsense, naturally, produces fantastic vibes. Every school has various ancient rituals the players or fans do before, during, and after games. Notre Dame players tap a sign that says "PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION TODAY" in the pregame tunnel. Nebraska fans unleash red balloons after the first scoring play of every home game. Everyone, no matter who they're rooting for, turns and waves at a children's hospital that overlooks the stadium during every Iowa home game.

Without meandering even more, I'll get straight to the point. Pretty much all of those things are present and accounted for in College Football 25. Nearly all that makes college football a compelling TV product, from boisterous marching bands and drumlines to nuclear-powered crowd noise, are represented in the game. The latter point actually affects gameplay, as receiver routes and icons will become misleading or confusing to read while an opposing crowd is bearing down on you. That's not new to football games, per se, but it's still very cool to feel the pressure of driving for a touchdown as the away team at Ohio State.

Sure, there are some typical jerky or unnatural-looking animations (as there have been in every 3D football game ever), but on the whole, College Football 25 nails the look of college football, too. Every in-game stadium, from Michigan's Big House to North Texas's DATCU Stadium, is stunningly rendered. Crowds look voluminous and energetic, too.

The game gets big points from me for also altering the colors and theming of the main menu depending on which school you choose as your favorite team. In particular, I love that every school's main menu screen features a ticket stub to a legendary real-life game from that program's history. Remember the time in 2011 when Iowa State upset Oklahoma State in overtime? No? Well, I do, and so did the developers of this game — and that's what matters.

There are really only a couple of minor criticisms I have of College Football 25's presentation. First up is the commentary, which is made up of various big names in the world of college football broadcasting like Chris Fowler, Rece Davis, and Kirk Herbstreit. Those guys are all pretty much fine, if a little flat at times. The play-by-play guys like Fowler and Davis will occasionally throw in school-specific references, which is cute. I enjoyed hearing some "Rock Chalk Jayhawk" while playing a game at Kansas, for example.

Unfortunately, the game also includes David Pollack on color commentary. I don't like David Pollack very much, for reasons that are not entirely relevant to this review. I also just find his commentary annoying and inane most of the time. Beyond that, any stadium rituals that involve licensed music are touch-and-go at best. Virginia Tech can potentially lay claim to the greatest pregame intro in all of sports, but since it uses Metallica's "Enter Sandman," it's not accurately presented in this game. Bummer.

Still, you'll occasionally hear "Sandstorm" blaring over stadium speakers between plays in any given game, so it still feels enough like college football to me.

College Football 25 Dynasty Mode Everyone's goal. Well, unless you coach Texas A&M. Credit: EA Sports

Section written by Alex Perry

College Football 25 has two primary modes that dominate most of the attention outside of online exhibitions and microtransaction trading card nonsense. The first is Dynasty, a returning mode from the NCAA games of eld that casts the player as a made up head coach or coordinator for the school of their choosing.

I have to admit, I was never the biggest Dynasty guy back in the day — and I still may not be. But the version of the mode that's present in College Football 25 seems to have nearly everything you could want. Your coach or coordinator can have as many or as few responsibilities as you want. If you want to be meticulous about recruiting talent, you can do that. If you want to focus on gameday tactics and actually playing football (which is really more of a fun treat you get to occasionally do in this mode), you can do that, too.

Speaking of recruiting, that particular side of College Football 25's Dynasty mode is funny. It more or less works the same as it always did, as you have limited resources for player recruiting and the players' decisions are not entirely in your hands. It's been updated for modern times, though, as one of the resource-consuming activities you can do to court a player is to DM him on social media.

Yes, there is a button that just says "DM player" in the Dynasty menu. I laughed a lot when I saw that.

Aside from that, though, Dynasty is impressively flexible and accommodates many different styles of play for something that, from the outside, would seem to be the most hardcore mode in the game. I pretty much only like playing offense in football games, so I made an offensive coordinator and only call offensive plays now. Easy! That's what I like to see. If I'm good enough at it, maybe I'll get a mediocre head coaching job, flame out in three years, and cause an entire community in Tennessee or whatever to hate me for eternity. That's what college football is all about.

College Football 25 Road to Glory

Section written by Chance Townsend

Choose how you want your RTG career to go. Credit: EA Orlando

Gone are the glory days of playing in high school with this year's version of CFB 25. In previous games, players could simulate high school games to garner interest from potential schools and commit to them. However, that feature got cut in favor of a more limited, streamlined Road to Glory (RTG) experience.

Instead, players can pick from one of four options, starting as an elite five-star talent to a lowly two-star underdog. Your decision will determine your player overall, your choice of schools, and your place on that program's depth chart. For example, a five-star will have their top of top-level programs like UT-Austin or Michigan. But a two or three-star will have their pick of fighting for starting spots at lowly programs like Air Force or Eastern Michigan. You can walk on to any school in the game, but you'll be starting from the bench and it's hard to get rise up the depth chart.

