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TL;DR: Get new, open-box Beats Studio Buds+ Wireless Noise-Cancelling Earbuds for just $99.99 (reg. $149).

Cheapo wireless and wired earbuds are a dime a dozen. You can go into any convenience store and snag a very inexpensive pair. But that low price won't seem so low when they break shortly after purchasing them, and you already need a new pair. If you're serious about your audio experience, these new, open-box Beats Studio Buds+ Wireless Noise-Cancelling Earbuds offer terrific sound quality and convenience and are now just $99.99 (regularly $149).

These have a new, open box status, which is usually just excess inventory from the stores that were returned. They are still considered new, but the open-box status makes them a little more affordable.

Escape into your music with the powerful noise-cancelling mode of the Beats Studio Buds+. Whether you’re commuting, working in a noisy environment, or just trying to find some peace and quiet, these earbuds will block out the surrounding noise and let you focus.

However, you sometimes need to stay connected to your surroundings, especially if you're at work or on a busy street. With the touch of a button, switch to transparency mode, which allows outside sounds to filter in while still enjoying your music.

These earbuds also feature upgraded voice-filtering mics that provide clean clarity and filter out background noises. With their charging case, you can expect up to 36 hours of battery life in total. In cases of auditory emergencies, you can eke out two hours of playtime with a five-minute charge. 

These quality earbuds come with four different sizes of ear tips for comfort and the ability to customize on-ear controls, all at a price that won't break the bank.

Get new, open-box Beats Studio Buds+ Wireless Noise-Cancelling Earbuds for just $99.99 (reg. $149).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Beats By Dre Beats Studio Buds+ Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds (MQLK3LL/A) - Transparent (New - Open Box) $99.99 at The Mashable Shop
$149.00 Save $49.01 Get Deal

Astronaut Matthew Dominick was going about 17,500 mph or so above Earth when he peered out his window and saw this remarkable view.

Dominick, who launched to the International Space Station in March as commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission, pulled out his camera and snapped the above photo. Taken on the Fourth of July, the image is as gobsmacking as any fireworks display back home. 

Below a thin curl of the moon is a lofty bed of so-called noctilucent clouds, floating in the calm before the riotous break of sunrise. These strange high-flying clouds at the edge of space — beguiling to scientists just two decades ago — are easy to observe from the station's orbit about 250 miles above Earth. 

"We have had so many great sunrises lately with amazing noctilucent clouds," Dominick said on X, formerly Twitter. "Probably taken a 1,000 images or so in the past week of them." 

SEE ALSO: An enormous Martian cloud returns every spring. Scientists found out why. Tweet may have been deleted

At least as far back as the 19th century, astronomers have gazed up at the sky and wondered about this kind of cloud, the highest in Earth's atmosphere. Rain clouds tend to form no more than 10 miles up, but noctilucent clouds hover some 50 miles above the planet's surface in a layer of the atmosphere known as the mesosphere. 

From the ground, people have often referred to them as "night-shining clouds," because their altitude allows them to keep reflecting sunlight well after sunset. In the summer, these iridescent clouds shimmer at dusk and dawn near the North and South Poles. 

Bright, mysterious noctilucent clouds appear over Edmonton, Alberta, in Canada in July 2011. Credit: NASA / Dave Hughes

How they formed remained a mystery until NASA's Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) mission in 2007. Scientists knew noctilucent clouds could vary with latitude and solar activity but didn't understand why. 

With a spacecraft orbiting 350 miles above Earth, researchers learned that the clouds happen when ice crystals condense on meteor smoke, tiny particles from shooting stars that burn up in the atmosphere. Perhaps even more surprising was that the ice within the mesosphere forms in a single continuous layer.

NASA's AIM mission took the first global image of iridescent polar clouds in June 2007. Credit: NASA

In its first year, the mission documented the "life cycle" of noctilucent clouds in the Northern Hemisphere, which started at the tail end of May and continued through August. The satellite, which was only slated for a two-year study, returned 16 years' worth of data before its battery died last year. 

Its observations led to many discoveries, including how events closer to the ground could trigger changes in the clouds, and how the icy layer in the upper atmosphere could cause eerie radar echoes in the atmosphere during the summer. Scientists appreciate the spacecraft's success, especially given the hurdles it overcame at the beginning of its mission: A broken receiver forced the NASA team to figure out how to reprogram it to communicate in Morse code. 

One of the more recent findings from the mission is how humans influence the clouds' formation. A 2022 study published in the journal Earth and Space Science found that morning rocket launches could actually create noctilucent clouds at farther distances from the poles, over southern Alaska, central Canada, northern Europe, southern Scandinavia, and south-central Russia. 

International Space Station crew see noctilucent clouds in the late hours over the southern tip of South Korea on July 1. Credit: Matthew Dominick / Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit / NASA Johnson Space Center

Researchers compared the spacecraft's observations to the timing of launches south of 60 degrees north latitude. What they found was a strong correlation between morning launches and night-shining clouds in the relatively lower latitudes. 

Despite the end of the AIM mission, Cora Randall, deputy principal investigator, said in a statement that scientists will continue to make new discoveries based on the data. 

"There are still gigabytes upon gigabytes of AIM data to study," she said. 

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

With a place in the 2024 Copa America final up for grabs, you can expect Uruguay and Colombia to do everything they can to progress. That means we're in for a tense battle between two strong sides.

Uruguay and multi-time Copa America winners, though it's been 13 years since they last won the title. Colombia meanwhile haven't won the Copa America since 2001.

In other words, both teams will be hungry to earn a place in the final and challenge for the Copa America 2024 title. Whatever happens, this semi-final promises to be a thrilling matchup — and one not to miss.

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

When is Uruguay vs. Colombia?

Uruguay vs. Colombia in the 2024 Copa America semi-final kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on July 10. This fixture takes place at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

How to watch Uruguay vs. Colombia for free

The 2024 Copa America is available to live stream for free on Sportitalia, including Uruguay vs. Colombia.

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

Access free live streams of the 2024 Copa America by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit Sportitalia

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

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By taking advantage of these offers, you can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is clearly not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch the 2024 Copa America before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Sportitalia?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including Italy

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Stream Uruguay vs. Colombia in the 2024 Copa America for free with ExpressVPN.

Any time you shop for a new laptop, a lot of people are going to tell you the same thing: Just get a MacBook.

