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Best iPad deals Best iPad 10th generation deal Apple iPad 10th generation, 10.9-inch (A14, WiFi, 64GB) $324 at Amazon (Save $25) Get Deal Best iPad Air deal Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M2, WiFi, 1TB) $1,024 at Amazon (Save $75) Get Deal Best iPad Pro deal Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M4, WiFi, 256GB) $928.99 at Amazon (Save $70.01) Get Deal

Ahead of Prime Day, which runs July 16 and 17, deals are sneakily sliding in. The next two weeks are a bit of a waiting game to see what sought-after products will go on sale. Luckily for you, we're on top of our game finding the early deals, including on the latest iPads from Apple.

These discounts might not seem like much, less than $100 off each model, but these are the lowest prices ever on iPads. The spring release of the new iPad Air and iPad Pro brought noteworthy tech, creating tablets with as much power as the best laptops we've tested. So while these deals seem subtle, we can confirm they're the best prices on iPads.

However, we're not so patiently waiting to see what Prime Day brings. We'll be updating this article with the latest prices as we get closer to the main event.

Best iPad 10th generation deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad 10th generation, 10.9-inch (A14, WiFi, 64GB) $324.00 at Amazon
$349.00 Save $25.00 Get Deal Why we like it

The iPad 10th generation saw a price drop this spring, becoming the most budget-friendly iPad. It doesn't have the flashy M-series chips that the iPad Air and Pro possess, but the A14 chip has all the processing power you need for streaming, reading, and working. Normally priced at $349, it's down to $324, officially its lowest price ever. So while it's just $25 off for 7% savings, we can guarantee it's the best price yet.

Best iPad Air deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M2, WiFi, 1TB) $1,024.00 at Amazon
$1,099.00 Save $75.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Loaded with the M2 chip, the iPad Air is a tablet with the power of a laptop. It's our best overall iPad, as it goes beyond just entertainment, and can be a professional workspace too. The M2 chip powers creatives who want to illustrate and with 1TB of storage, you won't run out of space when starting new projects. This iPad Air usually starts at $1,099, but it's currently down to $1,024, knocking $75 off the price. Those 7% savings bring it down to it's lowest price, unbeatable for the amount of power and storage you're getting.

Best iPad Pro deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M4, WiFi, 256GB) $928.99 at Amazon
$999.00 Save $70.01 Get Deal Why we like it

The iPad Pro is not only the most advanced tablet we've ever seen, but maybe the most advanced computing power period. If you need an iPad for professional use, something that can accomplish all your work, from photo to video editing, look no further than the iPad Pro which scored a 14,586 on the Geekbench 6 test, better performance than both the M3 Macbook Air and M3 Macbook Pro.

Ahead of Prime Day, you can get the latest iPad Pro for $928.99, saving you $70.01. Like the test of the tablets on this list, those 7% savings might seem minor, but it's the lowest price we've ever seen.

More iPad deals

• Apple iPad 10th generation, 10.2-inch (A13, WiFi, 256GB) — $379 $479 (save $100)

• Apple iPad Mini, 8.3-inch (A15, WiFi, 64GB) — $468.99 $499 (save $30.01)

• Apple iPad Air, 13-inch (M2, WiFi, 512GB) — $1,024 $1,099 (save $75)

• Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 256GB) — $1,198.99 $1,299 (save $100.01)

Astronomers say they've confirmed that three little red dots observed at the dawn of time by the James Webb Space Telescope are in fact galaxies, flouting theories about the early universe.

Not only that, but researchers say those galaxies seem to host enormous supermassive black holes — perhaps 100 to 1,000 times more massive than the one occupying the center of our own Milky Way. Normally, black holes of this maturity and scale would not be found within young galaxies. 

The dots now hold the record for the earliest signatures of "old" starlight — meaning the galaxies, formed shortly after the Big Bang, brim with stars that could already be considered old, said Bingjie Wang, a postdoctoral scholar at Penn State. 

"These appear to be packed with ancient stars — hundreds of millions of years old — in a universe that is only 600 to 800 million years old," said Wang, lead author on the new research about the galaxies, in a statement. 

The team took measurements of the light sources to determine what's generating them and discern the distances of the objects. They published the findings in Astrophysical Journal Letters.

SEE ALSO: Astronomers just witnessed a whole galaxy 'turn on the lights' in real-time A Penn State-led research team took spectroscopic measurements of the little red dots to determine what's generating them and discern the distances of the objects. Credit: Bingjie Wang / Penn State / JWST / NIRSpec

The universe is believed to have started some 13.8 billion years ago, shortly thereafter forming the first stars and galaxies in space. Astrophysicists say the light of those initial galactic neighborhoods is still burning, albeit stretched by time and expansion.

The ancient wavelengths exist in infrared, a form of light that human eyes can't see, but that Webb, a collaboration of NASA and the European and Canadian space agencies, was built to detect with its highly sensitive instruments. In that sense, Webb is a time machine, giving scientists a glimpse of the past. 

But these compact galaxies are perplexing to astronomers because they don't comfortably fit in the models for cosmic evolution. They would be about 1,000 times smaller than the Milky Way yet be crowded with about the same number of stars. 

A Northwestern team of scientists believe early galaxies of the universe may appear bright due to irregular bursts of star formation. Credit: Aaron M. Geller / Northwestern / CIERA + IT-RCDS illustration

The galaxies' stars must have formed rapidly, in a way that's new to scientists, in order to be so close together and exist in such an early period, said Joel Leja, assistant professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State.

"For whatever reason, the universe stopped making objects like these after just a couple of billion years," he said in a statement. "They are unique to the early universe."

The little red dots were first discovered in 2022. Since then scientists have pored over the data to wring out as much information about the systems as possible. Last October, a separate team led by Northwestern University researchers used advanced computer simulations to assess whether the galaxies could be "bright" without being extremely massive. 

Tweet may have been deleted

Their study suggested that small, less-developed galaxies could undergo irregular bursts of star formation, referred to as — and this is not a joke — "bursty star formation." Rather than making stars at a steady clip like the Milky Way does, for instance, these galaxies churn out stars inconsistently, with a proliferation all at once, followed by stagnant periods sometimes stretching millions of years before another so-called burst.

