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TL;DR: Get this refurbished 2017 Apple MacBook Air 13.3-inch for just $299.97 (reg. $599) until July 21.
If your laptop is starting to lag or underperform, it might be time to invest in a previously owned but new-to-you computer. This refurbished 2017 Apple MacBook Air has a 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 processor that offers increased performance, and for a limited time, you can get it for $299.97 — 50% off.
The 13.3-inch screen with Intel HD Graphics 6000 is good for rendering clear images and vibrant videos. The graphics are designed to make streaming, creating, editing, or working a more pleasurable experience. With 8GB RAM and 128GB SSD, you should have plenty of space for storing all of your important files, documents, and media.
Weighing just under 3 pounds, the Apple MacBook Air is built to be easy to take with you on the go. Equipped with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, this laptop can help you stay connected and transfer documents. Go about your day worry-free as you can get up to 12 hours of battery life on a single charge.
This product has a Grade “A” refurbished rating meaning it arrives in a near-mint condition. Refurbished devices are inspected to be sure they should perform as intended. It may have very minimal amounts of scuffing or show signs of wear on the case, but the "A" grade indicates there should be no screen burn or scratches, and the battery has a minimum of 80% health.
Get this refurbished 2017 Apple MacBook Air 13.3-inch for only $299.97 (reg. $599) until July 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT. No coupon is needed to snag this deal!
Check out other awesome deals on tablets and computers here.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air 13.3" (2017) 1.8GHz i5 Core 8GB RAM 128GB - Silver (Refurbished) $299.97 at The Mashable ShopTL;DR: Through July 21, get an open-boxed Apple Magic Keyboard Folio for iPad 10th Gen for only $89.97 (reg. $249).
Opens in a new window Credit: Total TR/Cal State Electronics Apple Magic Keyboard Folio for iPad (10th gen) $89.97 at The Mashable ShopTyping more than a few sentences on an iPad isn’t typically fun. If you’re tired of pecking with each finger, then it could be time to get a keyboard for your iPad.
Introducing the Apple Magic Keyboard Folio for the iPad (10th gen), an accessory that can enhance your iPad experience. Right now, you can get a new, open-box folio on sale for $87.97 (reg. $249) until July 21.
The keyboard folio’s two-piece design is meant to blend functionality and style, making it a useful gadget for both productivity and protection. The detachable keyboard and protective back panel are designed to securely attach to your iPad through magnetic connections for a sturdy, flexible setup.
Typing on the Magic Keyboard Folio is intended to feel natural and, thanks to its scissor mechanism that offers a 1mm travel distance to provide a responsive and comfortable typing experience. The addition of a 14-key function row should make it easier to access shortcuts too. The large, click-anywhere trackpad is built to support Multi-Touch gestures and the cursor in iPad OS, promising precise control and navigation.
The adjustable stand adds another layer of versatility, allowing you to customize viewing angles. Released in 2022, the Magic Keyboard Folio offers practical functionality, making it a useful accessory for an iPad 10 user.
This deal has a larger than usual discount because it's an open-box return, meaning it's verified to be in like-new condition but may have been a floor model or previously returned without being taken out of the box.
Through July 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT, you can snag the Apple Magic Keyboard Folio for iPad 10th Gen for only $89.97 (reg. $249). No coupon code is needed for this price drop.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
If you’re trying to stay in the know about what’s trending online, you've come to the right place.
Keeping up with what’s trending can be tricky, especially in today's digital landscape, where things can go viral one minute and then be obsolete the next. So, we’ve identified 10 trending YouTube videos you should watch — or at least skim — to get you up to speed on what's happening in culture.
Kendrick Lamar, "Not Like Us"The anticipated visual for Kendrick Lamar's diss track addressed to Certified Lover Boy, rapper Drake, dropped last week. Released in early May, the Billboard No. 1 song was dubbed the Song of the Summer by fans. The music video premiered on July 4 and reached 41 million views less than a week later. Half of those views came within the first 24 hours.
"skibidi toilet 76 (part 1)"This is the latest in the Skibidi Toilet series, which has captivated children and perplexed their parents since its debut in February of last year. This 3-minute video, posted to YouTube on July 6, has garnered nearly 17 million views and counting.
SEE ALSO: A parent's guide to Skibidi Toilet: What is it and why is it so popular? Eminem, "Tobey (feat. Big Sean & Babytron)"Eminem's latest song, "Tobey," which features Big Sean and Babytron, has garnered over 8 million views since it dropped on July 2. Eminem is preparing to release his latest album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), on July 12. It will be the rapper’s fourth album release in four years.
Formula 1, "Race Highlights | 2024 British Grand Prix"This highlight reel, posted on July 8, replays the must-see moments from the Formula 1 British Grand Prix, where longtime Mercedes driver and decorated Brit Lewis Hamilton sped into victory on his home turf the day before.
Agatha All Long Teaser TrailerThe teaser trailer for Marvel’s Agatha All Long was posted on July 8 and has accumulated nearly 6 million views. It's still among the Top 20 videos currently trending on YouTube.
SEE ALSO: 'Agatha All Along' trailer: Kathryn Hahn, Patti LuPone, Aubrey Plaza, and Sasheer Zamata form a coven "We Rebuilt a Village"From YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, a.k.a. MrBeast, the top creator on the platform, this video, posted on the "Beast Philanthropy" channel, has already surpassed 5 million views. MrBeast tells how he partnered with companies to help a woman on her mission to better a rural village in Zambia by building a solar array to provide the village with electricity and more.
"WrestleMania XL: Behind the Curtain"This video, produced by the WWE documentaries team, has already garnered over 2 million views, giving audiences a behind-the-scenes look at the buildup and preparation for WrestleMania XL, which will take place on Aug. 6.
"Megan Thee Stallion gets an apology from Shannon Sharpe"During this hour-long interview on the podcast Club Shay Shay, host Shannon Sharpe delves into the rise of thee hot girl, Megan Thee Stallion. Sharpe opens with an apology to Meg for an unsavory past joke. In addition to the apology making its rounds on social media and blogs, they also discuss the rapper's meteoric rise in the industry in this lengthy interview.
"College Football 25 | Gameplay First Look"This first look at the highly anticipated video game in EA's NCAA series, College Football 25, gives players an exclusive glimpse at the game that's been 10 years in the making.
"Minecraft but I survive in PVP CIVILIZATION"YouTuber Evbo is known for making some of the best Minecraft gameplay videos online. This latest entry, about his life in the PVP civilization, is no exception. It's accumulated over 2 million views.
Writer/director Osgood Perkins made his name with atmospheric horror films like The Blackcoat's Daughter and I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House. With his latest, Longlegs, he crafts a commendably eerie atmosphere in which Nicolas Cage, who also produces, delivers yet another gonzo performance — but it's all texture, and not much else.
Longlegs’ premise is reminiscent of The Silence of the Lambs, Jonathan Demme's horror drama about a young and underestimated female FBI agent on the hunt for an elusive serial killer. Perkins has been explicit about this connection — and his hope for Longlegs to be in conversation with Demme’s classic — but a morass of other influences makes for a muddy movie. It's as if the writer/director is throwing ideas at the yarn wall to see what sticks.
This slew of familiar horror hallmarks — from creepy dolls to haunted barns to hints of demonic possession — often causes Longlegs to unfold with an eerie dream logic, which is perhaps when the movie is at its most effective. However, it constantly returns to its heroine's grounded murder mystery, with twists and turns anchored in literal clues and sleuthing that requires disappointingly little skill, given how the answers to each mystery simply present themselves rather than being carefully uncovered. This detective saga is never as enrapturing as the movie's ethereal detours. While Perkins' trippy visual approach might grip you on occasion, its most intentionally jarring scenes are just as quick to release you from their tension, yielding an aesthetic experiment that quickly goes awry.
Longlegs is lazy in its criminal investigation.A chilling prologue reveals a fleeting glimpse of Cage's Longlegs — a pale, puffy-faced, distinctly clownish killer in a vaguely '70s-ish setting. The premise then shifts focus to the FBI's Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) in the 1990s. A novice agent with a seeming sixth sense, she's the last hope for cracking the case, which has had the agency confounded by its string of ongoing grisly domestic murders.