This is from a separate running back save Credit: EA Orlando

I started my RTG at Memphis, which promised my created QB the second-string position. Once the creation and recruitment process is done, you'll be taken to the main hub where you can play or sim that week's game, participate in practice drills, and spend energy points on your weekly agenda. You have the choice to put your energy into academics, leadership skills, recovery, training, or brand building. These each come with pros and cons that affect each other. For example, putting points into brand building will drop your academic bar; training causes increased injury risk; and low leadership skills create a passive loss of coach trust points until you've invested a certain amount of energy into that agenda.

What do you mean I have exams??? Credit: EA Orlando

Additionally, there are fun choose-your-adventure style scenarios that pop up throughout the season. You'll occasionally get messages from your academic advisor, your coaches, teammates, and even classmates that'll put you in scenarios that could increase your brand, GPA, and coach trust, or vice versa. In one instance, a classmate asked me to party the night before a game, and when I said yes, my coach caught me and I lost trust points.

You can gain a coach's trust through practice and playing games, but if you're sitting on the bench, you'll have a hard time getting points cause the drills you can play are really short and your success depends on how well the AI is at giving you plays you can work with.

Limitation is pretty much the theme of playing RTG. Since you're not really in control, while playing games, you're at the mercy of the AI from everything like playcalling to the actions of your teammates on the field. Playcalling is repetitive and conservative. Going 3 and Out will cause an unskippable cutscene as you fade back into the super sim screen and the AI will only allow you to call hurry up on 4th down during the last few minutes of each half — when the situation determines that going for it "makes sense."

Receivers drop open balls like they have grease on their hands and handing the ball off to the running back is like watching an AI programmer teach their LLM how to navigate a maze. So when I finally got to start at Memphis in my second season, I started 0-4 before finishing the season with a conference championship and a 7-6 record. That conference championship, by the way, did not have a special trophy presentation. Instead, I got the same victory cutscene that you get after every other game during the regular season.

I lost this game by the way. Credit: EA Orlando

If you're surprised my 7-6 Memphis Tigers even made the conference championship, that's because the sim engine is busted. This is partially due to the overall of the teams in the game being so evenly rated despite the huge gaps between teams like Akron and Alabama. Despite going 2-10 in 2023, the Akron Zips are a 73 overall team. Kennesaw State, a team that is about to have its first season in Division 1 Football (D-1 FBS), is a 73 overall team. Mid-level Power 4 schools like Texas Tech, Miami, A&M, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Utah, and Florida State are all within the 85-88 OVR range. Thus, what's been created is a level of college football parity that has never existed in real life. There are no haves and have-nots because even the fake cupcake FCS teams can beat a Power 4 school with ease.

This creates weird situations that see 6-6 Memphis play 7-6 Rice in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) championship because #4 ranked Tulane dropped its last two conference games to UTSA and Charlotte. In the first season, my alma mater, the University of North Texas, made the 12-team College Football Playoff despite only having three winning seasons since 2010. That season also saw Texas A&M win the National Championship — a true real immersion breaker because the real-life A&M has yet to make an appearance in the SEC Championship.

Unlike Dynasty, the happenings of the world around you don't have much to do with you since you don't have to deal with things like recruiting and roster management. Plus, historically, RTG has been a rather shallow experience. However, thanks to the addition of the transfer portal, you can change your team at the end of every season to create some interesting scenarios in your career.

CUT and best of the rest Booooooo! Credit: EA Orlando

Section written by Chance Townsend

What's left to cover in this review is the Ultimate Team mode or CUT (College Ultimate Team). While I've never cared for Ultimate Team in any game, this version of EA's favorite money collector isn't as in your face as its other offerings like EAFC or Madden. We didn't play around much with CUT during our play testing, so our review is limited, however, it must be said that for those new to the Frostbite Engine era of EA sports games, CUT is the perfect place to start.

Not because that's where EA wants you to spend money, but because the offering of solo challenges is an excellent way to get used to the different playbooks and schemes that can be used in other modes like Dynasty. It's the perfect training ground to get a feel of what kind of style you'd want to play for whenever you decide to take the reigns at a bottom-barrel MAC program. Each playbook offers different challenges, like the Air Raid that asks you to use a hurry-up offense and pass for five straight plays.

Is College Football 25 Worth It?

To keep things brief, if you love college football, this game you're waiting for. As a pure gameplay experience, CFB 25 is both challenging and rewarding in ways that Madden and 2K aren't. However, it's not the game we've waited 11 years for. Dynasty lacks a lot of depth and quality-of-life changes that were present in NCAA 14, alongside a mind-numbingly inane UI and drumline menu songs.

