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The deep sea teems with life. But in the black depths, these organisms remain largely mysterious.
Squids in the deep ocean are rarely observed alive, but scientists on an exploration mission used a deep-sea robot to capture footage of a squid clutching a brood of unusually large eggs — twice the size of typical squid eggs. The new research, aptly titled "Giant eggs in a deep-sea squid," concludes it's an unknown species.
"Our unexpected encounter with a squid brooding giant eggs caught the attention of everyone in the ship’s control room," Steven Haddock, a senior scientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and an author of the new research, said in a statement. "This remarkable sighting underscores the diversity of ways that animals adapt to the unique challenges of living in the deep."
SEE ALSO: Giant squid footage shows they're not terrible monsters, after allThe eggs you see in the footage below, numbering 30 to 40, are about half an inch across. That's much bigger than most fish and squid eggs, and why biologists called them relatively "giant." Often, related Gonatus squids brood up to 3,000 eggs at a time, explained the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, which uses remote controlled vehicles (ROVs) to explore the deep sea. In ocean regions with lots of predators or limited nutrients, unleashing hundreds or thousands of offspring boosts the odds of a few survivors.
But it makes sense for some species to carry large eggs. "Giant eggs may be more beneficial in the more stable and predictable conditions found in the deep sea, allowing for higher investment in fewer offspring that have a better chance of survival," the institute wrote.
A view of the unusually large eggs seen in the squid species swimming in the Gulf of California. Credit: MBARIThe above footage is from 2015, but the biologists just completed a meticulous review of deep-sea squid ROV footage from different expeditions in an attempt to identify the species. The creature, seen at some 8,419 feet (2566 meters) below the surface in Mexico’s Gulf of California, is indeed new to science.
Aboard a small number of high-tech research vessels around the globe, organizations are now vigilantly documenting and mapping the deep sea. Scientists want to shine a light — literally and figuratively — on what's down there. The implications of knowing are incalculable, particularly as deep-sea mineral prospectors prepare to run tank-like industrial equipment across parts of the seafloor. For example, research expeditions have found that ocean life carries great potential for novel medicines. "Systematic searches for new drugs have shown that marine invertebrates produce more antibiotic, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory substances than any group of terrestrial organisms," notes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
What are the best new movies on Netflix? With the streaming service offering a wide array of comedies, action movies, thrillers, and more, it can be difficult to choose what to watch. Sure, Netflix aims to promote their latest releases to grab your attention. But just because it's new doesn't mean it's worth your time.
Fret not. We've done the hard part for you. Below, you'll find the very best Netflix original films of 2024, now streaming. Whether you want something heartwarming, mind-bending, pulse-racing, funny-bone-tickling, or gut-wrenching, we've got you covered with the top tier of Netflix's new dramas, docs, true crime, animated movies, action-adventures, and more.
The Imaginary Rudger and Amanda fly high in "The Imaginary." Credit: NetflixDirector Yoshiyuki Momose, who had a hand in such Studio Ghibli classics as Spirited Away and Porco Rosso, offers a fresh tale of adventure with this animated darling.
The Imaginary centers on Rudger, a blonde boy who is the devoted imaginary friend to a mischievous little girl named Amanda. Together, they can get up to all kinds of extraordinary adventures. But when a strange man begins poking around, seeking to steal Rudger away, the boy will have to rely on his newfound community of "imaginaries" to get back to Amanda and save her from emotions so big they could swallow her whole. Featuring voice work from Louie Rudge-Buchanan, Evie Kiszel, Hayley Atwell, Sky Katz, Jeremy Swift, Kal Penn, LeVar Burton, Jane Singer, Ruby Barnhill, Roger Craig Smith, Courtenay Taylor, and Miles Nibbe, this Netflix original is as full of charm as it is astounding visuals. — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor
How to watch: The Imaginary is now streaming on Netflix.
SEE ALSO: Escape reality with the 10 best animated movies on Netflix The Greatest Night in Pop Musicians of every kind got together for "We Are the World." Credit: NetflixTravel back to 1985, when some of the biggest names in music — Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, Willie Nelson, Bette Midler, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, and more — came together for a charity single in hopes of making a better world.
Centering on interviews of the artists and technicians who made the charity single "We Are the World" together, this delightful doc is full of flashy anecdotes, zinging one-liners, and even some heartache. (You deserved better, Sheila E!) While plenty of interviewees offer fun and insights, Lionel Richie, who also produced the doc, proves the MVP, providing not only plenty of context, but also some stellar impressions of Michael Jackson and his exotic pets.* — K.P.
How to watch: The Greatest Night in Pop is now streaming on Netflix.
SEE ALSO: The 35 best documentaries on Netflix Orion and the Dark Orion learns to find the good in the dark. Credit: NetflixCharlie Kaufman, the brilliant but twisted mind behind movies like Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and I'm Thinking of Ending Things, tried his hand at family-friendly in 2024 with Orion and the Dark.
Centering on a fearful 11-year-old boy (voiced by Jacob Tremblay), this adaptation of Emma Yarlett's children's book follows Orion on an adventure way past bedtime, when the Dark he feared comes out of hiding to introduce himself. Together, they travel the world with the creatures of night and learn what wonders can come from confronting what scares you. An animated adventure about the anxieties of children and their grown-ups, Orion and the Dark is a winsome and weird wonder for all ages. But maybe don't watch it right before bed. It's not nightmare fuel, but it's so surreal it could toy with your dreams! — K.P.
How to watch: Orion and the Dark is now streaming on Netflix.