As the film unfolds, the reserved Harker impresses her boss and pseudo father figure Agent Carter (Blair Underwood), but is also forced to face hidden and forgotten elements of her past by confronting her uber-religious mother (Alicia Witt), with whom she shares a personable but uneasy relationship. While these unusual family bonds make for fertile dramatic ground, the film doesn’t take full thematic advantage of them, opting instead for a more blinkered focus on the details of each case.
Blair Underwood plays Agent Carter in "Longlegs." Credit: NeonThe murder victims are usually families of three or four, and the deaths appear to be cases of coerced murder-suicides, carried out by the respective patriarchs on their daughters’ birthdays. Were it not for the signed and coded letters left behind by Longlegs at each crime scene, the FBI might not have known these killings were connected at all. Lee looks for clues and connective tissue in unexpected places, like the dates of certain crimes, though the movie seldom allows her to chase down forensic leads, and her seeming psychic abilities come into play far less than one might expect.
Perkins' screenplay doesn't feature Lee chasing down evidence. Instead, Longlegs himself — who knows more about Lee than she knows about him — drops off clues at her remote cabin, toying with her through coded letters. This makes for an intriguing wrinkle to their cat-and-mouse game, resulting in a few intense moments when Longlegs is threateningly close by. However, it also halts the movie's momentum as a dramatic procedural. There's little sense of the protagonist's progress or autonomy as she waits around for another delivery.
Serial killer thriller gets mixed with satanism and the supernatural, and too much more.Given his methodology, Longlegs is part Zodiac Killer, part Criminal Minds villain-of-the-week, but as the film unfolds, it reveals a number of other horror entanglements. These aren't inherently unworkable when tossed together. The problem is that Perkins leaves his genre blender running too long, resulting in conceptual sludge.
Maika Monroe plays Agent Lee Harker in "Longlegs." Credit: NeonThere may be religious and satanic elements to these killings, which soon paves the way for other possible horror culprits ranging from the supernatural to cults to the devil himself, and pretty much every trope you can conjure. The result is an imbalanced subgenre mishmash that whips back and forth between several parallel explanations for the killings (and labyrinthine numerology clues), instead of letting its characters and performances take the lead.
Nicolas Cage is brilliant in Longlegs, but short-changed.The film's nerve-racking trailers have effectively hidden Cage's appearance, which is an approach the movie takes as well, and with good reason. Like a creature-feature monster, Longlegs is only shown for a few frames at a time at first, shrouding him and his murders in a surreal mystery. This is an effective approach to making you question whether or not you've fully seen or understood him — made all the more impactful by Cage's work when he's eventually revealed.
The actor’s devious on-screen creation pushes the limits of cinematic believability, with his powdered face, uncanny prosthetics, and pitched-up voice. He essentially plays a caricature of an effeminate-serial-killer throwback, à la Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine) in The Silence of the Lambs, or Norman Bates in Psycho (the role made famous by the director's father, Anthony Perkins), albeit without the iffy, outdated transgender entanglements — for better or worse.
Maika Monroe plays Agent Lee Harker in "Longlegs." Credit: NeonThe film doesn't end up replacing this regressive stereotype with anything resembling recognizable motive or psychology, leaving Cage to grasp at straws with his showiness. Longlegs is troublingly magnetic, but his draw is entirely Cage-centric — even under prosthetics that make him unrecognizable. Before long, trying to catch glimpses of Longlegs becomes about enjoying what loopy decisions Cage might make as a performer, from hunched-over body language to sudden, high-pitched wailing. It’s a fun performance showcase, but few of Cage’s choices in crafting this character have much bearing on how the film plays out. Where Levine’s quirks as Buffalo Bill were part of a thematic continuum — a desperate search to become whole, even through violent means — Cage could’ve just as easily made a dozen different, equally bizarre choices without impacting the story.
Osgood Perkins undermines Maika Monroe through script and cinematography.If Cage's over-the-top approach is undercut due to the lack of discernible story anchor, then Monroe's quietly considered performance — brilliant for equal and opposite reasons — is similarly undone. Her stern silence harbors a suppressed anxiety and unease, which, in keeping with her supposed sixth sense, hints at what's really at play with these Longlegs murders. However, there's nowhere for Monroe to go from this starting point, and nothing on which to project or reflect her disturbed sense of mind so that it becomes dramatically fertile. She's stagnant in this purgatory. This is partially because the film's aesthetic approach remains static from the word go. It doesn't evolve to capture Lee's evolving emotional dimensions.
Longlegs starts out with a marvelously conceived visual approach. Its widescreen frame houses flashbacks within a narrower, more photographic 4:3 aspect ratio, a visual mode that effectively disorients the viewer when it starts being used to reveal information that doesn't seem like it could reasonably be part of any character's memory. Along with brief flashes of snakes and close-ups of red and gooey material, this creates a visceral sense of unpredictability at first, enveloping Lee’s waking moments in nightmarish imagery. However, Perkins ends up repeating these tricks so many times — and without any sense of progression — that this well quickly runs dry.
Perkins and cinematographer Andrés Arochi employ wide lenses to warp the space around Lee during both stillness and movement, which works wonders during wide shots of groups in conversation, and during the occasional chase scene (the environment whizzes by). However, this visual M.O. never changes, even when the story demands it. The movie, in the process, very rarely captures a sense of intimacy or introspection. There's one exception to this — Kiernan Shipka, in a minor supporting part, is isolated from the background using the soft focus of telephoto lenses as she delivers a chilling monologue — but no such approach is ever applied to Lee herself. She always feels like a fixture of the movie's backdrop rather than an emotional centerpiece.
Lauren Acala plays young Lee Harker. Credit: NeonIn The Silence of the Lambs, Clarice Starling's hurdles as a woman in the FBI were made crystal clear through blocking and framing — with methods as simple as having her male colleagues tower over her and glare at her dismissively — but Longlegs explains all this in words, and its blocking is never as thoughtfully considered. Its frame is usually empty except for Lee, even when it isn't using that emptiness for any logistical or psychological purpose.
When Longlegs reaches its emotional climax — set during a scene of mundane domesticity turned on its head — its visual approach feels similarly flimsy. The movie’s numerous gestures toward framing familiar images of nuclear family as chilling or dangerous don’t pack nearly as much of a punch as they ought to. The story tends to skip past this theme as soon as it’s introduced, and its visual presentation doesn’t feature nearly enough visual contrast, either. Rather than subverting the otherwise stark palette through bright and sunny hues, the lighting simply becomes flat and indecisive — which, unfortunately, represents the movie’s larger problems in microcosm. It doesn’t fully (or even partway) commit to its most bone-chilling ideas.
While its use of framing is initially effective, Longlegs quickly rests on its laurels, and swerves helter-skelter in search of new ways to unnerve. Despite hitting a few hair-raising individual notes, the film's rhythm is never truly disturbing. The further it goes on, the more it fails to capture the eye, or the imagination — let alone both in combination. Altogether, Longlegs is an empty film; not in the sense that peering beneath its surface reveals a terrifying void, but rather, in that it betrays a lack of meaning altogether.
There are points in life when you look back on your path and wonder what might have been if you'd taken a different turn. Touch is such a film, but far from a maudlin affair of regret or resignation, it is a resonant tale of love and acceptance. It's the kind of movie that feels like hope in hopeless times. Keep all this in mind as you read what Touch is all about, because it certainly sounds like it'd be a heart-wrencher, not a heart-warmer.
In Iceland, as the COVID-19 pandemic begins to cause lockdowns worldwide, widower Kristofer (Egill Ólafsson) is showing the early signs of dementia. While his adult daughter pleads for him to go to doctor's appointments and stay safely at home, he books an impromptu flight to London. There, he swans from a near-empty hotel — where the workers give him hand sanitizer and serious side-eye — to a tattoo shop, where he gets a Japanese phrase inked on his arm. But why is he here? He's searching for the one that got away, and there's no time like the present.