And you know what? We don't blame them. The best MacBooks are fantastic laptops, and while they don't afford you the freedom of customization that other brands offer, that's not something everyone will care about. At the end of the day, most of us just want a high-quality laptop that'll get us through work, school, and play with minimal fuss.

SEE ALSO: The best laptop deals this week, from MacBooks, to Chromebooks, and everything in between

Although MacBooks can get a bit pricey — with some reaching into truly frightening territory — they justify the price with Apple's signature design, user-friendly OS, and the zippy M-series processors. Plus, you can often find MacBook Air and Pro models on sale (with the cheapest ones priced around $850 to $999). And with Prime Day 2024 on the horizon, you can expect more MacBook deals to land soon.

After testing out Apple's lineup of laptops, we're here to help you narrow down the choices and take home the Apple machine of your dreams. So, let's start shopping.

Your first big decision: MacBook Pro vs Air

When it comes to today's current lineup of MacBooks, you really only have two options: The MacBook Pro or the MacBook Air. So, which is right for you?

If you're a creative who is regularly pushing their laptops to the limit with demanding applications for video and photo editing, you'll want to aim for the Pro. The name of the game with the Pro line is processing power, and the latest iteration is the speediest and most performance-driven yet.

Testing the M1 MacBook Air after its 2020 release. Credit: Zlata Ivleva / Mashable Testing the super-powered M3 MacBook Pro. Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Now, if convenience and portability are your top priorities, then the Air is going to be most suited to you. It's thin and light, and it even comes in a 13-inch option if you're going to be lugging it around with you wherever you go. Plus, ever since the debut of Apple's M Series chips, the MacBook Air has become a pint-sized powerhouse. The most current model utilizes the M3 chip, so you won't be sacrificing all that much in terms of power.

Next up: Which generation?

This is going to come down to what you're willing to give up in performance, and in some cases, quality. But, whatever you do deem worthy of sacrificing, you'll be paid back in savings. For example, the 2022 model M2 MacBook Air won't come with the latest chip, but you'll still be scoring an impressive laptop that frequently goes on sale for just $849.99. That's compared to the $1,249 price tag of the most recent Air, and the $1,599 asking price of the latest Pro.

A photo from Mashable's test of the M1 MacBook Air. Credit: Zlata Ivleva / Mashable Testing the M2 MacBook Air. Credit: Molly Flores / Mashable

So, if you've got a lighter budget, don't fret — you can still get a MacBook at an affordable price. Yes, you'll have to get an older model, but staying current is overrated. Older MacBooks are still very much worthy of your consideration, and they won't cost you nearly as much.

When is the best time to buy a new MacBook?

The good news is that there's never really a bad time to buy a MacBook, especially if you're shopping for a previous-generation model with the M2 or M1 chip. Those tend to go on sale consistently at retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart for at least $150 off, if not more. Newer MacBook models aren't much harder to find at a discount at the very same retailers depending on the configuration you choose.

SEE ALSO: If you're waiting for a touchscreen MacBook, we've got bad news

But to us, the best time to buy a MacBook is definitely during a big sale event like Amazon Prime Day or Black Friday. That's where you'll get the real bargains on coveted Apple laptops, as well as other Apple devices. Finally, you can often find discounts any time a new model is introduced — it almost always comes with a price cut to the previous-gen model, which we just saw with the M2 MacBook Air and Pro.

So, what are the best MacBooks?

After testing out the latest Apple laptops, we think there are four MacBooks worth buying in 2024. Check out our top picks below, their pros and cons, as well as who we think would like each model best.

Want something to tickle your funny bone but don’t want to spend hours perusing your options? Picking a comedy to watch can be tricky, because humor is largely a matter of taste. But worry not.

Whether you’re hankering for a comedy classic or a modern hit, a feel-good crowd-pleaser or a poignant critical darling, a mainstream romp or an outrageous musical, a candy-colored fantasy or a time-travel buddy-comedy, we've got you covered.

Here are the best comedy movies now streaming on Max.

1. Singin' in the Rain Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O'Connor dance in rain slickers. Credit: Silver Screen Collection / Moviepix via Getty Images

Craving something that’ll not only make you laugh but also make you want to get up and dance? Then splash into the stupendous pleasures of this 1952 classic, co-directed by Stanley Donen and Hollywood legend Gene Kelly. The latter stars as a Vaudevillian who has worked his way up from stuntman to silent movie star. As the sound era shakes up the film industry, he hopes to make sweet music with an enchanting ingenue (a beaming Debbie Reynolds). However, his cantankerous leading lady (a ruthlessly silly Jean Hagen) won’t be sidelined without a fight! Full of meta jokes, charming banter, hysterical hijinks, and astonishing song numbers, Singin’ in the Rain is one of the best musical comedies that’s ever been made. Come for the jokes. Stay for the signature dance number that’s as astonishing now as it was decades ago. Then, let the romance of this feel-good film sweep you away. — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

How to watch: Singin' in the Rain is streaming on Max.

2. Barbie Margot Robbie is Barbie in "Barbie." Credit: Warner Bros.

Frankly, the promotional journey for Barbie was so full of pink, so joyful, so fun, that would have been Kenough. The movie could have been a silly trifle, and we'd likely have been pleased. But writer/director Greta Gerwig brought us the universally heralded coming-of-age comedy Ladybird and then the rapturous reimagining of Little Women. Her Barbie wasn't going to stop at playful. Instead, it parodied the patriarchy with horses, Stallone-inspired fashion, and a rousing dream ballet fueled by an actual banger, "I'm Just Ken."

Margot Robbie was picture-perfect as a Barbie who realizes the world is much bigger than the dreamhouse-dotted Barbie Land. Ryan Gosling snagged the rare comedy Oscar nomination for his delightfully deranged take on the insecure man doll who couldn't cope, and so turned to conquering. (Napoleon relates!) While detractors have argued the film's girl-power messaging is simplistic, it's hard to deny that Gerwig did more with this IP than we could have dreamed. Sure, Barbie is a glossy toy commercial. But it's a glossy toy commercial that not only has something to say, but does so through spectacular filmmaking that folds in eye-popping practical effects, enthralling details, discontinued dolls, and jokes that were way outside the box. From Weird Barbie to that on-point Pride and Prejudice mini-series namedrop, Barbie had us so giddy that we felt like kids again.* — K.P.