"For whatever reason, the universe stopped making objects like these after just a couple of billion years."

Bursty star formation is common in low-mass galaxies, said Claude-André Faucher-Giguère, a professor of physics and astronomy at Northwestern, though it's unclear why. The thinking is that a burst of stars, all of the same generation, form, then die off in supernovas a few million years later at about the same time. The gas may then get recycled to form new stars. 

But the case is far from closed. The Penn State-led team plans to collect more spectral data from Webb to better understand the star emissions and the potential supermassive black holes, hunting for the specific light signatures that would come from each. 

"We have all these puzzle pieces," Leja said, "and they only fit if we ignore the fact that some of them are breaking."

The official trailer for action comedy "Jackpot!" shows John Cena fight to protect Awkwafina after she becomes a bounty target.

You may be wondering, "Is iOS 18 available for iPhone 11?" As luck would have it, if you have an iPhone 11, your device does, indeed, make the cut for iOS 18.

Of course, iOS 18 is available for newer devices like the iPhone 15, 14, and 13 and 12 series. However, phones like the iPhone 11 series, the iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max, iPhone XR are getting iOS 18 support, too. Plus, if you have an iPhone SE, you can upgrade to iOS 18 — but only if you have the second-generation model or newer.

Still, just because you're getting iOS 18 doesn't mean you're getting all the new features.

SEE ALSO: iPhone 15 vs. iPhone 15 Pro: What are the differences? Is iOS 18 available for iPhone 11?

As mentioned, iOS 18 does, indeed, support iPhone 11. But there is a catch.

While you may get iOS 18 features like the redesigned Control Center and the new Dark Look perk, you won't get Apple Intelligence features like Genmoji and ChatGPT integration. These will be reserved for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

iPhone 11 will also not get Messages via Satellite, Audio Transcription in Notes, the new eye-tracking accessibility feature, and more. However, if there's any solace, iPhone 11 users will receive the updates to Messages (e.g., tapping back to texts with any emoji and scheduling messages). You can also program certain apps to trigger Face ID authentication with the new ID-authenticated app lock feature.

There are plenty other features that iPhone 11 users can enjoy with iOS 18 — and you can play around with them when Apple officially rolls out the major update to compatible devices later this year.

The Tesla chief executive’s polarizing statements have alienated some potential customers and may be partly responsible for a recent slump in sales.

This HP OmniBook X laptop will have Apple shaking in its boots. Why? Because it’s packed with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip.

“So what?” you may be thinking. “What’s the big hoopla regarding the Snapdragon X Elite chips?” Well, I’m glad you asked.

For quite some time now, Qualcomm has been insinuating that Snapdragon X Elite-packed laptops are going to leave M3-based MacBooks in the dust. This is a bold claim to make because, let’s be honest, Windows PCs have been struggling to keep up with Apple laptops.

As a reviewer, though rare, I’ve seen some Windows laptops outpace comparable M-series processors, but every single one struggles to beat MacBooks in power efficiency. The M3 MacBook Pro, for example, lasted 16 hours on a charge — and you’d be hard-pressed to find a Windows laptop that can do the same.

The question is, does the HP OmniBook X, featuring the Snapdragon X Elite chip, live up to Qualcomm’s claims? And will it earn a spot on our best laptops page?

SEE ALSO: The best laptops under $500 that are actually worth buying

HP OmniBook X price and specs

The HP OmniBook X I’ve tested has the following specs:

• Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-78-100 processor

• Qualcomm Dreno graphics

• 16GB of RAM

• 1TB of SSD storage

• Windows 11

• 14-inch, 2240 x 1400-pixel resolution

• Touchscreen support

You can purchase this configuration at Best Buy for $1,199. There’s also a cheaper variant, sporting 512GB of storage, that will set you back $1,049.99 via HP.

Opens in a new window Credit: Best Buy HP OmniBook X $1,199.00 at Best Buy
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HP OmniBook X design

Design-wise, the OmniBook X is a bit of a snoozefest. If I could personify this HP laptop, it’s the boring, safe, cookie-cutter partner that you take home to your parents. With a buttoned-up suit and zero tattoos, it won’t offend anyone, but it fails to excite.

HP OmniBook X in Ceramic White Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

No, the OmniBook X isn’t a looker, but it’s not designed to be. HP wants this to be the laptop that you bring into the office – and it blends right in with the sterile, clinical vibes. 

The only striking feature about the OmniBook X is the light-blue power button on the top-right of the keyboard, which sits next to a row of light-gray keys. Woo-hoo, I guess?

The lid is equally uninspired, with a reflective HP logo in the center of the “Meteor Silver” chassis. The OmniBook also comes in "Ceramic White."

The OmniBook X, a three-pound laptop, is lighter than the 3.4-pound 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro (a rival of the HP laptop) I reviewed. It’s also thinner than the M3 MacBook Pro with a height of 0.56 inches, beating the Apple laptop’s 0.61-inch height.

HP OmniBook X display

The HP Omnibook X has a 14-inch, 2240 x 1400-pixel resolution touchscreen display. No, this 60Hz IPS panel isn’t a visual stunner that’ll leave you wide-eyed and drooling, but it’s sufficient to satisfy my inner display snob.

Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

I launched YouTube and played the Venom 3: The Last Dance trailer. What caught my eye the most was the satisfactory color richness. In one scene, an actress is wearing a sparkly, bright-red dress that is so scarlet, it looked as if it was popping out of the screen. Fiery explosions reveal how well the display produces various hues of orange, red and gray.

One downside to consider about the HP OmniBook X, however, is that it has a 300-nit display. In other words, the screen will be difficult to see if you take it outside, particularly during a bright day. If your desk is next to a bright window at work, you may want to reconsider the OmniBook X.

The bezels that surround the HP OmniBook X are so passé. The top bezel and chin could stand to be slimmer, but perhaps I’m being too nitpicky.

Finally, it’s worth noting that the HP OmniBook’s touchscreen capabilities work seamlessly. I personally won’t use it because I don’t like the idea of smudging the screen, but if you want to scroll through long-form articles with broad swipes for quicker reading, this laptop is for you.