Based on Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson's novel Touch (or Snerting, in its native Icelandic), this touching drama weaves a story of past and present, unfurling Kristofer's intrepid quest while flashbacks to 50 years before reveal who he seeks and what happened between them. Writing and directing is Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur, who has agilely lept genres from crime thrillers like Contraband and 2 Guns to the romantic and surreal biopic Adrift to the Idris Elba–fronted action-adventure Beast. With Touch, he offers a film that traverses decades and the globe with a pace that is steadily propulsive and a sense of romantic enchantment that is contagious.
Touch offers a story of resplendent first love. Kōki stars as Young Miko and Pálmi Kormákur as Young Kristofer in director Baltasar Kormákur’s "Touch." Credit: Lilja Jonsdottir / Focus Features LLCAs I was unfamiliar with the novel, early flashbacks to a warm-hued world of red and gold didn't immediately unlock for me who Kristofer was seeking. I watched this smiling old gentleman meander down London's charming streets, looking upon shops already shuttered or faces covered in protective masks, unsure what exactly he sought. But as Touch leaps back to a twentysomething Kristofer (the filmmaker's son Pálmi Kormákur), a pleasant mystery began to unfold for me. A tall, lanky young man with long hair and a rebellious spirit, Kristofer threatens to quit his university education because of the administration's grim response to student protesters. When a smug (and posh) friend challenges his resolve, pointing out that the Japanese restaurant they're walking by is hiring — why not apply? — Kristofer coolly walks inside. What began as a game becomes serious soon after he meets the proprietor, a diligent chef, devoted father, and lover of haiku poetry named Takashi (Masahiro Motoki).
Within the charming kitchen, Takashi invites Kristofer not only into his employ but also into the family he's built in the restaurant, which includes an opera-singing cook, a cheerfully nosy waitress, and his only daughter, Miko (Kōki), a college student determined to learn about the world beyond her father's protective reach. Perhaps predictably, Kristofer falls for Miko, but also for this community that welcomes him in, and a culture he is hungry to understand. Flirtations happen alongside cooking and language lessons, with the Icelandic man learning to express himself through haiku. Rather than a story of colonization or appropriation, Touch offers a sensitive tale of cross-culture love and respect. But as Kristofer gets closer to Miko, he also comes closer to learning a family secret that will change everything.
Pálmi Kormákur and Kōki are perfectly paired in a splendid romance. Kōki stars as Young Miko and Pálmi Kormákur as Young Kristofer in director Baltasar Kormákur’s "Touch." Credit: Lilja Jonsdottir / Focus Features LLCTouch is an unusual romance in that its male protagonist is not an active pursuer of the object of his affections. In his memories, Kristofer is not some dashing romantic hero, nor is he the pestering sort from '90s rom-coms who lightly stalks a girl to show his interest. Instead, he gives himself over to this place and this experience, saying yes to what is offered. Abandoning the path of college and snobby white students, he takes the job of busboy. He accepts the opportunity to learn how to cook Japanese food. He welcomes the chance to learn the language and its poetry. While he quietly yearns for Miko, he doesn't chase her or assume her interest should mirror his. But she sees in him what we viewers do: Here is a sincere man with a curious mind, an undeniable John Lennon allure, and a deep wealth of love.
In this role, Pálmi Kormákur exudes a quiet contentedness, his soft smile clearly communicating Kristofer's joys in this cozy kitchen and its lovely family. But when Miko is nearby, his eyes gain focus, as if she is the moon, radiant and pulling the tides that direct his life. By contrast, Kōki comes in with a sharpness, a sharp wit, and an attitude that screams of 1969 rebellion, reflected in her miniskirts and maxi ideas. She brings conflict into the kitchen, pulling Kristofer into the ongoing father-daughter battle that is waged there. At first, this tactic is the crude tool of a young adult seeking peer support in a squabble with her father over dating. But eventually, Touch reveals the deeper roots of this tension. Kōki, glowing with charisma, not only captures how easy it is for Kristofer to fall hard for Miko, but also gently unfolds the safely guarded wounds of a daughter harboring generational trauma and a profound fear of alienation.
In bursts, their love is the sunny kind of romantic meals, sun-dappled day trips, and long, loving hours in a battered bed. It's only in the present that Kristofer can realize what his rose-colored glasses overlooked back then.
Egill Ólafsson delivers a slyly brilliant turn in a wonderful third act. Director Baltasar Kormákur on the set of his film "Touch." Credit: Lilja Jonsdottir / Focus Features LLCAt first glance, the elder Kristofer might seem a bit deluded by his romantic notions. The world is falling to pieces around him with shutdowns and fears, yet he goes about unmasked and unbothered. It's not stubborn politics or a defiance against science. Cinematically, Baltasar Kormákur is committed to showing us the literally brave face of his hero, so we don't miss a single emotion. Ólafsson's face often wears a cozy smile, but behind his eyes flicker hope, pain, and shock as he follows the path his younger self could not find. As this aging gentleman moves from old stomping grounds to new terrain, there's the thrill of discovery but also the fear his quest will be in vain. Ólafsson carries this tension in hands that grip a hopeful bouquet of flowers and a step that's slowed with age but remains as earnest as a schoolboy's.
Here I am tempted to spoil the movie for you, to set a worried mind at ease. But that might be a disservice to Touch, even though the film functions less on the tension of the quest and more on the emotional thrust of a man coming to terms with what was. But if you need to know if this story has a happy ending, the answer is yes-ish. By that, I mean Touch has a final act that is sublimely earned by its setup. Addressing issues as far-ranging as dementia, grief, pandemic, broken hearts, and even historical tragedies, this tender drama finds the light, not to ignore the darkness, but to survive it. And this approach bolsters the final sequence, which is a deceptively simple depiction of deep love. However, it's easy to imagine audiences raised on Hollywood's brand of happy endings feeling a bit bereft by it, as Touch doesn't go the sugar-coated candy sweet route. But to do that would be emotionally dishonest in a film that's anything but.
In the end, Touch is a profoundly moving drama about love in many forms. Kristofer's story is centered on romantic love, but through his journey, Kormákur displays an array of loves, be it the different bonds that form between friends who become family, or food that becomes a home to us, or a language that speaks to feelings we didn't know how to name. There are many flashier movies to see this summer, but none will hit you quite like Touch.
I'm in love with the mysterious monsters in Arcadian. The film itself is not really about these creepy critters. It's about a family struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic world on their remote farm. In a sci-fi setting, director Ben Brewer crafts a compelling human drama about fathers and sons, siblings, first love, and growing up.
However, the moment this horror-thriller gives its audience a prolonged look at one single limb of its nighttime terrors, I was head over heels. In a world of xenomorphs, Cloverfield monsters, werewolves, and gremlins, I've never seen anything quite like this before. These things are so mesmerizing that they might actually upstage the movie's legendary headliner: the one, the only, the incredible Nicolas Cage. Don't get me wrong; he still makes a meal out of every single line he's given. He is, after all, Nicolas Cage.
SEE ALSO: Nicolas Cage and sons hide from nocturnal monsters in 'Arcadian' trailer What's Arcadian about? Jaeden Martell and Maxwell Jenkins plays brothers in Benjamin Brewer's "Arcadian." Credit: RLJE Films and ShudderCage stars as a protective father who lives in an isolated farmhouse with his two 15-year-old sons, Thomas (Lost in Space's Maxwell Jenkins) and Joseph (Y2K’s Jaeden Martell). In the way of brothers, the boys couldn't be more different. Thomas is athletic, outgoing, and impulsive, willing to take risks or break rules to get what he wants — which is chiefly quality time with Charlotte (Saltburn's Sadie Soverall), a clever girl the next farm over. Joseph is an introvert who studies old chess games, fiddles with inventions in the garage, and sheepishly follows his father's every instruction, especially when it comes to their nightly lockdown.