How to watch: Barbie is now streaming on Max.

3. Dear White People Tessa Thompson and the cast of "Dear White People." Credit: Code Red / Duly Noted / Homegrown / Roadside Attractions / Kobal / Shutterstock.com

Justin Simien's breakthrough 2014 hit, Dear White People, looks racial tension in the face and digs in. It's a sharp, funny, and fearless investigation into what it means to be a Black person in America today, shot with a distinct sense of style and structure. Ripping into code-switching, colorism, and more, Dear White People follows multiple students' movements at one Ivy League university — including a student activist (Tessa Thompson) who runs an edgy campus radio show called "Dear White People" — as things escalate, building up to a Halloween party no one will ever forget. — Kristina Grosspietsch, Freelance Contributor

How to watch: Dear White People is now streaming on Max.

4. 50/50

Adam's (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) biggest concern in his late twenties is that his crass best friend (Seth Rogen) doesn't really like Adam's girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard). But it's no big deal — Adam's got his whole future ahead of him! Or so he thinks. When a doctor's visit reveals he has a tumor with a 50 percent survival rate, Adam must confront his mortality, all while he's still learning to be an adult. 50/50 is a sweet and moving dramedy that skillfully mines humor from tragedy. This 2011 hidden gem, which is loosely based on screenwriter Will Reiser's experience with cancer, is a sweet and captivating watch that will make you laugh while you cry. — K.G.

How to watch: 50/50 is now streaming on Max.

5. Problemista Tilda Swinton and Julio Torres play a compelling odd couple in "Problemista." Credit: A24

Is your favorite brand of comedy the bleak, existential kind? Then Julio Torres' Problemista is the surreal and fractured fairy tale for you. Torres (who also wrote and directed the film) stars as Alejandro, an imaginative toy designer trying to make it in New York City. But when he's fired from his job at a cryogenics facility, Alejandro needs to find a new visa sponsor or he'll be deported. Enter Tilda Swinton as Elizabeth, a temperamental, delusional harridan — and the wife of one of Alejandro's former frozen clients. Alejandro must figure out how to manage Elizabeth's ever-changing whims while navigating the labyrinthine U.S. immigration process and keeping his dream alive. — K.G.

How to watch: Problemista is now streaming on Max.

6. Spy Jason Statham, Melissa McCarthy, and Jude Law in the poster for "Spy." Credit: 20th Century Fox / Kobal / Shutterstock.com

Melissa McCarthy is Susan Cooper, a CIA agent who spends most of her time in a basement, assisting her partner on his missions via computer and earpiece. Not only does her entire work life revolve around Jude Law's Bond-like sexy super-spy Bradley Fine, but she’s also in love with him. So when Fine is killed on a mission to find the location of a rogue nuke, Cooper leaves her desk behind and heads into the field. Will she be the spy she always dreamed she could be? Or is she what Fine thinks she is — better suited for the basement?

Written and directed by Paul Feig (Freaks and Geeks, Bridesmaids, The Heat), Spy is an exciting, silly, and unpredictable action comedy. It is more than a simple spoof on the spy genre; it's a hilarious, sharp commentary on how our world views the average woman, made even more sparkling with a top-notch cast that includes Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Miranda Hart, Bobby Cannavale, Allison Janney, and more. — K.G.

How to watch: Spy is now streaming on Max.

7. Legally Blonde Reese Witherspoon is in court in "Legally Blonde." Credit: Tracy Bennett / MGM / Kobal / Shutterstock.com

What can we possibly say about this truly perfect movie that hasn’t already been said? Written by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith, Legally Blonde is bright, bubbly, and seriously smart — just like its main character, Elle Woods. Reese Witherspoon is iconic as the blonde bombshell who gets into Harvard Law School with the goal of wooing back her old boyfriend, only to learn that loving herself gives her much more satisfaction. Luke Wilson is a perfect supportive new flame, and Jennifer Coolidge is peak Jennifer Coolidge as Elle's BFF. 

Endlessly quotable, inspiring a successful Broadway musical and garnering multiple awards, Legally Blonde is both a smash hit and an honest-to-goodness cultural milestone.* — K.G.

How to watch: Legally Blonde is now streaming on Max.

8. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves rock out in "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure." Credit: Orion / Kobal / Shutterstock.com

Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter are iconic, ridiculous, and charming as two empty-headed teens with the fate of the world in their hands. 

In 1988, Bill and Ted, best buds and most excellent California bros, are struggling with an upcoming history exam. If Ted doesn't pass, his gnarly father will ship him off to military school! Not excellent, dude! But turns out there's more riding on this history exam than the fate of Bill and Ted's band, Wyld Stallyns. When a time traveler named Rufus (George Carlin) arrives, Bill and Ted learn that the entire future — one where they're heralded as the Two Great Ones — is at stake. They'll have to journey back in time and meet historical figures, from Genghis Khan to Napoleon, in order to ace the test and protect their future. Most outstanding! — K.G.

How to watch: Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure is now streaming on Max.

9. Modern Times Charlie Chaplin in a dinner scene in "Modern Times." Credit: Hulton Archive / Moviepix via Getty Images

Charlie Chaplin was a king of comedy in the silent film era, rolling his iconic Little Tramp into such side-splitters as City Lights, Gold Rush, and The Kid. These and many more Chaplin offerings are available on Max. Subscribers can easily look back at how American physical comedy was forged through set pieces silly and sensational. You really can’t go wrong when it comes to Chaplin, but we're highlighting Modern Times because even though it's set in 1936, its humor is truly timeless. Taking on a string of industrial jobs while romancing a charming gamin, Chaplin zips from one zany bit to another with a captivating waddle and a chipper twitch of his mustache, fearlessly throwing himself face-first into the wildest shenanigans. Plus, as this film includes some scenes with sound and dialogue, it's maybe the most accessible introduction to Chaplin's works. — K.P.

How to watch: Modern Times is streaming on Max.

10. Dope

Malcolm, Jib, and Diggy are three high school nerds who love '90s hip hop and can't wait to go to college. So when they're forced by a dangerous neighborhood drug dealer to move his product, the trio are out of their depth with their futures on the line. 

Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, and Kiersey Clemons are captivating and charismatic in this modern coming-of-age comedy. Their friendship feels real and lived-in; we're rooting for them from the get-go. Produced by Pharrell Williams and also featuring Chanel Iman, Tyga, Blake Anderson, Zoë Kravitz, A$AP Rocky, and Vince Staples, Dope is an energetic, exciting watch and a fresh take on the well-worn teen comedy genre. — K.G.

How to watch: Dope is now streaming on Max.

11. Deadpool Ryan Reynolds stars as Deadpool. Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock.com

When you look at the lineup of Marvel’s superheroes, Deadpool is not like the others. He's a fourth-wall-breaking, swearing, wisecracking ass who is well aware he's currently in an R-rated movie. Canadian mercenary Wade Wilson undergoes experimental cancer surgery that ends up awakening latent mutant genes. After healing from the surgery, he finds he has newly acquired accelerated healing powers — and he's now covered in growths that he finds grotesque. Shamed by his new appearance, Wade hides away from his former life, as well as his former love, Vanessa (played by a radiant Morena Baccarin). Until he can find a cure, he is no longer Wade Wilson. He is Deadpool. 

Though Deadpool’s main power is supposedly regeneration, his true superpower is being played by Ryan Reynolds. The motor-mouthed merc is peak Reynolds, who has been instrumental in getting the Deadpool franchise off the ground since the beginning. No one else has the swagger for this offbeat, meta, and gleefully violent take on the superhero flick! — K.G.

How to watch: Deadpool is now streaming on Max.

12. White Men Can’t Jump

Woody Harrelson is Billy Hoyle, a former college basketball player who hustles neighborhood courts in L.A. His edge? The predominantly Black players assume Billy can’t play because he’s goofy and white. But when he beats Sidney (Wesley Snipes) at a one-on-one shootout, Sidney approaches him with a plan to hustle together and start making some real money. White Men Can’t Jump is energetic, clever, and fun, a fresh take on the sports comedy. Written and directed by Ron Shelton, it’s still a hit decades later, thanks to a smart script and the radiant charisma of Harrelson, Snipes, and Rosie Perez as Billy’s girlfriend.* — K.G.

How to watch: White Men Can’t Jump is now streaming on Max.

13. Dicks: The Musical The ensemble cast of "Dicks: The Musical" looks down. Credit: Justin Lubin / A24

Sometimes a movie comes along that is so completely outrageous that it feels like a miracle it exists at all. Dicks: The Musical is such a treasure. Writers/actors/homosexuals Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson translated Fucking Identical Twins, a two-man comedy musical once staged in the basement of a Gristedes, into a movie musical that is not only beyond bonkers but also features such big stars as Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, and Megan Thee Stallion.

Imagine The Parent Trap as a scorching satire of queer culture and homophobic fears, and you'll get some idea of what's in store. It's not just musical numbers about the joys of putting alpha males in their place, or the madcap chaos of Mullally's ad-libs, or even national treasure Lane spitting ham at his beloved Sewer Boys. It's also got Bowen Yang as God, and a finale number that is as joyous as it is absolutely iconoclastic. In a year peppered with superb comedies, nothing made us laugh as hard or loud or long as Dicks: The Musical.* — K.P.

How to watch: Dicks: The Musical is now streaming on Max.

14. The Devil Wears Prada

Witty, biting, and eternally memeable, The Devil Wears Prada is a 2006 hit that has triumphantly withstood the test of time. No matter how long it's been, Meryl Streep's turn as the cruel and demanding magazine editor (and Anna Wintour stand-in) is just as legendary and gleefully vicious as the first watch. 

Written by Aline Brosh McKenna and adapted from the novel by Lauren Weisberger, The Devil Wears Prada follows a frumpy, cerebral young journalist (Anne Hathaway) who is thrust into the cutthroat world of fashion when she gets a job at a Vogue-like mag. At first she considers herself above this style-focused world, but as she strives to impress her boss, she learns to not just survive, but to thrive. The Devil Wears Prada is a sophisticated gem of a comedy that will leave you smiling — and staring at your closet mumbling, "Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking." — K.G.

How to watch: The Devil Wears Prada is now streaming on Max.

15. Keanu Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele co-star in "Keanu." Credit: Warner Bros / Everett / Shutterstock,com

Long before Jordan Peele became Hollywood's foremost horror auteur, he was doing ridiculous and boundary-pushing comedy alongside Keegan-Michael Key. Their magnum opus? 2016's absurd buddy action/adventure Keanu. Rell and Clarence are normal, if somewhat boring, cousins who find themselves embroiled in a drug-smuggling scheme when Rell's kitten, Keanu, goes missing. When Rell adopted the little ball of fur, he had no idea Keanu previously belonged to a cartel boss. Now that it seems Keanu has been cat-napped, Clarence and Rell will stop at nothing to get him back. Keanu is a fun, fast-paced, and ludicrous ride starring two infectiously watchable comedians at the top of their game — and a criminally cute kitten! — K.G.

How to watch: Keanu is streaming on Max.

16. The Skeleton Twins

After exiting SNL in 2012, Kristen Wiig seemed determined to prove she was not just a comedian, she was also a serious actor. When everyone was begging for more Bridesmaids-like comedies, Wiig gave us Girl Most Likely, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and Welcome to Me. But a bright spot in this darker Wiig era is 2014's The Skeleton Twins, a dramedy that carefully balances both humor and heart. It's serious, it's silly, and the lead performances from two bona fide comedians will leave you moved. 

Wiig is Maggie, a depressed woman whose life gets turned upside down when she learns her estranged twin brother Milo (Bill Hader) has been hospitalized after a suicide attempt. Milo moves in with Maggie, who still lives in their hometown with her husband, Lance (Luke Wilson), and the two reforge their bond while facing painful memories from their pasts. — K.G.

How to watch: The Skeleton Twins is streaming on Max.

17. Tampopo "Tampopo" is all about the love of food. Credit: Apic / Moviepix via Getty Images

A spirited spoof tipping its hat to the Spaghetti Western, this 1985 Japanese comedy was promoted as a "ramen Western." Its central story is about a cowboy hat-wearing truck driver (Tsutomu Yamazaki) who comes across a humble ramen shop where the food is truly "terrible." Damsel-in-distress Tampopo (Nobuko Miyamoto) begs this hardened hero to save her family's business by teaching her to do right by ramen. So of course, he rounds up a posse to perfect her recipe. Full of physical comedy, giddy silliness, quirky characters, and charming performances, this film is a delectable delight. But writer/director Jûzô Itami brings even more to the table, spicing up this culinary tale with fantastical vignettes about the love of food. Though often ridiculous — and sometimes salacious — none of the laughs are lost in translation. But be warned: This funny film will make you hungry. The loving shots of ramen and the various speeches about its richness and wonders are ruthlessly mouth-watering. Maybe order dinner before digging in. — K.P.