HP OmniBook X ports

The OmniBook X isn’t teeming with ports, but at the very least, it has a respectable balance of both legacy and modern I/O options.

Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

On the right side: 

• USB Type-A port (3.2 Gen 1) 

• 3.5mm audio jack

On the left side: 

• Two USB Type-C ports (supporting Power Delivery and DisplayPort 1.4)

I have to applaud HP for including a USB Type-A port, an I/O option that is on the brink of extinction. Many laptop manufacturers claim that they ditch USB Type-A ports because they’re too thick and hinder their thin-and-light ambitions. But thanks to the drop-jaw technique, a mechanism HP used for the slim OmniBook X, users can "stretch" the port to accommodate their older cables.

See? We can have our cake and eat it, too. Legacy ports and thin-and-light laptops can, indeed, co-exist.

HP OmniBook X audio 

Audio is an afterthought on the OmniBook X. HP is well aware that OmniBook X consumers aren’t melomaniacs – and it shows. 

I fired up Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” on Spotify. (Why is this song so addicting?) The pros? The dual downward-firing speakers get impressively loud. I cranked the volume to the max level, and I’m pretty sure my next-door neighbors could hear me having a mini jam session.

However, the sound quality is mid. The bass is weak and the pop tune sounded too thin on the speakers. But if you aren’t a music producer or an audiophile, it really doesn't matter much.

HP OmniBook X keyboard and trackpad

Whenever someone asks me, “Which laptop should I buy if I want the best keyboard?”, I tell them that anything from HP is the answer – and the OmniBook X is no different.

Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

I can’t stop typing on the OmniBook X; it’s an addiction. From the clickiness of the keys to the springiness of the switches, this keyboard is tactile and responsive.

However, the touchpad hasn’t won me over yet. It’s a little too resistant for my tastes – I prefer a smoother feel. On the plus side, it's quite spacious.

The keyboard features dual-level white backlighting, which can be turned on with the F5 key. Finally, I love the large white letters and symbols on the dark-gray keycaps, which contrast nicely with the light-gray chassis. You won’t be squinting with this laptop – that’s for sure.

HP OmniBook X benchmarks and performance

I could not wait to run Geekbench 6, a benchmark that tests processor performance, on the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip inside the HP OmniBook X. For context, Qualcomm has been boasting that the Snapdragon X Elite is a formidable rival of the M3 chips inside MacBooks.

In other words, Qualcomm has its crosshairs on the most au courant, entry-level Apple laptops. On top of that, HP claims that the OmniBook X is a rival to the M3 MacBook Pro – not the M3 MacBook Air.

Take a look at the multi-core scores of each laptop to see whether HP and Qualcomm’s claims ring true:

• 15-inch M3 MacBook Air: 12,057

• 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro: 11,998

• HP OmniBook X: 13,388

As it turns out, the OmniBook X does, indeed, beat the M3 MacBooks with a performance jump of about 11%.

It’s also worth pointing out that the Snapdragon X Elite boasts an NPU, which aids with AI processing. (And facilitates some of the AI tasks mentioned in the next section.)

HP OmniBook X Copilot+ PC experience and AI

The HP OmniBook X isn’t just any ol’ PC. It’s a Copilot+ PC. (Insert sparkles emoji.) Like most modern Windows 11 laptops, you can fire up Copilot with the dedicated keyboard key.

However, Copilot+ PCs take it up a notch with some eye-catching, AI-powered features. For example, I had a blast playing around with the new-and-improved Paint. It now has a “Cocreator” feature, which helps me draw masterpieces despite my rudimentary, rough-around-the-edges doodles.

The Photos app has a new Image Creator feature, allowing me to create my own AI-powered photos with any wild prompt that comes to mind. Here’s what it came up with when I typed in, “A bunny reading a book.”

Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

Honestly? Copilot+ PCs are making Windows fun again – and I’m here for it.

On a more serious note, Microsoft was supposed to debut the controversial Recall feature – a Black Mirror-esque perk that’s like hitting “CTRL + H” on your entire digital life. But it has been delayed for Copilot+ PCs.

Once the Redmond-based tech giant gets it up to snuff after addressing security concerns, Recall is expected to make a return, but only in preview mode for Windows Insiders.

Independently of Copilot lies a pre-installed app from HP called “HP AI Companion.” It's based on GPT-3.5; you can ask it countless questions like you would any other AI chatbot. However, it’s a bit superfluous with Copilot already within reach with a more powerful GPT-4 Turbo.

HP OmniBook X battery life

Wow. When I ran the 1080p video rundown test on the HP OmniBook X, it refused to die. It finally tapped out at an unbelievable 16 hours and 47 minutes.

Up until this point, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9 had the longest battery runtime for a Windows laptop: 14 hours and 21 minutes.

Now, the HP OmniBook X has beaten that record. We also tested the M3 MacBooks’ battery runtimes, but the Pro model was benchmarked with PCMark 10, making it incompatible for comparison. But for what it’s worth, it lasted 16 hours and 23 minutes on a charge.

The M3 MacBook Air, on the other hand, was tested with the same video rundown benchmark; it lasted just 10 hours and 36 minutes on a charge.

HP OmniBook X webcam

The HP OmniBook X has a 5MP webcam (as well as an IR camera for Windows Hello facial-recognition logins).

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

There isn't much to write home about when it comes to the shooter. You won't get that crisp sharpness, but I'm OK with that. All that visual noise conceals my flaws.

Plus, thanks to the AI-enhanced Camera app, you can enjoy some cool features via Windows Studio Effects, including automatic framing, background blur, and an eye contact feature that makes it look like you're staring at the screen at all times.

Is the HP OmniBook X worth it?

The HP OmniBook X is my first experience with a Snapdragon X Elite-based Copilot+ PC machine – and I'm impressed. Qualcomm wasn't wrong. Its processor does, indeed, beat the M3 MacBooks. Plus, it lasts over 16 hours on a charge, a feat that was completely unheard of for Windows laptops in recent times.