EA Orlando promised fans that this is the college football game they deserve, and considering it has all the trappings of an EA sports game, they weren't lying. But if you can look past that and just focus on what's in the game, you'll have a fun time.

SAVE $50: Today, July 19, the Theragun Mini massage gun is on sale at Amazon for 25% off. This brings the massage gun's price down from $199 to $149.

Opens in a new window Credit: Theragun Theragun Mini $149.00 at Amazon
$199.00 Save $50.00 Get Deal

Prime Day is over, but the deals are not. Today at Amazon, Prime members can grab the formidable Theragun Mini massage gun at a reduced price.

As of today, July 19, the Theragun Mini massage gun is on sale at Amazon for $149. This brings the list price of $199 down by 25%, saving you $50 if you choose to buy. While this isn't the Theragun's lowest price we've seen, it makes the premium fitness device a little more budget-friendly.

According to Theragun, the Theragun Mini is 20% smaller and 30% lighter than the regular Theragun, making it ultra-portable and easy to toss into your gym bag. Made for travel, the Theragun mini gives you access to deep tissue massage relief wherever you are. Even though it's small, it's still super versatile. Three different foam attachments let you tailor your massage to your body's needs, and it also has three massage speeds to choose from.

Take advantage of today's Prime deal at Amazon and save $50 when you shop the Theragun Mini.

GET $50 OFF: As of July 19, the Govee floor lamp 2 is available at Amazon for $99.99, down from $149.99. That's a 33.33% discount of $50.

Opens in a new window Credit: Govee Our pick: Govee floor lamp 2 $99.99 at Amazon
$149.99 Save $50.00 Get Deal

Prime Day has ended, but that hasn’t stopped the deals from continuing to roll in. Now, dozens of Prime-exclusive deals, ranging from tech products to home goods, are flooding the deals page on Amazon.

If you want to upgrade your smart home setup, the Govee floor lamp 2 is available at Amazon for $99.99, down from $149.99. That’s a $50 discount and a pretty sweet deal for such a groovy lamp.

SEE ALSO: Amazon's Echo Show 10 is one of our favorite smart home devices

This smart lamp is 60 inches tall and has 80+ preset scene modes and a customizable DIY feature that lets you create your own lighting effects. You can connect it to other Govee smart devices within a 30-meter range and sync music lighting to your favorite tunes. It also features voice control via Homekit, Alexa, and Google Assistant.

With 1725lm brightness and adjustable 2200k-6500k warm/cool whites, this RGBIC floor lamp can make any room feel instantly cozier or more vibrant. Whether you’re reading a book, watching a movie, or having friends over for a party, this lamp can set the perfect mood.

GET $20 OFF: As of July 19, the Soundcore by Anker Life Q30 noise-cancelling headphones are $55.99 on Amazon, down from $79.99 — a 30% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Soundcore Our pick: Soundcore by Anker Life Q30 noise-canceling headphones $55.99 at Amazon
$79.99 Save $24.00 Get Deal

Prime Day may be over, but some deals are still lingering. Discounts are still available on a variety of products, including cell phones, monitors, and headphones.

One deal worth looking into is the Soundcore by Anker Life Q30 noise-cancelling headphones, currently 30% off ($20 off the listing price) on Amazon for Prime Members.

SEE ALSO: I flew 3,440 miles on a plane with Apple AirPods Max and Sony XM5: Which has better noise cancellation?

These noise-cancelling headphones have more than 70K reviews and a 4.5-star rating, so they’re popular and well-regarded. They feature advanced noise cancellation technology with three modes: Transport, Outdoor, and Indoor. Each mode is designed to optimize noise cancellation for different environments, whether you’re on a plane, walking outside, or working in an office setting.

With up to 40 hours of music playtime on a single charge (60 hours without noise cancellation), these headphones have enough battery life to last you through even the longest of flights or workdays. Bonus: The fast-charge feature will give you an extra four hours of listening time after just a 5-minute charge.

TL;DR: Live stream Noah Lyles at Paris 2024 for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Paris 2024 Olympics is just around the corner and athletes from around the world are gearing up to compete. The athletics will kick off on August 1, and there are some pretty big names hoping for a chance at a gold medal. Including USA's Noah Lyles. Competing in several races, here's everything you need to know if you want to watch Noah Lyles at Paris 2024 for free from anywhere in the world.

When is Noah Lyles competing at Paris 2024?

Noah Lyles is set to compete in three events at Paris 2024:

Men's 100m

• Men's 100m Round 1 — 5:45 a.m. ET on Aug. 3

• Men's 100m Semi-Final — 2:00 p.m. ET on Aug. 4

• Men's 100m Final — 3:55 p.m. ET on Aug. 4

Men's 200m

• Men's 200m Round 1 — 6:50 a.m. ET on Aug. 5

• Men's 200m Semi-Final — 4:02 p.m. ET on Aug. 7

• Men's 200m Final — 4:30 p.m. ET on Aug. 8

Men's 4 x 100m Relay

• Men's 4 x 100m Relay Round 1 — 5:35 a.m. ET on Aug. 8

• Men's 4 x 100m Relay Final — 1:45 p.m. ET on Aug. 9

How to watch Noah Lyles at Paris 2024 for free

The Men's 100m and 200m events at Paris 2024 are available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, but athletics fans from across the globe can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock free streaming sites like BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world.