How to watch: Tampopo is streaming on Max.

18. Trainwreck

The mid-2010s brought us ombre hair, planking, and #YOLO, but its most enduring cultural addition was a wave of movies about imperfect women. More female-led films at the box office meant there was finally enough space for leading ladies who didn't have to meet every standard to which we hold the modern woman. Movie theaters were flooded with bad moms, antiheroines, and the sloppiest drunks you've ever seen in your life. Enter Trainwreck, a hilarious and irreverent rom-com directed by Judd Apatow and starring Amy Schumer in a role that's basically her hot mess stand-up persona come to life. Schumer and Bill Hader are surprisingly charming together, and John Cena and Lebron James both add an unexpected sparkle to a fun and cheeky romance.* — K.G.

How to Watch: Trainwreck is streaming on Max.

19. Bridget Jones's Diary Renée Zellweger stars as Bridget Jones. Credit: Alex Bailey / Miramax / Universal / Kobal / Shutterstock.com

Bridget Jones's Diary is a perfect movie, and we're not hearing any opinions to the contrary, thank you! Renée Zellweger gained 20 pounds to snag the role of Bridget, already a beloved character in the UK thanks to Helen Fielding's wildly popular Bridget Jones novels. The Brits were in an uproar about an American being cast as in a role that was archetypally British, but Zellweger's performance (and accent!) were so spot-on, the complaints quickly gave way to rave reviews.

The start of a film franchise and the best movie of the lot, Bridget Jones’s Diary introduces us to an ordinary thirtysomething woman in London who, after turning 32 alone, vows to lose weight, quit smoking, stop drinking, and find love. Enter Hugh Grant as Bridget's preternaturally charming boss, and, because this is a Pride and Prejudice adaptation, Colin Firth as the man who couldn't seem more wrong for Bridget (his name is literally Mr. Darcy!!!). Even if you know where this funny and grounded rom-com is going, you're sure to have a blast along the way. — K.G.

How to watch: Bridget Jones’s Diary is streaming on Max.

20. Heartbreakers

The romantic crime comedy is a highly underutilized movie subgenre. The stakes are high, the laughs are big, and the twists come with a kiss. It’s a winning combo any way you slice it, and Heartbreakers is a triumph of the form.

Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt are Max and Page, a mother-daughter con-artist team who have to complete one last grift together to pay a debt to the IRS. But when Page develops feelings for a man she’s trying to con on the side (Jason Lee), their whole delicate web of lies is placed in jeopardy. Heartbreakers is a rom-com with an edge: It’s funny, it’s irreverent, and it’s unpredictable.* — K.G.

How to watch: Heartbreakers is now streaming on Max.

21. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Michael Cera fall in love in "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World." Credit: Big Talk Productions / Kobal / Shutterstock,com

A romantic comedy/action/comic book/adventure mashup, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a simply fantastic movie through and through. More than a decade after its release, a fun, new rewatching bonus is seeing current Hollywood heavyweights (Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza, Kieran Culkin, and more) having fun and being silly at the start of their careers. These stars enjoyed working on the film so much, they all agreed to come back for Netflix's 2023 animated reimagining, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. 

Michael Cera is iconic as the soft-spoken Scott Pilgrim, a bass player in an unsuccessful indie band who becomes enamored with delivery girl Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Unfortunately for Scott, to date Ramona, he’ll have to defeat her seven evil exes first! Uh oh! Good thing this movie also pulls some of its visual style from video games! That’s right, Scott Pilgrim has it all! — K.G.

How to watch: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is now streaming on Max.

22. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!

Some comedy is subtle, some is in your face...and then there’s The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! Full of slapstick, ridiculous physical bits, overt double entendres, and on-the-nose jokes, this police movie parody is absurd to its core. Leslie Nielsen is the master of stone-faced punchline delivery as Detective Frank Drebin, a hapless but determined cop tasked with stopping an assassination attempt on the Queen of England during a trip to the U.S. Get ready for absurd plot points, wordplay, sight gags, and...O.J. Simpson?! The ‘80s were quite a time to be alive!!! — K.G.

How to watch: The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! is now streaming on Max.

23. Date Night Tina Fey and Steve Carrell have a wild night out. Credit: 20th Century Fox / Everett / Shutterstock,com

Date Night kicks off with Steve Carrell and Tina Fey as a bored married couple worried they’re becoming simply roommates instead of lovers. They go out for a date night to add a little spice to their lives, but when they're mistaken for members of a criminal organization, their night on the town becomes a night fleeing for their lives. That’s a little more spice than they bargained for! Silly, exciting, and surprisingly heartfelt, Date Night is a fun and energetic romantic comedy adventure with a top-notch cast.* — K.G.

How to watch: Date Night is now streaming on Max.

24. Shazam! 

Billy Batson is a 14-year-old living in a group home who can’t seem to stay out of trouble. But when he’s mysteriously transported to a mythical cave called the Rock of Eternity, a wizard grants him the power to transform into Shazam, an adult superhero. So what would a 14-year-old do if he could instantly look like a grown-up and had superstrength? Make viral videos, of course! 

Shazam! is a fun and welcome twist on the classic superhero flick. Zachary Levi is pitch-perfect as a 14-year-old in an adult’s body, and Mark Strong is deliciously evil as the villain trying to steal Shazam’s powers for himself.* — K.G.

How to watch: Shazam! is now streaming on Max.

UPDATE: Jul. 8, 2024, 3:11 p.m. EDT This article was originally published September 3, 2021. It has been updated to reflect the current selection on Max.

Lee Saedol was one of the world’s top Go players, and his shocking loss to an A.I. opponent was a harbinger of a new, unsettling era. “It may not be a happy ending,” he says.

TL;DR: Through July 21, this 15-course Learn to Code bundle is on sale for just £31.26 (reg. £1,173).