SEE ALSO: 'Arcadian' stars Jaeden Martell and Maxwell Jenkins play "Slash or Pass"Arcadian swiftly displays their routine, shuttering every window, bolting every door, leaving not a single crack uncovered. For at night, the creatures come. The family won't give them a name. They won't tell stories of how they came to be, though cheeky Charlotte and lovestruck Thomas play a game called "crappy apocalypse," in which they speculate wildly about how the world came to end. (Clearly, this is a conversation post-apocalyptic parents dread even more than a sex talk.) But the details of what happened that led them here don't matter, because the how has no bearing on the now.
Instead, Arcadian carefully establishes the precious balance struck to survive, and then the harrowing results when it is upset. A brash decision leads to a dangerous accident that blows apart the nightly routine. Father and sons face new challenges as these monsters strike in horrid ways. And all the while, Brewer tantalizes and terrifies us with his epic creations.
Nicolas Cage leads a terrific cast. Nicolas Cage and Maxwell Jenkins star in Benjamin Brewer's "Arcadian." Credit: RLJE Films and ShudderWhile the movie offers Cage the kind of role he could do in his sleep by now — the end-of-the-world hero dad — the American icon brings a grit and gravitas that swiftly establishes the tone of the film.
Martell, who came off underwhelmingly flat in Y2K, vibrates with anxiety and frustration here, his boy genius aching for a chance to prove himself. As Thomas, Jenkins plays the heartthrob, his impulsiveness fueling the movie's romance but also its catastrophes. Thankfully, the script from Michael Nilon gives the love interest more to do than be pretty in the post-apocalypse. Scenes between Charlotte and Thomas not only build a solid story of first love but also the familiar beats of teen rebellion. The scratchy conflict between becoming a grown-up in front of parents who will always see you as a child gives the thriller emotional texture. Without the monsters, Arcadian could have been a lean indie drama that dabbles in sci-fi, like Never Let Me Go, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Prospect, or The Endless. But with the monsters, this movie fucking rules.
The monsters of Arcadian are its most dazzling stars. Sadie Soverall is no damsel in Benjamin Brewer's "Arcadian." Credit: RLJE Films and ShudderTo describe the creatures of Acadian might spoil the fun. Because they look so unusual, they seem to borrow inspiration from just about everything, from Nope to Attack the Block to Arachnophobia to nightmares we just haven't had yet.
It's not just how they look — a snarl of coarse hair, lanky limbs, sharp claws, and gleaming teeth. It's how Brewer presents them in teasing glances. First, a hand hidden in a shadow; which part is the thing itself and which part is just darkness is impossible to determine. The shadows also help Brewer stretch the film's visual effects budget, by hiding CGI seams. But these slight scenes never feel like a cheat because of clever staging. In one scene, a human sleeps in the foreground, while in the back there's the out-of-focus form of the monster, its invasion made all the more atrocious by the sound of it, a slurping, slinking sound that will explode into sharp bangs as its jaws slam like a chattering bear trap. The shadows and sound create a dizzying effect, jolting us back into childhood, cringing under the covers from a mysterious bump in the night.
But the very best monster scene isn’t even one of rampage. Instead, it’s one that shows how sly these mysterious beasts are. It begins with a single latch left unlocked. And what unfurls through a peephole is so sick and so scary that I fear it'll pop up in my bad dreams for years to come, an echo of the outrageous possibilities of doom. It's not so much about what is shown, but how. Brewer has remarkable restraint when it comes to slowly building up to a big reveal of those creepy critters. A wide shot patiently held gives viewers plenty to watch and the time to really wriggle in awful anticipation.
And yet, what comes after is far more spectacular. Like Steven Spielberg did with Jaws, once Brewer has his audience hooked on the high of truly frightening monsters, he throws physics out the window and embraces fire and violence. What these things manage to do in their onslaught is so wild and surprising that I was shrieking in the theater. Out of fear? Out of surprise? Out of excitement? All of it. I'd come for Nic Cage, but I was in awe of these monsters that made me feel like a kid again, discovering the joy of creature features with their furry frights.
Now, some might bemoan that Arcadian takes its time getting to the monsters. But this isn't a shitty B-movie where the beasts are the only good reason to give it a watch. Brewer delicately builds this claustrophobic community not only to set the stage for his scene-stealing creatures, but also to establish how — even at the end of the world — being a teenager sucks in the same old ways. Parents just don't understand. Your home can feel like a cage. The world beyond is terrifying and unknowable, but that doesn't mean you're not ready to take it on.
It's the monsters that bring the big, delicious, funky thrills of Arcadian, sparking screams and gasps and cheers. But it's Cage and his onscreen kids who give the movie stakes and the emotional center that is required for a great monster movie, be it Jaws or Alien.
Simply put, Arcadian is a rollicking thrill ride, fueled by creature-feature thrills. But what makes this good movie pretty damn great is the human story at its heart, which is compelling on its own.
Arcadian is now streaming on Shudder.
UPDATE: Jul. 11, 2024, 12:24 p.m. EDT "Arcadian" was originally reviewed out of SXSW 2024, on March 14, 2024, and has since been updated for its theatrical release and now as our Watch of the Week to coincide with its debut on Shudder.
It's time for a good ol' Watch Series 9 vs. Watch Ultra 2 face-off. As Amazon Prime Day gears up for its official start on July 16, you may be wondering which Apple Watch fits your needs the most. And with the Series 9 already on sale before Prime Day even begins, it might actually be the time to pull the trigger on an Apple Watch.
It's not really in dispute that Apple makes some of the best smartwatches around, but which one is right for you?
As usual, that depends on multiple factors like features, battery life, and perhaps most importantly, price. This year's two new entries into the Apple Watch line, the Series 9 and Ultra 2, both seem like excellent choices, but not for the same kind of person.
One is more of a general-use device while the other is definitely geared towards the more adventurous among us. Here's how Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 compare to one another.
SEE ALSO: Where to buy the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 before they're pulled from Apple's shelves Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Watch Ultra 2: Price Series 9 won't set you back nearly as much as Ultra 2. Credit: AppleAs one might expect, the Series 9 is a good deal cheaper than the Ultra 2.
To be more specific, Series 9 starts at $399, while the Ultra 2 has just one available model at $799. There are, of course, some hidden costs with the Series 9 that aren't present with the Ultra 2, which comes with all the possible bells and whistles you could want. With Series 9, adding extra flourishes like a stainless-steel case (the default is aluminum) and cellular LTE coverage can balloon the total cost up to a staggering $749, the same ballpark as the Ultra 2.
Apple Watch Series 9 (starting price): $399
Apple Watch Series Ultra: $799
At that point, why not just get an Ultra 2, right? But not everyone needs every feature. For someone who just wants an excuse to look at their phone less and count their daily steps, the $399 Series 9 will do just fine.
Winner: Series 9
Apple Watch Series 9 $299.00 at AmazonApple Watch is arguably the most customizable product Apple sells, with a variety of case materials, colors, and watch bands to choose from. For this category, we'll just stick with the inherent design features of each device because going through every single permutation would take forever.
Unsurprisingly, Ultra 2 is one step ahead. Its titanium case is going to be more durable than the aluminum and stainless steel options on Series 9, though that may not matter if you're not a hiker or athlete. Meanwhile, the Ultra 2's 49mm case is slightly bigger than the 45mm or 41mm varieties of the Series 9. This means the display is also ever-so-slightly larger, offering more screen real estate than the Series 9.
SEE ALSO: Apple pauses sales of Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 over patent disputeThe real secret weapon in the Ultra 2's arsenal, though, is the programmable action button on the watch's side. You can make it activate pretty much any app shortcut you want — the Series 9 doesn't have this button at all. It's arguably the one feature the Ultra 2 has that is useful to everyone, not just people who enjoy hiking, so it's a bummer that the Series 9 doesn't have it.
Winner: Ultra 2
Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Ultra 2: Features Depth sensing! Credit: AppleA look at Apple's official comparison website for the different Apple Watch models is illuminating. Despite the big difference in (starting) price, these two devices have almost all of the same basic features.
For instance, both (obviously) support Siri and the new Double Tap feature. Health features are also the same across the board, with both watches supporting blood oxygen monitoring, ECG, heart rate notifications, skin temperature sensing, and cycle tracking.