Unblock BBC iPlayer for free by following this simple process:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

4. Visit BBC iPlayer

5. Live stream the Men's 100m and 200m events at Paris 2024 from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock BBC iPlayer without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it gives you time to stream the Men's 100m and 200m events at Paris 2024 (plus all the other events) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Live stream the Men's 100m and 200m events at Paris 2024 for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Faith Kipyegon at Paris 2024 for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

It's going to be an exciting one for Faith Kipyegon at Paris 2024, having just beaten the 1,500m world record at the Paris Diamond League. The Kenyan athlete ran an impressive 3:49.04 and will be looking to secure a gold medal in the 1,500m events at Paris 2024.

If you want to watch Faith Kipyegon at Paris 2024 for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Faith Kipyegon competing at Paris 2024?

Faith Kipyegon is set to compete in one event at Paris 2024:

Women's 1,500m

• Women's 1,500m Round 1 — 4:05 a.m. ET on Aug. 6

• Women's 1,500m Semi-Final — 1:35 p.m. ET on Aug. 8

• Women's 1,500m Final — 2:25 p.m. ET on Aug. 10

How to watch Faith Kipyegon at Paris 2024 for free

The Women's 1,500m at Paris 2024 will be available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

However, BBC iPlayer is a streaming platform that is geo-restricted to the UK. To access this free streaming platform from elsewhere in the world, you'll need the help of a VPN. VPNs hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock free streaming sites like BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world.

Unblock BBC iPlayer for free by following this simple process:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

4. Visit BBC iPlayer

5. Live stream Faith Kipyegon's race at Paris 2024 from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock BBC iPlayer without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it gives you time to stream Faith Kipyegons at Paris 2024 (plus all the other events) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Live stream the Women's 1,500m at Paris 2024 for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Eliud Kipchoge at Paris 2024 for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

There are many exceptional athletes to keep track of at the Paris 2024 Olympics, but marathoner Eliud Kipchoge might be top of the list. The Kenyan runner will be aiming to win his third consecutive Olympic marathon gold. If successful, he'll be the first marathoner to achieve this.

If you want to watch Eliud Kipchoge at Paris 2024 for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Eliud Kipchoge competing at Paris 2024?

Jakob Ingebrigtsen is set to compete in one event at Paris 2024:

Men's Marathon

• Men's Marathon — 2 a.m. ET on Aug. 10

How to watch Eliud Kipchoge at Paris 2024 for free

The Men's Marathon and other events at the Paris Olympics are available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, but Eliud Kipchoge fans elsewhere can access this free streaming platform and stream the Marathon by using a VPN. VPNs are tools that can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock free streaming sites like BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world.

Unblock BBC iPlayer for free by following this simple process:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

4. Visit BBC iPlayer

5. Live stream the Men's Marathon at Paris 2024 from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock BBC iPlayer without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it gives you time to stream the Men's Marathon at Paris 2024 (plus all the other events) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Live stream the Men's Marathon at Paris 2024 for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Josh Kerr at Paris 2024 for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The athletics are just one of many exciting sports to keep track of at the Paris 2024 Olympics. It's set to be an incredible two weeks, with the world's best athletes all hoping for a chance of a gold medal. The impressive list of athletes also includes none other than Team GB's Josh Kerr.

The Scottish athlete will be returning for his second Olympics after making a strong debut in 2020 in Tokyo, taking home a bronze medal in the 1500m.

When is Josh Kerr competing at Paris 2024?

Josh Kerr is set to compete in one event at Paris 2024:

Men's 1500m

• Men's 1500m Round 1 — 5:05 a.m. ET on Aug. 2

• Men's 1500 Semi-Final — 15:15 p.m. ET on Aug. 4

• Men's 1500m Final — 14:50 p.m. ET on Aug. 6

How to watch Josh Kerr at Paris 2024 for free

The Men's 1500m at Paris 2024 is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

However, BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK. But fans elsewhere in the world can catch Josh Kerr and access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock free streaming sites like BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world.

Unblock BBC iPlayer for free by following this simple process:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

4. Visit BBC iPlayer

5. Live stream the Men's 1500m event at Paris 2024 from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock BBC iPlayer without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it gives you time to stream Josh Kerr's race at Paris 2024 (plus all the other events) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Live stream the Men's 1500m event at Paris 2024 for free with ExpressVPN.