Opens in a new window Credit: Shutterstock The 2024 Premium Learn to Code Certification Bundle £31.26 at the Mashable Shop
£1,173.00 Save £1,141.74 Get Deal

Are you ready to learn a new skill and increase your job prospects? Propel yourself into the future of technology with the 2024 Premium Learn to Code Certification Bundle.

Through July 21, you can grab this comprehensive online learning bundle featuring 15 courses for just £31.26 (reg. £1,137) and dive into the world of coding and artificial intelligence, including the revolutionary large-language model ChatGPT.

As we increasingly rely on technology in most aspects of our lives, understanding how to code and use AI tools has become an in-demand skillset. Whether you’re looking to switch careers or enhance your current role, coding can be a gateway to endless possibilities.

Utilising 15 courses and over 200 hours of content by professionals in the industry, you can learn as quickly or slowly as you like and rewatch lessons whenever you need to, all from the comfort of your own flat. 

With this bundle, you'll learn to code with Python 3, the latest version of one of the most popular coding languages in the world (according to Statista). You'll also study C++, SQL, MySQL, Google Assistant automation, Computer Vision, JavaScript, and more. Through these courses, you'll learn by doing as you go.

One of the most popular courses is "ChatGPT Series: OPENAI Fundamentals 2024." This course encompasses 133 lessons covering a range of AI topics, including the basics, evolution, and impact of ChatGPT. You'll also discover how it works, its capabilities, and be able to create your own OpenAI account with an API key.

Other courses include coding for kids and using ChatGPT for Salesforce development, which is ideal for those interested in Salesforce administration or development.

While this course package won't earn you any accredited certifications, it does provide the opportunity to learn a variety of in-demand skills needed to help you grow as a professional.

The Learn to Code Certification bundle is on sale for just £31.26 through July 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

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

Everyone would like to book a place in the Euro 2024 final, but it doesn't work like that. Only the very best can make it through the trials of the group stage and then survive the knockout rounds.

Netherlands progressed after a nervy win against Turkey — the first time they've reached the semi-finals in 20 years. It's the nation's biggest game in all that time. They'll be laser focused on reaching the final.

England meanwhile started as favorites but have had a rocky road to this point in the competition. A stronger performance and a perfect penalty shootout against Switzerland could give the English a much-needed boost to get to the final.

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

When is Netherlands vs. England?

Netherlands vs. England in Euro 2024 kicks off at 3 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. BST on July 10. This fixture takes place at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund, Germany.

How to watch Netherlands vs. England for free

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

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform from any country with a VPN. A VPN is a useful tool that can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can bypass geo-restrictions to access ITVX no matter where you are in the world.

Access ITVX by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit ITVX

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

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

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

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — that's an impressive saving of 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 Netherlands vs. England in Euro 2024 for free with ExpressVPN.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for July 10'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:

Having a very thin and bony appearance.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

No letters repeat.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter G.

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...

GAUNT.

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.

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 10's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections?

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

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer. If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

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

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: A prediction of what might happen

• Green: Clap back

• Blue: Types of ocean animals

• Purple: Structure of glasses

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Future Likelihood

• Green: Back Talk

• Blue: Fish

• Purple: Components of Eyeglasses

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 #395 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Future Likelihood: CHANCE, FORECAST, OUTLOOK, PROSPECT

• Back Talk: ATTITUDE, CHEEK, LIP, SASS

• Fish: BASS, FLUKE, PERCH, PIKE

• Components of Eyeglasses: BRIDGE, LENS, RIM, TEMPLE

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.

Elon Musk's X is stuck.

X, formerly known as Twitter, has stagnated when it comes to user growth ever since Musk acquired the company. According to a new report from the Financial Times, X has around 251 global daily active users as of the second quarter of 2024.

This represents just a 1.6 percent increase in users on X compared to the same period last year.

The social media platform, then-known as Twitter, enjoyed double-digit growth, adding tens of millions of new users year-after-year before Musk took over the company in October 2022.

In contrast, Musk's X only added a little over four million users from from Q2 2023 to Q2 2024.

Stalled growth at Musk's X worse than it looks

The quarterly breakdown of X's meager daily active user growth actually puts a positive spin on the platform's realities, according to Mashable's own previous reporting.

X hasn't openly shared its daily active user numbers since Musk took the company private. However, shortly after Musk acquired the company, then-Twitter's new owner was quite open about the bump in X's user base – seemingly buoyed by users signing up to see what he was going to do.

Tweet may have been deleted

In late November 2022, Musk shared a graph showing that then-Twitter added roughly five million daily active users in the month since he acquired the company. The weekly breakdown graph displayed that the social media platform had 254.5 million daily active users as of Oct. 23, the last full week of Twitter before Musk took over. By Nov. 20, the platform had 259.4 million daily active users according to Musk's graph.

The company's user base of 251 million global daily active users in Q2 2024 is actually back to where it was on Oct. 16, 2022, according to the graph, just before Elon Musk acquired the company on Oct. 28.

As of September 2023, X was claiming it had 245 million daily active users – a number the company only shared after its CEO Linda Yaccarino publicly said the platform had 225 million daily active users while speaking at a conference.

X won't share its daily active user stats this time, according to the Financial Times. The company only disputed the outlets report and claimed that it actually saw "monthly users increase significantly in the US and UK between August last year and June this year." However, X would not provide the Financial Times with any data.

On Tuesday, @XData (X's official "Data on X" account) posted some platform stats, seemingly as a public response to the Financial Times report. The account shared metrics such as "daily user seconds" and "daily video views" stats. But it still did not provide any daily active user stats – the metric commonly used in the industry to measure growth – to counter the report's claims.

Based on the latest data we do have, it appears that Elon Musk's X has lost the daily active users it gained after the acquisition and is back to its pre-Musk 2022 user numbers.

For at least 12 hours a day, Jason "Thor" Hall streams on his Pirate Software YouTube and Twitch channels. Tens of thousands of viewers flock to watch him play video games, talk about game development, or just share insights on his day. In just the past six months, the long-haired, deep-voiced creator staring into his Elgato webcam, long-flowing hair draped over his Blue Yeti microphone, has exploded in popularity, becoming one of the top-most subscribed channels on Twitch. 