And finally, the Copilot+ PC aspect makes Windows fun again. Do you remember when Windows was a total blast? As a kid, when I'd lose interest in browsing the internet, I'd fall back on pre-installed games like Solitaire, Minesweeper, or 3D Pinball. With the new AI-powered features, you don't need Google Chrome, or whatever browser you use, to enjoy your laptop. You can simply fire up Paint or the Photos app. It'll keep your entertained for hours.

The HP OmniBook X is the best Windows laptop I've tested this year. It's fun, fast, and fierce.

Opens in a new window Credit: Best Buy HP OmniBook X $1,199.00 at Best Buy
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Space and photography fans are in for a treat. The Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition has returned, with its sixteenth edition shortlist featuring a stunning array of photographs.

London's Royal Museums Greenwich received a whopping 3,500 entries from both amateur and professional photographers globally, each of whom captured a breathtaking glimpse of space. The 30 shortlisted entries range from visuals from the Geminid meteor shower to an aurora in the shape of a dragon to ancient supernova remnants. Categories cover everything from stars and nebulae to asteroids to lunar and solar images.

SEE ALSO: You've got to see the best space images of 2023

The official winners of the competition will be revealed in September, but for now the shortlist is an incredible first look at the intersection between art and astronomy. Take a look:

"Abandoned House" by Stefan Liebermann. Credit: Stefan Liebermann "A Whale Sailing the Sun" by Eduardo Schaberger Poupeau. Credit: Eduardo Schaberger Poupeau "Observations at Night" by Jakob Sahner. Credit: Jakob Sahner "Earth and Milky Way Galaxy Show" by Yoshiki Abe. Credit: Yoshiki Abe "SNR G156.2+5.7, a Faint Supernova Remnant in Auriga" by Bray Falls. Credit: Bray Falls "A Night with the Valkyries" by Jose Miguel Picon Chimelis. Credit: Jose Miguel Picon Chimelis "Arctic Dragon" by Carina Letelier Baeza. Credit: Carina Letelier Baeza "The Galaxy Devourer" by ShaRA (Shared Remote Astrophotography) Team. Credit: ShaRA (Shared Remote Astrophotography) Team "Serpentine" by Paul Haworth. Credit: Paul Haworth "The Blue Details of M45: The Pleiades" by Sándor Biliczki. Credit: Sándor Biliczki "Misty Mountains" by Bence Toth. Credit: Bence Toth "Run to Carina" by Vikas Chander. Credit: Vikas Chander "M100 (the Blowdryer Galaxy) and Ceres" by Damon Mitchell Scotting. Credit: Damon Mitchell Scotting "International Space Station Daytime Moon Transit" by Kelvin Hennessy. Credit: Kelvin Hennessy "Total Solar Eclipse" by Gwenaël Blanck. Credit: Gwenaël Blanck "M81, a Grand Design Spiral Galaxy" by Holden Aimar. Credit: Holden Aimar "Gigantic Solar Prominence in Motion" by Miguel Claro. Credit: Miguel Claro "Martian Dementors" by Leonardo Di Maggio. Credit: Leonardo Di Maggio "Saturn with Six Moons" by Andy Casely. Credit: Andy Casely "The Fire-Spitting Dragon" by Moritz Telser. Credit: Moritz Telser

Want more Astronomy Photographer of the Year wonders? Check out 2023's list.

Time flies, and it's even more so apparent if you own a first-generation Apple HomePod or an iPhone X as those devices are now officially considered "vintage" products.

Spotted by MacRumors, the "vintage" label, which now also applies to first-gen AirPods, basically means that Apple stopped distributing these products more than five, but less than seven years ago. As a reminder, products that Apple stopped distributing more than seven years ago are (sometimes) considered "obsolete."

SEE ALSO: Apple Intelligence might get a paid tier one day

The moniker seems fitting for the iPhone X, which was the first iPhone with a notch and frankly, it does feel like it came out forever ago (actually, it was in 2017). As a reminder, it was powered by an Apple A11 Bionic chip, and came with 3GB of memory and 64 or 256 GB of storage. It also had just a dual, 12-megapixel camera on the back, as well as a 7-megapixel shooter on the front.

For the HomePod, it feels odd to think of it as a vintage product. It was announced in 2017, but it was only followed by the second-generation HomePod in 2023, and both devices are actually quite similar, with the original actually winning in some regards, with more tweeters and mics, as well as a smaller subwoofer.

Featured Video For You Apple Recap: WWDC 2024 in 20 Minutes

The AirPods don't really change that much from version to version, but the original variant was launched in 2016, which, again, does feel "vintage" in the world of wearables.

The fact that these devices are now vintage don't change all that much to owners, as Apple Stores and Authorized Service Providers will continue to offer repairs for them for up to two more years. The clock is ticking, though; if you still rock an iPhone X, congrats on sticking with it for so long, but it might be time for a new model.

Spotify appears to be testing an emergency alert — but the whole thing is still in the very early stages.

The music streamer is carrying out tests in Sweden, where its headquarters are located, with lines in the app's code referencing the new feature. A spokesperson from Spotify confirmed to Techcrunch that the test was happening, but that it was currently localised to Sweden only.

SEE ALSO: Spotify has increased subscription prices in the US. Yes, again.

“At Spotify, we routinely conduct a number of tests in an effort to improve our user experience,” the company said. “Some of those tests end up paving the way for our broader user experience while most serve only as an important learning.”

To clarify, this doesn't necessarily mean that users in Sweden will be getting emergency pop-ups from Spotify anytime soon. The company is clearly fiddling around with code for the feature, but internal tests might be as far as it's going for now. Mashable has reached out to Spotify to clarify, and we will update this article if we receive a response.

Although emergency alerts might sound like a bit of a departure from Spotify's usual offering, it's not necessarily the biggest leap. Other tech giants like Google and Apple have various safety features, and Facebook has had a Safety Check feature for years.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for July 2 SEE ALSO: 'Wordle' today: Here's the answer hints for July 2

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Tuesday, July 2, 2024:

Across"Yes, ___!" (chorus from a group of line cooks)

• The answer is chef.