The differences lie in the margins, and of course, the Ultra wins again by default. It comes with LTE built-in (it's an optional add-on for Series 9) and can sink to a depth of 100m underwater, 50m more than Series 9. It's also got a depth gauge and water temperature sensor, so diving fanatics don't have much of a choice here. Oh, and there's an emergency siren on Ultra 2 for, well, emergencies. Series 9 doesn't have that.
But again, you may not need any of those things. I know I don't.
Winner: Ultra 2
Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Ultra 2: Battery life Ultra 2 easily has a better battery than Series 9. Credit: AppleThe easiest category yet.
Series 9 has a runtime of up to 18 hours on a full charge and up to 36 hours on low-power mode.
Ultra 2 is rated for literally twice that much: 36 hours by default and 72 hours on low-power mode. This is one upgrade that everyone benefits from, not just lovers of the great outdoors.
Winner: Ultra 2
The verdictAs is customary with device comparisons featuring two gadgets that are so disparate in price, the more expensive one looks better on paper. Apple Watch Ultra 2 is bigger, more durable, longer-lasting, and has more features than Series 9. It's also not for everyone.
Ultra 2 is definitely made with outdoorsy adventuring types in mind. It's for people who might feasibly get lost in the woods or need to measure depth while diving in the ocean. I am certainly not one of those people and I'd venture to guess you might not be either. If that's the case, there's nothing wrong with Apple Watch Series 9; it's cheaper and has almost all of the same software features as Ultra 2.
But still, this is a competition and someone has to win. Congratulations, Apple.
Winner: Apple Watch Ultra 2 (but Series 9 is fine for most people too)
There are those in America who would have you believe there is no place in country western culture for LGBTQ+ folk. These people might put forth that the cowboy is the ultimate sign of traditional masculinity. They might suggest that life on a ranch is so hard, it's definitively heteronormative. They might sneer there's no room for drag at a rodeo. Those people will hate National Anthem.
For his feature debut, co-writer/director Luke Gilford found inspiration in his experiences as a queer kid coming up in a rodeo family and his professional photography capturing queer rodeo. National Anthem is a tale not of culture clash but of culture combining. Through the story of a lonely young man, this drama explores a side of Americana that is rural and rhinestones, true grit and truly gay. There, he will not only find his first love, but also himself.
SEE ALSO: LGBTQ spaces are needed now more than ever. Here’s what people mapping them have to say. What's National Anthem about? Credit: TIFFCharlie Plummer stars as Dylan, an introverted 21-year-old cowboy who works long days in construction to provide for his oft-drunk single mom (Robyn Lively) and his jolly little brother. His life is one of sacrifice. He gives his time, money, and patience to their needs while ignoring his own. That is, until he meets the burly Pepe (Rene Rosado) and the breezy Sky (Bros' Eve Lindley).
Deep down a dirt road in New Mexico, this polyamorous couple owns a ranch called House of Splendor. There, they live with their found family, which includes gay and trans members as well as a nonbinary drag queen with a fairy godmother vibe (The Sandman's Mason Alexander Park). From day one, Dylan can't help but stop and stare in awe of these free spirits, who ride horseback in shimmering gowns, dance about in their underwear unashamed, and laugh loud and proud like no one in his home has ever. But it's radiant Sky who steals his heart.
As the group welcomes him into their fold — and to the queer rodeo where they compete for shiny belt buckles — Dylan begins to come out of his shell. A bit of blue eye makeup there, a no-judgment conversation there, and soon he's happier than his mom has ever seen him. This raises her suspicions, especially as he begins to take his little brother out on day trips with his new friends.
National Anthem is a hazy dream of young love. Credit: TIFFThe screenplay by Kevin Best, Luke Gilford, and David Largman Murray is light on plot, focusing half-heartedly on Dylan's infatuation with Sky — and to a lesser extent, Pepe. They will flirt, fuck, and share their feelings — with cinematographer Katelin Arizmendi capturing passion and fervent fondling in yearning close-ups. The chemistry between this threesome is heady and hot, reminiscent of European movies of the '60s and '70s, with a glossy polish of perfectly gorgeous leads and a warm color palette that relishes flushed flesh. However, this movie is bigger than their romance — and is not concerned with labeling its characters within the LGBTQ spectrum.
The film gives voice to its reticent protagonist, the kind of cowboy too often overlooked in country western culture. Dylan's longing isn't hidden among the subtext of gunplay, like in Howard Hawks' Red River. His desire has neither twisted him into a vengeful parody of hetero-machismo, like in The Power of the Dog, nor bent him into a muttering, miserable figure of tragedy, as in Brokeback Mountain. And it hasn't instantly transformed him into a glittering gay cowboy icon, like Lil Nas X in "Old Town Road." His journey involves drug store makeup, cheap wigs, and a clumsy yet powerful lip-synch performance. Surrounding Dylan at the rodeo, there is only love — in a dizzying montage of crop tops and cowboy hats, burly bears making out as their belt buckles bump, while a resplendent Black drag queen in a sequined gown and crisp ten-gallon hat sings the national anthem. Rather than offering up a tidy narrative, Gilford gives his audience a safe space that's majestic in its natural beauty of sprawling terrain and the unapologetic glamor and sensuality of its queer rodeo folk.
Therein lies National Anthem's greatest virtue. While many, many narratives of queerness in America — especially those set in traditionally conservative spaces — center on tragedy, National Anthem is about queer joy. There are moments in which this found family shares the heartbreak and ostracism they've suffered from homophobic parents. But these characters are shown as far more than queer and tragic. They are joyous. They are creative. They are resilient. Whether strutting on a stage or communing with a persnickety stallion, they are at home in this place. And we are invited in to experience the bliss of House of Splendor.
Grounded by vulnerable yet effervescent performances, National Anthem is a celebration of rural queerness. It's not a rallying cry, but instead a firm declaration of existence and the pursuit of happiness. Wrapped in the sunny hues of the New Mexican desert and floating on the charisma of a sexy and vulnerable ensemble, this drama charts its own path with clear eyes and queer hearts.
National Anthem is in theaters now.
UPDATE: Jul. 11, 2024, 2:07 p.m. EDT "National Anthem" was reviewed out of the Toronto International Film Festival in this article, originally published on Sept. 14, 2023. The review was updated to contain information about the film's theatrical release.
TL;DR: Through July 21, you can score lifetime access to Koofr's 1TB cloud storage solution for only £92.90 with the coupon code KOOFR40.
Opens in a new window Credit: Koofr Koofr Cloud Storage: Lifetime Subscription (1TB) £92.90 at the Mashable ShopYou know all too well that your device's built-in storage is finite. Your precious storage is bound to run out as long as you continue to accumulate documents and media, which is, well, inevitable. So, unless you commit to a complete digital detox (let's be real, who can actually do that?), you're always going to need more storage for your files. Cloud storage can be a dependable solution, but instead of paying an endless monthly subscription fee, consider a cheaper alternative instead.
Koofr offers an affordable cloud storage deal for life. Thanks to this summer sale, you can grab lifetime access to a 1TB cloud storage plan from Koofr. Enter the code KOOFR40 at checkout to get it for just £92.90 — or 80% off the normal price of £627.26 — through July 21.
Need space for your latest concert videos, adorable puppy snaps, or an ever-expanding collection of work documents? Koofr can function as your dependable media vault. Its cloud storage can accommodate any media file, and what's especially great is that you can connect it to existing cloud accounts you already have, including Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon, and OneDrive. Plus, with easy access from your smartphone, PC, or via WebDav, your files are always within reach.
Each digital file stored in Koofr is encrypted to ensure complete security and privacy. When it comes to organisation, there are advanced file management tools at your disposal, too. Find duplicates, rename files, customise link appearances, and more — all within a user-friendly interface that makes file management a breeze, no matter your device.
Simplify file management and storage with a lifetime subscription to a Koofr 1TB plan, on sale for only £92.90 until July 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT with code KOOFR40.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
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 July 12's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.
What's the best Wordle starting word?The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles used to be available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it. Unfortunately, it has since been taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times.
Is Wordle getting harder?It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.
Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:Peanut butter brand.
Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?The letter F appears twice.
Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...Today's Wordle starts with the letter J.
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...
JIFFY.
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Reporting by Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
Prime Day deals you can shop right nowiRobot Roomba Combo i3+ Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum and Mop — $329.99 (List Price $599.99)
Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet — $178.99 (List Price $219.99)
Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen With MagSafe USB-C Charging Case — $199.00 (List Price $249.00)
Eero 6 Dual-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System (Router + 2 Extenders) — $149.99 (List Price $199.99)
Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS, 41mm, Midnight, S/M, Sports Band) — $299.00 (List Price $399.00)
Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for July 12'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 deletedEach 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 deletedPlayers can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Here's a hint for today's Connections categoriesWant a hit about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Things a school needs
Green: Gambling
Blue: Dove-involved things
Purple: Types of Geese
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: School Facilities
Green: Roulette Bets
Blue: Associated with "Dove"
Purple: ___Goose
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 #397 is...
What is the answer to Connections todaySchool Facilities: AUDITORIUM, GYM, LAB, LIBRARY
Roulette Bets: BLACK, EVEN, ODD, RED
Associated with "Dove": CHOCOLATE, PEACE, PIGEON, SOAP
___Goose: GOLDEN, GREY, MOTHER, SILLY
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.
Prime Day deals you can shop right nowiRobot Roomba Combo i3+ Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum and Mop — $329.99 (List Price $599.99)
Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet — $178.99 (List Price $219.99)
Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen With MagSafe USB-C Charging Case — $199.00 (List Price $249.00)
Eero 6 Dual-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System (Router + 2 Extenders) — $149.99 (List Price $199.99)
Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS, 41mm, Midnight, S/M, Sports Band) — $299.00 (List Price $399.00)
It's almost time for the 2024 Olympics, those special weeks when we watch the world's best athletes go for gold (and get emotional watching their parents cheer them on). And for the first time ever, Peacock will be streaming every event live — a step up from the muddled viewing experience of the 2020 Summer Games.
With 329 medal events and over 5,000 hours of live programming planned, Peacock's Olympic coverage can seem daunting: How can you possibly watch every highlight and event you want to see? Luckily, Peacock is offering a wide variety of viewing options and shows to ensure you get the most out of your Olympic viewing experience.
From celebrity-hosted shows to new multi-view options, here's everything you can expect from Peacock's Olympic coverage.
SEE ALSO: Team USA's parents get the gold for their Olympic trial reaction videos The Olympics hub Credit: Peacock / NBCUniversalPeacock's Olympics hub, which can be found either through the homepage or the site menu, is the streaming service's one-stop shop for all things Olympic Games. Here, you can browse coverage by sport, watch playlists dedicated to featured athletes like Simone Biles or Katie Ledecky, and keep track of the medal count. You can also create your own personalized Olympics schedule by clicking "Olympics Schedule" and then adding events you want to watch to "My Stuff."
Shows hosted by Kenan Thompson, Kevin Hart, Alex Cooper, and morePeacock and NBC are going all in on celebrity commentary for these Olympic Games, with rapper Snoop Dogg joining NBC and Peacock's Primetime in Paris, hosted by Mike Tirico. (Snoop Dogg's reaction to equestrian dressage was one of the highlights of the 2020 Olympics.)
Peacock will also be the streaming home to other celebrity-led shows. Kevin Hart returns to host Olympic Highlights, with Kenan Thompson replacing Snoop Dogg, who served as co-host in Tokyo. At a July 11 Peacock Preview Event in NYC that Mashable attended, Thompson described Olympic Highlights as "a show hosted by two people with no Olympic experience at all," so expect more amazed (and maybe even befuddled) reactions to the world's greatest athletic feats.
SEE ALSO: Snoop Dogg can't wait to 'shake it up' at the 2024 OlympicsAlex Cooper, host of podcast Call Her Daddy, will also be hosting a series of interactive watch parties, fittingly titled Watch with Alex Cooper. Cooper and guests will provide picture-in-picture commentary on some of the biggest Team USA events at the Olympics, including gymnastics, soccer, and basketball.
Rounding out Peacock's Olympic shows is Gold Zone, which whips around Paris to deliver real-time coverage of the Summer Games. Hosted by Scott Hanson, Andrew Siciliano, Matt Iseman, and Akbar Gbajabiamila, Gold Zone will highlight the key moments happening throughout the day's events at any given moment.
Interactive Live ActionsShows like Gold Zone will also be the site of Peacock Live Actions, an interactive tool that lets you move between the Olympics' many simultaneous events — sometimes up to 40 at once! As you watch Olympic coverage, Live Action prompts will pop up onscreen to take you to new livestreams of an event. Think of it as just changing the channel.
Discovery Multiview Credit: Peacock / NBCUniversal"Switching between sports is all fine and good," you may say, "but what if I want to watch four events at the same time?" First, I'd admire your commitment to getting as much Olympics in your eyeballs as possible. Then, I'd direct you to the Discovery Multiview tool.
Multiview is exactly what it sounds like: a viewing tool that shows four different sporting events simultaneously and offers onscreen descriptions cluing you into medal events or elimination risks.
Personalized AI-generated Daily Olympic Recaps Credit: Peacock / NBCUniversalGenerative AI arrives at the 2024 Olympics in the form of "Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock," which compile personalized highlight reels based on viewer preferences. These recaps are voiced by an AI version of announcer Al Michaels, which was trained on the sportscaster's prior NBC work with his consent. (Upon hearing a demo, Vulture said the AI voice "left much to be desired," while Defector called it, "accurate, but not right.")
"Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock" is available to Peacock subscribers starting July 27 on web browsers, as well as the Peacock app on iPhone and iPad. To get a recap, you tell Peacock your name, the sports you want to follow, and the highlights you prefer. According to NBC, up to 7 million variants of these recaps could be streamed over the duration of these Olympic Games.
The Olympic Games begin July 26. They'll be streaming on Peacock and broadcast on NBC.
"Dark Web Report" is about to be free for everyone, and, yes, you should care. The title may make this feature sound like some unappealing podcast, but it's actually a handy Google security tool that everyone should try.
Previously exclusive to those who pay for Google One — the paid service that launched around the time Google began suddenly telling everyone their cloud storage was full — Dark Web Report is rolling out to (basically) all free Google Account holders at some point this month (as of this writing). In the meantime, a basic version of Dark Web Report, which scans past data leaks on the Dark Web to see if your credentials have been compromised, is available now.
SEE ALSO: 200,000 Facebook Marketplace user records were leaked on the dark web What is Google's Dark Web Report?Dark Web Report scans the dark web (secret, unsearchable networks that can only be reached with certain software) for your personal information: name, physical address, phone number, email address, and Social Security Number (if you're in the U.S.).
When will Google's Dark Web Report be available for everyone?All the information Google is providing about the timeline for this change is in one sentence on a Google support page, and it just says the change will happen in "late July 2024."
Who is eligible for Google's Dark Web Report?Most users with consumer Google Accounts will be eligible. Enterprise accounts (your work account foe instance) won't be included.
However, while most major internet-using countries are included on the eligibility list, there are some notable omissions: Russia, China, South Africa, and New Zealand for instance.
How to use the Dark Web ReportAs of Mashable's test in early July, free users could already go to a Google One page that initiates a scan of the Dark Web, which is part of the full Dark Web Report service. The heading on the page reads "See if your Gmail address is on the dark web." Click the button in the bottom right corner that says "Run scan."
Credit: Mashable screenshot from GoogleIf you've been unlucky (and if you're like most people, you have been unlucky) you'll get the following bad news:
Credit: Mashable screenshot from GoogleA heading will say "Your info was found on the dark web" followed by the number of data breaches that include your email address. This doesn't necessarily mean the credentials to your email address or Google account have leaked, just that they've been included in a leak. That email address may have leaked in conjunction with the credentials — possibly including the password — of another account at a completely different website or service associated with your email address.
Clicking "View all results" will get you a list of all the breaches containing your info. The sky's the limit when it comes to how many that could be, particularly if you've had your email address for a long time.