Hall's viewership has vastly increased on YouTube as well. "[My team and I] were like, 'Our plan is to go from 13,000 subs to 15,000,'' Hall told Mashable in an interview at maker and creator event Open Sauce in San Francisco. "And now we're at 1.9 million [YouTube subscribers], six months later, so it did really well."

SEE ALSO: Apple approves Epic Games Store in Europe, but not without some drama first The origins of Pirate Software

Hall's down-to-earth persona has been crafted over years in game development, following a path unlike any other streamer. When he was 16, he landed a dream job as a game tester at Blizzard Entertainment, which — before the bloated loot boxes and corporate acquisition by Microsoft for $68.7 billion — was considered one of the most respected companies in the video game industry. It helped that he was a nepo baby, since his dad Joeyray Hall had spent over two decades at the industry titan since almost the very beginning. 

But after around six months, Hall realized that he just wasn't ready for corporate life. He acknowledged, "I was shit at it. I was completely awful." So he left to hone his skills in "3D modeling, texturing, and programming," earning his living in the underbelly of addicting 2000s games, running his own corporation in the spaceship/spreadsheet simulator EVE Online and real estate empire in life simulator Second Life. 

After five years of freelance grinding, Hall again applied to Blizzard and earned a job without his father's help. Over the next seven years, he worked on blockbuster games like Overwatch and World of Warcraft, before leaving again to expand his knowledge at Amazon Games Studio and then eventually hacking power plants at the United States Department of Energy, as he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). 

While working for "the man" was a good way to grow a resumé, Hall knew he wanted to develop his own games. In 2016, he published his first title as Pirate Software, the toaster shooter Champions of Breakfast, creating it in just 24 days. Though it failed to garner much attention, it gave him the confidence to write, program, and develop Heartbound, an adventure about a boy and his dog that is as weird as it is cozy. 

In 2017, Heartbound was just a simple demo with a Kickstarter, but it managed to catch the attention of Seán "JackSepticEye" McLoughlin, who played it for his 30 million YouTube subscribers. Hall saw the potential of influencers firsthand, as that initial push earned him and his team of developers nearly $20,000 in crowdfunding, four times what they originally asked for. 

But that wave of success was a lot to handle, and Hall struggled when the hype slipped away, moving on to the next shiny indie. 

"The first time we grew, we weren't ready," Hall said. "I had no idea what to do. We lost the lightning in the bottle. When lightning strikes, you have to be able to catch it, and you have to know how to manage all that out." 

Hall knew that the next time virality struck, he was going to be ready so "if it ever happens again, we don't lose that opportunity." He started streaming himself developing Heartbound in 2017 on Twitch to an audience of almost nobody — which he admitted was for the best since the streams "were pretty bad." He created a Discord server "in a way that's easy to manage" and "set up a moderation team." 

From 30,000 to 200 million views a month

In 2023, YouTube pushed Shorts content heavily and Hall thought it would be a good opportunity to capture important moments from his streams. And that's when lightning struck twice.  

Clips of him talking about developing a game engine, VPNs, and defending V-Tubers started getting millions of views. Large streamers took notice, too. Hall went from 30,000 video views a month in August 2023 to 200 million views in December, according to Socialblade. 

But with this much momentum, Hall knew he had to keep going. Taking what he learned working in those virtual worlds, he started talking to business and money managers, gaining "as much information as possible to do this the right way," Hall said. For example, his moderators — who scour his chat rooms and keep his community from getting messy — are all full-time employees with full medical benefits. They split the donations Hall receives on stream. Considering most online moderators, whether it's on Twitch, YouTube, Reddit, or Discord, are volunteers, Hall's take is fairly revolutionary.  

"The general standard of not paying your moderators, I think is absurd," Hall said. "I think that anytime you have someone that's helping you generate the content you have, they should have financial compensation in some way." 

That business-forward approach has already grown his indie game business. In June, Hall announced a partnership with live-event production company Offbrand, which was co-founded by Twitch streamer Ludwig Ahgren, to publish indie titles as Offbrand Games. 

"The first time I met Ludwig was at the Streamer Awards, he was wearing knee-high Crocs," Hall remembered. "We started talking and he said they were forming a game publishing studio, and asked if I was interested in it." 

Hall had been approached by multiple different publishing houses, who shared the sentiment, "We want you because you're the face of Indie Dev, but we're not listening to anything you say." Hall would give studios a test: He asked for a sample contract for a game of his they'd publish, and he'd give them feedback. While other studios balked at his "redlining" and wanted the full rights to his content, Ahgren and his team agreed to his terms and to only have "a license that is not in perpetuity, but for the term of the contract." 

Outside of streaming dozens of hours, publishing games, and sleeping five hours a night, Hall even managed to find time to create a ferret rescue in Washington state. 

"We take in ferrets that are either injured, or not taken care of, or abandoned," Hall said. "And we rehabilitate them and keep them forever." 

You can watch the over 50 ferrets on the FerretSoftware Twitch channel, which is entirely funded by ad revenue. The rescue has been so successful, that Hall is bringing on another two full-time employees, started researching cures for ferret cancer, and will be building a facility that he claims "will be the largest ferret rescue in the United States." 

As to why a game dev streamer is running a ferret rescue, it's personal. While grinding away in game development, Hall adopted two ferrets that were used as "laboratory animals," and realized he wanted to save more. 

"I'm just going to keep doing that," Hall said. "It wasn't even a thing of like, 'I want to do this.' It was like, 'I'm doing it.'"

Online marketplace Etsy has shared an update on the sale of AI-generated goods and its plans to continue "supporting artists through the evolution of art."

The platform will allow the sale of artwork derived from the seller's own original prompts or AI tools as long as the artist discloses their use of AI in the item's listing description.

SEE ALSO: 'AI poses enormous threats': Billie Eilish, J Balvin and more sign open letter denouncing AI in music.

It acknowledges the inevitable advancement and incorporation of AI tools into the creative process, including editing software. However, it notes, "When artists use these AI tools, they still make creative decisions and contributions to guide the AI and carefully curate the output to produce unique, finished works for sale."

Etsy will not allow the sale of AI prompt bundles, which it sees as crossing a creative line. "We believe that the prompts used to generate AI artwork are an integral part of the creative process and should not be sold separately from the final artwork," the company said in a blog post.

These guidelines are subject to change, Etsy notes, and are in line with evolving considerations about the ethics and environmental impacts of AI.