Lover of the club music scene

• The answer is raver.

"Humble" home

• The answer is abode.

They can't stand up by themselves because they're "two-tired," in an old groaner

• The answer is bikes.

It is written

• The answer is text.

DownWhat the "spider" actually is in a spider roll

• The answer is crab.

Nun's outfit

• The answer is habit.

Bring to mind

• The answer is evoke.

UPS competitor

• The answer is Fedex.

Take a breather

• The answer is rest.

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

Driven by the war with Russia, many Ukrainian companies are working on a major leap forward in the weaponization of consumer technology.

Cambium is a startup reusing fallen urban trees to decarbonise wood-making.

The Samsung Galaxy Ring is one of the most highly anticipated tech products of 2024. Ahead of the recently announced July 10 Samsung event, AndroidAuthority claims that it unearthed some health-tracking features the new wearable may sport, including snore detection and menstrual-cycle prediction.

These reported Galaxy Ring features were discovered during an APK teardown of Samsung Health. However, until we hear directly from Samsung, we have no clue whether AndroidAuthority's claims are accurate.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 leak in new pictures 5 Samsung Galaxy Ring health-tracking features, according to new report

AndroidAuthority claims that it activated the UI of several health-focused Galaxy Ring features. According to the outlet, the Galaxy Ring can track and measure the following:

1. Heart rate

2. Stress

3. Skin temperature

4. Menstrual cycle

5. Snoring

AndroidAuthority says that the Galaxy Ring can detect snores by using the phone as a companion, similar to the Galaxy Watch. Plus, the phone will reportedly need to be charging and adjacent to the user.

On top of that, the tech outlet, complete with screenshots, claims that users will get the opportunity to see timestamped audio recordings of their snoring and deep breathing.

However, we hope that you have your grain of salt ready. All of this is hearsay until we get official word from Samsung.

TL;DR: Ever wanted to learn ethical hacking? Through July 21, pay only $39.97 for this ethical hacking bundle, which teaches you the ABCs of white hat hacking.

Businesses dread getting hacked, but here's the twist: They often hire hackers — white hat hackers, that is. These ethical hackers are skilled IT professionals who hunt down vulnerabilities and fix them before they can be exploited. It's no wonder these pros are in high demand, raking in top dollar to keep organizations safe from cyber threats.

If you want to get into the business of hacking for the greater good, consider picking up this ethical hacking training bundle. Through July 21, you can snag this 18-pronged bundle on sale for only $39.97.

This expert-led training collection packs 18 extensive courses, with each one focusing on a specific white hat hacking method. The courses are taught by legit industry professionals, including penetration tester Aleksa Tamburkovski, senior information security consultant and IT trainer Gabriel Avramescu, and security evangelist Atul Tiwari. With their years of experience, you'll master the skills needed to safeguard systems like a pro.

As you go through the lessons, you can expect to get to grips with a litany of tools used in ethical hacking like NMAP, PyCharm, and Burp Suite, as well as the many methods you can try to protect a system. You'll learn how to perform vulnerability scans and exploit them to gain control over systems, gather password hashes and crack passwords, execute cross-site scripting and SQL injections, and more. Plus, interactive tests will ensure you can practice and apply your new skills immediately.

Great for beginners, these courses are accessible on any device and can be completed at your own pace. Upon finishing each course, you'll earn a certificate of completion to showcase your new skills on your resume.

If you've always wanted to learn ethical hacking skills, this is your chance. Through July 21, you can grab this ethical hacking bundle on sale for just $39.97.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: StackCommerce The All-in-One Super-Sized Ethical Hacking Bundle $39.97 at The Mashable Shop
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TL;DR: Through July 21, you can amp up your skills with this cybersecurity course bundle on sale for $69.97 (reg. $535).

In the rapidly evolving tech career landscape, staying ahead with up-to-date skills and certifications is essential for advancement. If you’re looking to deepen your expertise and expand your career opportunities in cybersecurity, this advanced cybersecurity professional certification bundle is a terrific place to start.

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Opens in a new window Credit: Getty Images The Ultimate Advanced CyberSecurity Professional Certification Bundle $69.97 at The Mashable Shop
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TL;DR: Get a lifetime Premium Plan subscription to PDF Expert for your Mac for just $29.97 (reg. $139) through July 21.

For many of us, managing PDF documents efficiently is essential for personal and professional productivity. Whether you're handling contracts, reports, or any other online document — even books —  having a reliable PDF tool can make all the difference.

PDF Expert offers a solution that addresses common PDF issues. And for a limited time, you can secure a lifetime subscription to the Mac version of the Premium Plan for just $29.97 (reg. $139.99). A separate license for iPhone/iPad devices is also on sale.

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PDF Expert is built to help you modify text, images, and links with precision. It promises the ability to add comments, highlights, and notes to your PDFs, which can not only enhance collaboration but can also empower you to review and work on documents more effectively.

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Get a lifetime subscription to PDF Expert for Mac's Premium Plan while it's on sale for $29.97 (reg. $139.99) through July 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

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Opens in a new window Credit: Readdle Limited PDF Expert Premium Plan: Lifetime Subscription (Mac) $29.97 at The Mashable Shop
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TL;DR: For a limited time, get this deal on a lifetime subscription to MagellanTV, a documentary streaming service, on sale for just $159.97 through July 21.

Summer is here, and so are your favorite TV shows. The roster of summer programs this year is pretty strong, with fan-favorite dramas and comedies returning to everyone's screens. But if you're having streaming fatigue, you might want to do a TV palate-cleanser and consume some documentaries instead.

A treasure trove of quality brain food, MagellanTV is a streaming service that offers a library of documentaries that goes beyond what you'll find on the other streaming sites. For times when you want to learn instead of just mindlessly binge watching the same old shows, the platform offers a plethora of genres to choose from, ranging from nature to history to science and from space to true crime. Through July 21, you can grab a lifetime subscription to the service for just $159.97 (reg. $999).