Credit: Mashable screenshot from GoogleCurrently, the full Dark Web Report still requires users to set up a paid Google One account. You probably shouldn't sign up for Google One for this reason alone, because the feature is about to be free, but if you do, you'll be able to do the following:
Set up your dark web monitoring profile, including your name, date of birth, and Gmail address by default, along with the option to add your physical address, additional email addresses, and your phone number.
Receive Google's search results for matches related to all this data in dark web data breaches
Change them immediately.
Sign up for a password manager. (If you don't know what that is, Mashable can help.)
If sensitive accounts — like ones linked to your banking or personal data — have been leaked, consider creating a separate email address for sensitive use only. Keep the existence of this address intensely private.
Welp, it's out there now. Sorry.
Again, limited information is available. In "late July," when this becomes a free service, myaccount.google.com will probably reflect this change, and Dark Web Report functionality will reportedly be integrated into Google's "Results about you" section.
"Results about you" is a separate Google service, aimed at giving people some degree of control over which information about them is searchable online. The dark web, being unsearchable by definition, wasn't previously included.
Mashable will update this page once we know more.
In a simple twist of fate, Samsung Unpacked and Amazon Prime Day 2024 are both happening in July. That makes a perfect recipe for heavily discounted Samsung products.
With any new product launch comes an abundance of discounts on older models. Heck, sometimes those brand-new models even see price drops during preorder periods. Throw in pressure from Amazon Prime Day (which officially runs July 16 and 17) and there's a good chance we'll see unprecedented pricing on all sorts of devices — from the Galaxy Tab S9 lineup to the slate of Galaxy Watch 6 models.
We're tracking the best Galaxy-specific deals below ahead of Prime Day, which includes the Galaxy Tab, Galaxy Book, Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Watch, and Galaxy phones. As the official savings event nears, we'll be updating the list with the latest and greatest deals — so stay tuned.
Note: All newly added deals are marked with a ✨, while deals with a 🔥 have dropped to an all-time low price.
Early Prime Day Samsung Galaxy deals Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Our pick: Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 (128GB) 🔥 $646.51 at AmazonLaunched during last summer's Unpacked event, the Galaxy Tab S9 features a new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, a new Dynamic AMOLED 2X 11-inch display, and an IP68 water- and dust-proof rating (which is a first). It also comes with the famous S-Pen, of course, which allows you to doodle, take notes, and make the most out of apps. It's also loaded with AI features like Transcript Assist, Photo Assist, Circle to Search, and Note Assist. Ahead of Prime Day, the 128GB version of our favorite Android tablet is on sale for just $646.51 instead of the usual $799.99. That's just shy of 20% savings. Need more storage? The 256GB version is on sale for just $52 more.
More Samsung Galaxy dealsGalaxy Book deals
Note: While there are no Galaxy Book deals currently available at Amazon, we found the following models on sale at Samsung's own website. Stay tuned for any Prime Day-specific Galaxy Book deals.
Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge 14-inch (Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB RAM, 512GB eUFS) — $999.99 $1,349.99 (save $350)
Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge 16-inch (Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB RAM, 512GB eUFS) — $1,099.99 $1,449.99 (save $350)
Samsung Galaxy Book4 360 (Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,129.99 $1,549.99 (save $420)
Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge 16-inch (Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB RAM, 1TB eUFS) — $1,499.99 $1,749.99 (save $250)
Galaxy Buds deals
Samsung Galaxy Buds FE — $79.99 $99.99 (save $20)
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro — $149.99 $229.99 (save $80)
Galaxy phone deals
Samsung Galaxy A25 (128GB, Unlocked) — $249.99 $299.99 (save $50)
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 AI (512GB) + $200 Amazon Gift Card Preorder Bundle — $1,099.99 $1,419.99 (save $320) 🔥
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 AI (512GB) + $300 Amazon Gift Card Preorder Bundle — $1,899.99 $2,319.99 (save $420) 🔥
Galaxy tablet deals
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ (256GB) — $599 $699.99 (save $100)
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 (128GB) — $646.51 $799.99 (save $153.48)
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 (256GB) — $699 $919.99 (save $220.99)
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9+ (256GB) — $799.99 $999.99 (save $200)
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9+ (512GB) — $849 $1,119.99 (save $270.99)
Galaxy Watch deals
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 (40mm, Bluetooth) — $209.99 $299.99 (save $90)
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 (44mm, Bluetooth) — $239.99 $329.99 (save $90)
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 (40mm, LTE) — $259.99 $349.99 (save $90)
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 (44mm, LTE) — $256.57 $379.99 (save $123.42) 🔥
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic (47mm, Bluetooth) — $336.57 $429.99 (save $93.42)
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic (47mm, LTE) — $399.99 $479.99 (save $80)
Microsoft has a new AI toy — and no, you can't use it.
Researchers at the company revealed in a research paper (spotted by Live Science) that they've built an AI voice synthesizer that can create believable, realistic human voices straight from text prompts.
Called VALL-E 2, the research paper claims it's the first time "human parity" has been achieved in a text-to-speech system.
SEE ALSO: The best Windows laptops of 2024: Put these models on your Prime Day shopping listOf course, there's no way for any of us to know that for sure because regular people can't use it. Microsoft's blog post is very clear about this.
"This page is for research demonstration purposes only," Microsoft's website said. "Currently, we have no plans to incorporate VALL-E 2 into a product or expand access to the public."
Unfortunately, there aren't audio samples available, so you'll have to trust the researchers on this. However, the blog post does offer numerous charts and technical terms to explore. If it's as good as they say, though, maybe it's for the best that we can't hear it.
If you too have spent countless hours watching people make delicious concoctions in their Ninja Creami, there's good news. Aptly announced on July 11, 2024, AKA 7/11, AKA Free Slurpee Day, Ninja debuted the Slushi, a frozen drink machine that turns liquid to slush — no ice required.
Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Ninja Slushi frozen drink maker $269.99 at NinjaNinja already has the kitchen device of the moment with the Creami, an easy-to-use countertop ice cream maker. The Ninja Creami hashtag has over 34.5K posts on TikTok, and while browsing your FYP, it's impossible to avoid videos of people stirring Fairlife chocolate milk and pudding mix together, for an at-home soft serve experience.
In the heat of summer, the Creami is certainly appealing, more so when it's on sale, like it is right now. But Ninja is stirring up more frozen delights with the debut of the Slushi.
The Slushi is a frozen drink maker that looks professional, something you'd see at a restaurant or bar, but it's meant for your home. With Ninja's RapidChill technology, the Slushi spins liquid while simultaneously chilling it, to create slush.
The chilling is thanks to a "Whisperchill" compressor, which claims to quietly maintain a drink's texture and temperature for up to 12 hours. One of the main complaints of the Creami is just how loud it is, so a quiet appliance is certainly enticing. That being said, since we haven't tested the Slushi, we can't confirm just how quiet it actually is.
The Ninja Slushi makes everything from your morning coffee frappé to your evening frozen cocktail. Credit: NinjaSo why would one want to buy another kitchen device when you could make daiquiris and pina coladas in your blender? The perk of the Slushi is that it creates frozen drinks without the need for ice, unlike your blender. That means your cocktails and milkshakes won't get watered down.
The Slushi comes with 5 presets: Slush, spiked slush, frappé, milkshake, and frozen juice. It holds about 64 ounces of liquid and to dispense your mixture, use the self-serve handle and no-mess spout. Clean up promises to be easy too, as the parts are all dishwasher safe.
At $269.99, the Ninja Slushi price isn't bad, especially in comparison to previous frozen drink makers we've tested, like the Margaritaville frozen drink maker, which costs over $500.
While we can't attest to just how effective the Slushi is at making frozen drinks, it shows promise. And based on how popular the Ninja Creami is, we expect the Slushi to be TikTok's new favorite device.
Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Ninja Slushi frozen drink maker $269.99 at NinjaThe finale of the intriguing and controversial Star Wars series The Acolyte is almost upon us. Showrunner Leslye Headland is eager for a second season, but also admits she hasn't got the green light for one yet. So, what can we expect from the show's somewhat tied-up ending?