The relationship between artists and AI has been fraught as the technology remains mostly unregulated. Many new AI companies employ the widespread practice of training their models on existing artwork without compensating the original artists, which threatens the livelihood of all creatives. In April, more than 200 musical artists including Billie Eilish and the estate of Frank Sinatra signed a letter calling AI an "assault on human creativity" that "poses enormous threats" to the future of the industry.

A new report estimates that the company led by Elon Musk accounted for just under half of all battery-powered vehicles sold in the second quarter of the year.

The move against the app NGL by the Federal Trade Commission was the first time the agency barred an online service from hosting minors.

The proposed funding, part of the CHIPS Act, is intended to stoke chip packaging, a process that helps drive progress in semiconductors but that takes place mostly in Asia.

SAVE $80: As of July 9, you can get a pair of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd gen) for just $169 at Amazon. That's a 32% discount, and their lowest price ever.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) $169.00 at Amazon
$249.00 Save $80.00 Get Deal

Whether you want to enjoy music on the go, or need to take calls at a moment's notice, wireless earbuds are great to have. AirPods are unmistakably the most sought-after ones, and the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd gen) are Mashable's pick of the best AirPods for most people, especially with this their biggest discount ever over at Amazon right now.

As of July 9, you can get a pair of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd gen) for $169 at Amazon as an early Prime Day deal. That's $80 off the list price of $249 and a discount of 32%. Plus, this is their lowest price on record. The earbuds are also on sale at the same price at Best Buy.

SEE ALSO: Get the M1 MacBook Air for an all-time low price of $649 at Walmart

The AirPods Pro are among the very best earbuds you can get, and with this pricing, they're an excellent value for the money. You'll get top-notch active noise cancellation to complement the impressive sound quality. Transparency Mode is useful in letting you stay tuned into your environment by letting in some outside noise. Spatial audio support also means you get a more immersive sound — all the easier to get lost in a great song or a soothing podcast.

In his review of the Apple AirPods Pro with USB-C, Mashable Senior Editor Stan Schroeder called these earbuds a great buy for those looking for great noise cancellation and unique smart features. You also get a long battery life and a USB-C charging case. For those immersed in the Apple ecosystem, the AirPods Pro are a no-brainer.

This is the lowest price we've seen so far on the second generation AirPods Pro. If you've been considering new AirPods, now might be the time to jump on this deal.

Spotify is stepping up its podcast game with a new feature that lets listeners comment on episodes. This new interactive element, launching this week, is the Sweden-based company's attempt to increase retention and engagement amongst its listeners.

First reported by TechCrunch, the new feature will allow podcast hosts to like and respond to comments with complete control over which ones are displayed. Interactive features like polls and Q&As have already seen significant engagement, with 9 million listeners participating this year alone, an 80 percent increase from last year.

SEE ALSO: YouTube Music is testing an AI-powered ‘Ask for music any way you like’ feature

By adding comments, Spotify aims to strengthen creator communities, boost listener retention, and increase podcast consumption. This move places Spotify in direct competition with YouTube for creator-listener interaction. Following its foray into video podcasts — first tested in 2021 and expanded in 2022 — Spotify now boasts over 250,000 video podcasts.

TechCrunch notes that internal company data reveals that interactive listeners are four times more likely to return to a show within 30 days and listen to twice as many podcasts as non-engagers. Additionally, listeners have expressed a strong desire for more interaction, with over 70 percent wanting additional ways to connect with their favorite hosts.

The new commenting feature will be optional for now, allowing creators to manage it per episode. Creators can also approve comments, ensuring high-quality discussions.

Oura beat Samsung to the smart ring game by a couple of years — and it may have just beaten Samsung to the "smart ring with an AI health advisor" game by a day.

On its official blog, Oura announced that "Oura Advisor" is now available via its Oura Labs feature preview program in the company's app. Oura describes it as "your own personal wellness coach," seemingly functioning as a chatbot that can give you both short and long-term health advice. This is technically a beta test that you have to opt into, so it most likely will have some kinks to iron out at the start.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked July 2024: How to watch How does 'Oura Advisor' work?

According to Oura, the Advisor feature has an onboarding program with some important customization features. You can choose between a few communication styles, as well as tell the Advisor when it's OK to send notifications. As for privacy, Oura said that personal health information for the Advisor is stored in the form of a "Memory" and can be deleted at any time.

Oura adding an AI chat bot to its app was predictable given that every company is doing that now, but the timing is noteworthy. Samsung is holding a Galaxy Unpacked livestream on Wednesday morning where pretty much everyone expects to hear more about the previously teased Galaxy Ring.

Samsung also announced a suite of AI features called "Galaxy AI" earlier this year, and the Galaxy Ring will almost certainly incorporate AI in some way.

We'll all find out together at 9 a.m. ET on Wednesday.

SAVE $30: The Ninja Creami ice cream-maker is on sale at Walmart for $169, marked down from the list price of $199. That's a 15% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Ninja Creami ice cream-maker $169.00 at Walmart
$199.00 Save $30.00 Get Deal

Name a better summer treat than ice cream. Hard to come up with one, right? But like everything else at the grocery store, ice cream is more expensive than it was just a few years ago. If you're looking to save on your summer treat budget without giving up your sweet tooth, Walmart has a great deal in store today.

As of July 9, the Ninja Creami ice cream-maker is on sale for $169, marked down from the list price of $199. That's a 15% discount, or a savings of $30.

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With this TikTok-favorite at-home ice cream-maker, you can mix up classic flavors and also have the freedom to come up with your own specialties — the sky's the limit. The machine turns frozen bases into ice cream, sorbets, milkshakes, and lite ice creams with one touch. There's also a button to add mix-ins once your creation is almost complete, so you can toss in candy, cookies, or nuts as you desire and give your treat the perfect texture.

The Ninja Creami means you can try your hand at popular recipes like two-ingredient mango sorbet, or recreate a McDonald's McFlurry at home. This model comes with two pint containers and lids, so you can always store a finished product in the freezer.

When it's time to clean up, the pints, lids, and Ninja Creami blade are safe to put on the top rack of the dishwasher.

If you've been hoping to get more creative this summer with home-made treats, the Ninja Creami means you'll soon be an ice-cream making expert. Thanks to the sale price at Walmart, the Creami can arrive at your doorstep for just $169.