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Instead of the regular $999 price for the lifetime pass, you can snag a lifetime subscription to MagellanTV for just $159.97 through July 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

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Opens in a new window Credit: MagellanTV MagellanTV Documentary Streaming Service: Lifetime Subscription $159.97 at The Mashable Shop
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Lawyer Sean Smith has seen up close how nonconsensual deepfakes, a form of image-based sexual abuse, can ruin lives.

Smith, a family law attorney with the Roseland, New Jersey, firm Brach Eichler, recently represented both the families of minor victims and perpetrators throughout educational disciplinary proceedings.

His clients have included teen girls whose images were taken from social media, then digitally "undressed" by their male classmates, who used software powered by artificial intelligence.

The apps and websites capable of creating explicit nonconsensual deepfakes typically market themselves as satisfying a curiosity or providing entertainment. As a result, users likely don't understand that the resulting imagery can inflict painful, lifelong trauma on the person whose likeness has been stolen — who is almost always a girl or woman. The victim may never be able to remove every synthetic photo or video from the internet, given how difficult it is to track and delete such content.

SEE ALSO: Explicit deepfakes are traumatic. How to deal with the pain.

This can lead to professional, personal, and financial devastation for survivors. The same can be true for perpetrators when their name and reputation is associated with creating nonconsensual deepfakes. They may face suspension or expulsion if they're a student, and also face criminal and civil penalties, depending on where they live.

"It destroys lives on every side," Smith told Mashable.

This typically isn't made clear to youth and adult users who engage in image-based sexual abuse.

Is it illegal to make a deepfake?

Despite the absence of information about the consequences of nonconsensual deepfakes, their rise has prompted several states to pass legislation criminalizing them.

Meanwhile, Congress has introduced but has yet to vote on a bill that would give victims the right to file a civil suit against perpetrators. A separate federal bill would criminalize the publication of nonconsensual intimate imagery, including that created by AI, and require social media companies to remove that content at a victim's request.

In some states, offenders can face civil penalties should the victim successfully sue them for damages. Their wages may be garnished or their property seized to pay for such damages.

Last year, Illinois amended an existing law in order to make deepfake offenders liable when they distribute nonconsensual synthetic images. A survivor can sue the person who disseminates the content for damages, which may result from emotional distress, the cost of mental health treatment, the loss of a job, and other related costs.

"When the laws get enforced, it's going to be a black mark that will follow a person for a very long time..." - Matthew B. Kugler, professor of law, Northwestern University

In New York, dissemination of nonconsensual deepfakes can lead to a year spent in jail, a fine, and a civil suit. Florida imposes both criminal and civil penalties for the "promotion" of nonconsensual synthetic material. The state's law also expanded the definition of "child pornography" to include deepfakes of minors engaged in sexual conduct.

Indiana, Texas, and Virginia are among the states that have made the creation of nonconsensual deepfakes punishable by jail time.

Many states, however, don't yet have laws that make the creation or distribution of deepfakes illegal, or give victims the right to sue. Additionally, it may be difficult for victims to pursue criminal or civil penalties against the person who promoted the content because their identity is unknown, or because law enforcement is understaffed to investigate potential crimes.

But Matthew B. Kugler, professor of law at Northwestern University, says that shouldn't give people a false sense of security.

"When the laws get enforced, it's going to be a black mark that will follow a person for a very long time, and no one's going to feel bad about the fact that that black mark follows [the offender] for a very long time," Kugler says.

In 2020, Kugler studied public attitudes toward sexually explicit, nonconsensual deepfake videos in a survey of 1,141 U.S. adults. The vast majority of the respondents wanted to criminalize the act.

There is another potential legal consequence to creating nonconsensual deepfake imagery, regardless of whether the offender's state imposes criminal or civil penalties.

Adam Dodge, a lawyer and founder of Ending Tech-Enabled Abuse (EndTAB), says that a victim can file for a protective or restraining order if she knows who's responsible for the creation or distribution of the imagery. In many jurisdictions, image-based abuse qualifies as a form of harassment.

Such restraining orders are discoverable in background searches conducted by potential employers, Dodge says. A restraining order can also be applied to a youth offender. Though a minor's legal record is meant to be sealed, Dodge has seen instances where the information becomes public.

What happens to minors who create or share a nonconsensual deepfake

Teens who find deepfake apps or sites, either through word of mouth or ruthless internet marketing and search strategies, often don't grasp the potential fallout for victims or themselves, says Smith.

He notes that because the phenomenon is so new, school-based discipline can vary widely. At public schools, which are legally obligated to keep students enrolled to the extent that it's possible, the punishment can vary from brief in- or out-of-school suspensions.

But Smith says that private schools, with their own codes of conduct, may quickly escalate to expulsion.

The victim's parents may also pursue legal action in an effort to hold the perpetrator and their family accountable. Though Smith hasn't seen such a case yet, he expects some parents to begin filing civil lawsuits against a perpetrator's parents on the grounds of negligent supervision. Any damages won could potentially be covered by homeowner's insurance, unless the parents' carrier restricts such claims.

Teens could also be subject to criminal penalties, including those related to child pornography and other criminal statutes. Smith is aware of juvenile proceedings against teens who've created nonconsensual deepfakes. Though they did not serve time in jail, the offenders entered into a private agreement with the state as culpability for their actions.

In Florida, however, two teens were arrested and charged with felonies last December for disseminating nonconsensual deepfakes.

Smith says that parents and teens urgently need to understand these and other consequences.

"The problem with this technology is that the parents and the kids don't realize how big a mistake the use of the technology is," Smith says. "How just the introduction of the technology onto a cellphone…can create this much larger lifetime mistake."

If you have had intimate images shared without your consent, call the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative’s 24/7 hotline at 844-878-2274 for free, confidential support. The CCRI website also includes helpful information as well as a list of international resources.

It's a tale of two retail behemoths vying for your dollars.

In one corner is Amazon, the scrappy bookseller-turned-global ecommerce empire that's the reason why we're all a tad impatient. In the other is Walmart, the veteran department store with one-stop, starburst-studded supercenters in every neighborhood.

SEE ALSO: Amazon Prime Day 2024 is July 16 and 17: Everything you need to know

From speedy shipping to sitewide sales and members-only perks, both retailers pull out stops to entice shoppers to buy from them instead of their rival. But in the battle of Walmart vs. Amazon, whose deals are actually better?