Despite being set in the High Republic era, a century before the Star Wars movies, The Acolyte makes many references to the Skywalker saga those movies cover. For example, the penultimate episode reveals that twin heroines Mae and Osha (Amandla Stenberg) were born (or rather, created) on a planet that constitutes a "vergence" in the Force — a term we last heard in The Phantom Menace, applied to Anakin Skywalker.
SEE ALSO: 'The Acolyte's twin reveal threw me for a loop — and I'm hungry for moreBut there's one Star Wars movie that The Acolyte references far more than any other: The Last Jedi. And Headland has dropped enough breadcrumbs about the finale in multiple interviews to suggest the story is heading in a very Last Jedi direction. Or rather, it will take some of the promises inherent in that movie and turn them up to 11.
Let's break down why, and what exactly that means.
All the Last Jedi references in The AcolyteThe prequel movies showed us how the Jedi were duped and destroyed by Sith Lord Darth Sidious, aka Emperor Palpatine. But The Last Jedi was the first movie in the Star Wars saga to state that this was due to the very nature of the old Jedi Order itself.
"If you strip away their myth and look at their deeds," Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) explained to Rey (Daisy Ridley), "the legacy of the Jedi is failure, hypocrisy, hubris."
Those hubristic deeds are on full display in early episodes of The Acolyte. Here, at the height of being the "guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic" (to quote Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope), we see a group of Jedi enter a coven of witches on the planet Brendok.
Brandishing their limited view of the Force like religious colonizers, the Jedi insist on testing Mae and Osha for entry into the Jedi order, and a horrific tragedy results.
SEE ALSO: Vernestra has to be Qimir's old Jedi Master in 'The Acolyte,' right?At least, that's what it looks like from the witches' point of view. In The Acolyte episode 7, we see a more sympathetic version of the same tragic tale through the eyes of the Jedi. This Rashomon-like shift in perspective was first seen in the Star Wars universe in The Last Jedi. A fateful moment between Luke and Kylo Ren, aka Ben Solo (Adam Driver), is seen from both sides.
No, that's not the planet Ahch-To. Credit: Disney+The Last Jedi Easter eggs came thick and fast in The Acolyte episode 6. The mysterious Sith-like figure, known as Qimir or more simply The Stranger (Manny Jacinto), took Osha to an "unknown planet" that looked a lot like Ahch-To, an off-the-grid planet where Rey finds Luke. We saw similar cliffs, caves, and even what looked like baby versions of the Last Jedi's giant sea cow-like Thala-siren creatures.
However, Headland has confirmed that this isn't the same place. "Cortosis [the lightsaber-deflecting metal worn by The Stranger] is mined on this planet," the showrunner told Collider, which isn't the case on Ahch-To. The creatures are based on mole rats rather than sea cows. And this planet is entirely uncharted, as opposed to Ahch-To, where Luke had retired and simply hidden a chunk of a galactic map from his rebel friends.
However, Headland also confirmed that the visual similarity between the planets was intentional. Same goes for the costumes worn by Osha and The Stranger, both of whom dress like Rey and Kylo Ren. The Stranger strips for a swim, creating tension similar to when Rey saw Kylo Ren topless in a Force vision.
SEE ALSO: I love Reylo fanfiction — and so does publishingThat vision was possible because Rey and Kylo Ren were revealed to be a Force dyad — an unbreakable pairing of two individuals across time and space. The word dyad hasn't been explicitly used in The Acolyte, but The Stranger did mention "the power of two."
Headland has hinted that this doesn't refer to the Sith concept of master and apprentice so much as a Force dyad between Osha and Mae. Their "power of two" would one day unleash "the power of many," according to the witches. That sounds more like a dyad than an apprentice always scheming to overthrow their master, as in the case of the Sith.
The girls are "patient zero for this sort of power," the showrunner told Nerdist. "They must stay together" in order for the power to work, which is why the Jedi splitting them up sowed the seeds of calamity.
Where will The Acolyte go next? Credit: Disney+The Last Jedi gave us a clear example of what it's like to be seduced by the Dark Side of the Force — literally seduced, thanks to Rey and Kylo's mutual attraction. (The other Dark Side seductions seen in the movies, those of Anakin and Luke Skywalker, lacked this sexual element.)
Ultimately, Rey resisted. But what would have happened if she hadn't? That's what The Acolyte may be about to show us, foreshadowed by Osha wearing The Stranger's cortosis helmet at the very end of episode 6. After all, if she resists becoming his acolyte, there wouldn't be a whole lot for a show with that name to explore in a second season.
As for the question on the mind of every Acolyte-watching Star Wars fan — who is the Sith-like Stranger, anyway? —The Last Jedi may provide clues to the two most likely answers.
SEE ALSO: 'The Acolyte' takes a parsec-leap forward for queer representationIt's unlikely that The Stranger is going to be immediately connected to Darth Plagueis, who was later killed by his apprentice Darth Sidious, although the showrunner wants you to know she knows about your Plagueis theories. "If I continue to tell this story, I know how I would like that [connection to Plagueis] to play out," Headland told Nerdist. "It's pretty complicated and messy."
As for the equally widespread fan theory that The Stranger is connected to the Knights of Ren, the order that admitted and named Kylo Ren, the one seen all too briefly in Last Jedi? "It's a really good theory," Headland said, an unusually reticent answer for her. "What an interesting theory."
What if The Stranger is nobody special? Credit: Disney+But there's one last possibility. In The Last Jedi, Rey was revealed to be the child of junk traders. Many fans warmed to the idea that she was "Rey Nobody," suggesting that Force powers can arise in anyone, anywhere in the galaxy far, far away. When its sequel, The Rise of Skywalker, changed this by making Rey the granddaughter of Palpatine, those fans were furious.
The idea of a reveal where the mystery character isn't anyone you're expecting — isn't anyone important at all — has only become more resonant in pop culture since then. Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies has said that a similar reveal in his season finale "Empire of Death" was inspired by The Last Jedi.
The Stranger turning out to be just plain old Qimir, a wannabe Sith Lord we've never heard about — especially if he meets his end in the finale — would certainly explain why the Jedi were so complacent about the return of the Sith in The Phantom Menace. And it would clear the way to explore where Osha goes next with her Dark Side flirtation in a potential season 2.
We'll find out soon enough. But if Headland's "complicated and messy" multi-season arc is any guide... Well then, to quote Luke in The Last Jedi, this is not going to go the way you think.
How to watch: The Acolyte is now streaming on Disney+, with the finale episode premiering Tuesday July 16 at 9 p.m. ET.
Apple is sending out another round of spyware warnings to targeted users in 98 countries this week.
On Wednesday, numerous iPhone users reported receiving these messages and posted their experiences along with screenshots.
Tweet may have been deleted"Apple detected that you are being targeted by a mercenary spyware attack that is trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID," reads Apple's notification, addressed to targets from a threats-notification@apple.com contact. "This attack is likely targeting you specifically because of who you are or what you do. Although it’s never possible to achieve absolute certainty when detecting such attacks, Apple has high confidence in this warning — please take it seriously."
Apple's latest spyware notificationIn its notification, Apple says it's been sending these types of warnings to affected users since 2021.
SEE ALSO: The White House is cracking down on brokers selling your data to China and RussiaHowever, it seems these notifications first started using the "mercenary spyware attacks" language more recently. Apple described the spyware attacks in April as such, but TechCrunch reports that previous language from Apple described the attacks as "state-sponsored." That language no longer appears in Apple's warnings.
Apple says in the notification that the iPhone users receiving the warning are likely being targeted due to who they are or what they do. In viewing social media posts from users sharing the notification, it seems a significant number of these users work as journalists or in news media in some capacity.
The spyware warning from Apple doesn't provide any specific details regarding the threat. This is usually the case with Apple's warnings, which are meant to warn users so that they take proactive measures to protect their accounts and devices before they are actually compromised.
Shortly after the last Apple notification in April, cybersecurity researchers reported that Apple's warning was related to a surveillance spyware toolset known as LightSpy.
Mashable will monitor this story as more information about this latest attack becomes available.
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