Mashable's shopping team has spent years tracking discounts on popular tech that the two of them have offered. Here's how we see things.

Where Amazon wins: Variety and deal-finding tools

Amazon and Walmart are both massive mega-marketplaces, but Amazon has an advantage in terms of product selection. Its virtual shelves are stocked with more brands and more items at different price points, and it hosts considerably more third-party sellers, so there's simply a bigger pool of products for it to put on sale. That includes more newer releases, too, which reliably prompt price-drops on older models when they launch.

The other pro to shopping on Amazon is that consumers have more deal-finding tools at their disposal (beyond your usual shopping browser extensions or Google Shopping features). If you have Amazon's mobile app, there's an option under your account settings to get notified when specific products go on sale — look under Your Account > Message center > Deal alerts. You'll also see available and upcoming discounts on related products there.

Credit: Screenshot: Amazon

Members of Amazon's Prime service who have a newer Echo smart speaker can enable a similar "Advanced deal alerts" feature on the device that flags them when items on their Wish List are about to go on sale (up to 24 hours ahead of time).

When it comes to verifying those deals, a dedicated Amazon price-checking website called CamelCamelCamel is a helpful tool that can pull up an item's complete price history using the URL of its product page. (There's also a supplementary browser extension.) The site occasionally misses coupons and skips over limited-time deals during sitewide sales, including its flagship summer Prime Day event. But it's generally great for determining whether a discount is even worth considering. The Mashable shopping team relies heavily on it to appraise Amazon deals year-round.

Here's the Amazon price history of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones as of late June 2024, per CamelCamelCamel. Credit: Screenshot: CamelCamelCamel

There's no CamelCamelCamel equivalent for Walmart, though there is a tool in the free browser extension Honey (called "Droplist") that can offer some Walmart price history insights for products. However, it only uses data from the past 120 days, and it doesn't appear to take third-party sellers into account — which can sometimes pose a problem. (More on those later.)

Where Walmart wins: Already-low prices and hidden gems

Walmart sells a smaller selection of products compared to Amazon, and that selection mainly revolves around low-end and/or older products. (The M1 Apple MacBook Air appeared on Amazon at release in 2020, for instance, but it only made its way to Walmart when it was discontinued in early 2024.) This is a drawback for shoppers in search of new, upgrade-worthy products. But it also means things can be pretty cheap at Walmart from the jump, outside of any sale or deal, which has its appeal for bargain hunters. (To continue my example, Walmart permanently priced the M1 Air at only $699 — $300 off Apple's MSRP — when it finally landed there.) 

Walmart also occasionally does this thing to on-sale items where it lists deflated sticker prices — prices that are lower than the items' actual MSRPs — which makes their discounts seem worse than they really are. (We've run into this on Amazon, too, but it seems to happen far more often at Walmart.)

SEE ALSO: Walmart+ is offering new limited-time perks like Apple Music — here's how to sign up

Take this 65-inch Samsung QLED TV: Walmart had it marked down from $997.99 to $798 during its Deals Holiday Kickoff Event in October 2023, advertising a discount of $199.99. But when the Mashable shopping team searched for the TV's model number on the Samsung website, we discovered that it had an MSRP of $2,699.99 there — meaning Walmart's deal was actually saving shoppers just over $1,900.

We're not exactly sure why Walmart chooses to do this, since it kind of works against its bottom line. (Wouldn't the bigger discount entice more shoppers to buy…?) But it can result in pleasant surprises for meticulous shoppers who cross-check prices before adding items to their carts; you're saving more than the retailer lets on, and snagging a deal that may have sold out sooner had it been advertised accurately.

Finally, Walmart periodically releases extra-cheap products as "Special Buys" during sales. It doesn't attach any original MSRPs to these products, so there's no way of determining how much you're actually saving, but the prices tend to be low enough that it almost doesn't matter. (See: this 65-inch onn. 4K TV, which went on sale at Walmart for $278 a few weeks before Black Friday 2023. We don't know how much it's truly worth, but compared to other TVs of that size, it's absurdly cheap.)

Where both win: Memberships are useful for scoring deals

In addition to other benefits, Amazon and Walmart's membership services both unlock varying degrees of access to certain deals during tentpole sales throughout the year.

For its part, Amazon's Prime membership ($14.99 per month or $139 per year) is non-negotiable if you want to shop the best deals during Prime Day (scheduled for July 16 and 17 this year); that includes several invite-only deals. No Prime, no access — but making use of its free 30-day trial still counts you in, which is nice.

This members-only restriction doesn't apply to Amazon's Cyber Weekend sales as a whole, though it did introduce some invite-only Black Friday deals for Team Prime as part of them last year. We wouldn't be shocked if those became permanent fixtures.

SEE ALSO: Amazon's invite-only deals are back for Prime Day 2024: What to expect from this year's lineup

Meanwhile, a Walmart+ membership ($12.95 per month or $98 per year) unlocks early access to Walmart's biggest sitewide sales throughout the year — usually three to five hours before they're open to the general public. Those sales would be its summer savings event, which is usually competes with Prime Day (simply called "Walmart Deals" this year, and set for July 8 to 11), as well as its end-of-year Cyber Weekend programming. Featured deals can sometimes sell out during this early-access phase or get slightly more expensive once the paywall lifts, so it's worth taking advantage of this membership perk if a sale includes a steep discount on something you've been shopping around for.

There's one catch, which is that early deals access for Walmart+ members is restricted to paid members; you don't count if you're using its free 30-day trial. On the plus side, we usually see subscriptions go on sale for half price immediately before Walmart's summer and Black Friday sales.

Where both lose: Sketchy third-party sellers and inflated prices

Bagging a truly good deal from either retailer involves a good deal of due diligence on the part of you, the shopper.

For starters, be sure you know exactly who you're buying from — because it may not be Amazon or Walmart themselves. Amazon is better known for hosting myriad third-party merchants, but Walmart's listings are also rife with them. 

Some of these merchants are simply storefronts for verified brands, like Roborock or Dyson. But many, many others across both retailers are shady sellers who may be shipping counterfeit products or operating under funky refund and return policies that are different from their platform's guidelines.

Credit: Screenshot: Amazon Credit: Screenshot: Walmart

These are typically easily identifiable by their names, like Superdealstore, Delight Tech Electronics, and busylittlebee. (None of those words are in the bible.) However, we've encountered one instance where an unauthorized seller was using the same name and branding as the real one on Amazon.

This isn't to say that all third-party sellers are malicious or scammy, but enough are that we recommend avoiding them entirely. Your best bet is to stick with products that have "Ships from/Sold by Amazon.com" or "Sold and shipped by Walmart.com" labels underneath the "Add to cart" buttons on their listings.

Amazon and Walmart also both periodically dabble in something called price anchoring, which is when they inflate products' MSRPs to make discounts look higher than they really are. (They don't do this as often as they used to, but we still catch it from time to time.) Think of these as the Warios of Walmart's secretly amazing deals with deflated MSRPs.

This laptop has a two-year-old mobile processor — there's no way it usually costs more than $1,000. (That odd-numbered MSRP is a strong indicator of some strangeness, too.) Credit: Screenshot: Walmart

This underscores the importance of price-checking deals whenever possible. Plugging a product's name or model number into Google and seeing what it's going for on its manufacturer's website is a solid rule of thumb that can be extremely revealing — sometimes in a good way, sometimes not.

When the competition heats up: More insights about Prime Day and Cyber Weekend

Amazon and Walmart both reliably drop their prices to new or year-round record lows when major savings events roll around — the biggest ones being in midsummer around Prime Day, plus Black Friday and Cyber Monday. (As mentioned, Walmart typically hosts its own festivities alongside Prime Day.) These sales also seem to prompt them to get their acts together in categories that are normally dominated by third-party sellers, like laptops, and offer more (legit) deals of their own.

Neither Amazon nor Walmart formally offer price-matching, but if they're selling the same products during these sales, you can expect to see very similar or identical numbers across the board. (Matching each other's freak, as it were.) Sometimes it takes a bit for one retailer to adjust its prices to rival the other's, but it usually happens eventually. We tend to see the most overlap among low-end TVs, robot vacuums, laptops, headphones, and other budget tech, in addition to certain Apple products (particularly iPads, Apple Watches, and AirPods) and gaming consoles.

Prime Day

With respect to Prime Day specifically, Amazon religiously sticks to a 48-hour formula for its flagship sale, whereas Walmart's competing event normally lasts twice as long. 

That said, Amazon does offer weeks of official "Early Prime Day Deals" ahead of time, giving shoppers a chance to nab certain promotions before the chaos of the event. It will also tease some of its top day-of deals in a press release ahead of time, though they come in the form of a discount range, not exact pricing. ("Save up to 75% on select Amazon devices," for example.)

SEE ALSO: Walmart's new Prime Day-rivaling sale is already much better than Walmart+ Week

On the flip side, Walmart always waits until its anti-Prime Day sale actually starts to put any deals up for grabs, but it will usually preview some of its best offers in a release well before then and use exact numbers — "Nintendo Switch Joy Con with Game for $69.00 (was $99.00)," for instance. (We use the word "exact" loosely because we frequently encounter inflated and deflated MSRPs here.)

Black Friday

In recent years, Amazon and Walmart have both moved to kick off their holiday shopping seasons extra early with Black Friday sales that begin in October. They both still save some of their deepest markdowns for Black Friday proper — it's always the fourth Friday of November — but it's always worth combing those early deals in case they wind up selling out (or getting pricier) down the road. As with Prime Day, both retailers preview these Black Friday deals in their own ways: Amazon's discounts are "up-tos," and Walmart's are (sometimes inaccurate) "before-and-afters."

Walmart takes a more structured approach to its Black Friday festivities, staggering its deals into a couple of mini week-long events leading up to Black Friday proper, so shoppers have a better idea of how long certain offers last. (They can stick around beyond that timeframe, but it's not guaranteed.) 

Alternatively, Amazon simply starts its Black Friday season sale on a certain day and adds or removes deals seemingly whenever it feels like doing so. Sometimes they'll run the course of the whole event, sometimes they'll be gone in a day. It's more of a revolving-door approach.

In the off-chance that something you buy from Amazon or Walmart during their Black Friday sales gets cheaper there later, you won't be able to get a price adjustment — but you can take advantage of their extended return policies. In the past, eligible year-end purchases from either retailer have been returnable through January 31 of the following year.

The bottom line: Where should you shop for the best deals?

To recap: Amazon is the place to shop if you want the most options, if you need help finding deals, and if you care how steep or elusive a discount is. For these reasons, it's our preferred retailer by a small margin: We like knowing exactly how much money a deal is saving shoppers, and we think an offer's rarity is important context. But Walmart can also fit the bill for value seekers who aren't super concerned about a product's brand, release date, or true MSRP — just that its price is low. Keep in mind that both retailers host huge savings events in the summer and before the holidays, which is when they bring their most competitive prices to the table.

If you're already an Amazon Prime or Walmart+ member, you might be inclined to peruse the respective retailer's wares first. It might give you exclusive or early access to certain deals. For those who haven't signed up yet, those free 30-day trials can be useful.

Ultimately, though, you're not doing yourself any favors by being loyal to a single retailer. One of the best ways to make sure you're getting the very best deal is by cross-checking prices across the web, comparing offers at Amazon, Walmart, and elsewhere… especially elsewhere. (For what it's worth, we have a lot of luck at Best Buy when it comes to deals on big-ticket items like TVs and laptops — and it's not swarming with questionable third-party sellers.)

For extra help finding the best, most up-to-date discounts on popular tech, consider bookmarking the Mashable shopping team's dedicated deals coverage, too. We only highlight the best deals we've personally vetted at Amazon, Walmart, and beyond.

Senior shopping reporter Leah Stodart and lead shopping reporter Bethany Allard contributed to this story.

Neon has released the final trailer for Osgood Perkins' "Longlegs", a horror with Nicholas Cage as the titular serial killer.