Power "Power" examines the history of policing in America. Credit: NetflixThis brand-new doc from Oscar-nominated writer/director Yance Ford (Strong Island) examines the history of policing in the United States, from its roots in frontier militias, slave patrols, and strike-breaking to the symbiotic relationship of modern policing and the military, the murder of George Floyd, and Biden's "fund the police" speech. Ford's deft directorial hand, extensive archival footage, and voiceover asking viewers to be curious — if not downright skeptical about who the police serve and protect — makes this vital viewing. The scholarly interviews are grounded by time spent with Minneapolis Police Inspector Charlie Adams, who comes across as thoughtful and deeply empathetic.
While it's not a particularly easy watch, Ford is especially considered about how this may affect viewers. (Watching footage of a person being murdered is, despite what social media may have you think, not your responsibility, and it is traumatizing.) As he told Netflix, "We chose to obscure the George Floyd murder in a way that completely blots out Mr. Floyd on the ground, but also as a result, highlights the officer and the two people who were demanding that he check Mr. Floyd’s pulse. In that way, one of the things that we achieved was this focus on who was complicit in Mr. Floyd’s murder and who had power to intervene but chose not to." It's this sort of brilliance in filmmaking and editing (kudos to co-writer/editor Ian Olds) that makes Power unmissable. — Jenni Miller, Contributing Writer
How to watch: Power is now streaming on Netflix.
Spaceman Adam Sandler and a giant spider voiced by Paul Dano star in "Spaceman." Credit: NetflixWhen Adam Sandler teams up with Netflix, the results are often willfully stupid comedies like Hubie Halloween, The Do-Over, and the infamously repugnant Western The Ridiculous 6. But the Sandman's been on a roll recently, with the sweet coming-of-age comedy You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, which starred his real-life daughters; the charming animated musical Leo; and this bizarre and bittersweet sci-fi drama about a sad astronaut and a giant space spider voiced by Paul Dano.
Directed by Johan Renck and written by Jaroslav Kalfar and Colby Day, Spaceman stars Sandler as Czech astronaut Jakub Prochazka, who is six months deep on a solo mission, while his pregnant wife (Maestro's Carey Mulligan) is back on Earth seriously considering dumping his oft-space-trekking butt. Enter Hanus, a giant, talking space spider who loves the hum of a toilet, the taste of Nutella, and giving life advice to his "skinny human" friend. Spaceman is as unexpected as it is surreal and strangely enchanting. — K.P.
How to watch: Spaceman is now streaming on Netflix.
SEE ALSO: The best sci-fi movies on Netflix to escape reality Damsel Millie Bobby Brown is trapped in "Damsel." Credit: John Wilson / NetflixShe's a damsel. She's in distress. She can handle this. Have a nice day. Millie Bobby Brown gives one of her strongest performances to date in Damsel, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's film about a princess named Elodie, who's yeeted into a dragon's lair by her extremely fresh prince husband (Nick Robinson) on their wedding day. But what seems like quite a flippant premise actually ends up being a kick-ass survival film.
There are plenty of surprises as Elodie scrambles to escape the cave using only her dress for equipment — and solve the mystery of why the hell she's been thrown in there in the first place. Robin Wright and Angela Bassett are impeccable as the cold Queen Isabelle and Elodie's loving stepmother, Lady Bayford, respectively. As Belen Edwards wrote in her review, "Yes, Damsel isn't like most other fairy tales. But with its blend of dark fantasy and themes of self-empowerment, it makes for a gripping story that's great fun to experience." — Shannon Connellan, UK Editor
How to watch: Damsel is now streaming on Netflix.
How to Rob a Bank Hollywood reimagined in animation in "How to Rob a Bank." Credit: NetflixNetflix's true crime section is so vast that it can be difficult to pluck the treasures from the trash. For every Amanda Knox, there's a bunch of unsavory options. Thankfully, Amanda Knox producer Stephen Robert Morse teamed with Class Action Park director Seth Porges for this curious bank robber bio-doc, How to Rob a Bank.
This doc, brought to life with animated reenactments, news footage, home movies, and a slew of interviews, unfurls the stranger-than-fiction story of a bank robber known to the police as "Hollywood." This was because he had a penchant for modeling his crimes after movies (Point Break chief among them) and used prosthetic makeup to successfully disguise his face. But who was the man behind the mystique? Talking with the cops who tracked him and the family and friends who loved him, How to Rob a Bank explores that complicated question with unsettling results. — K.P.
How to watch: How to Rob a Bank is now streaming on Netflix.
SEE ALSO: 21 best crime documentaries on Netflix right now Hit Man Adria Arjona and Glen Powell in "Hit Man." Credit: NetflixRichard Linklater and Glen Powell reunite for Hit Man, a rom-com that is killer in all senses of the word.
Powell plays Gary Johnson, a college professor whose side gig as an undercover hit man leads to an unexpected meet-cute with would-be client Madison (Andor's Adria Arjona). The pair's connection (and electrifying chemistry) sparks a delightful game of false identities, reinvention, and twisted love that toggles between hilarious, thrilling, and sexy at a moment's notice. Oh, who am I kidding, sometimes it's all three at once!* — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Hit Man is now streaming on Netflix.
The Kitchen "The Kitchen" is a must-watch sci-fi drama. Credit: NetflixKibwe Tavares and Daniel Kaluuya's film The Kitchen is more than a sci-fi drama set in near-future London; it's a sharp commentary on privatization and oppression, police brutality, and the power of community resistance. It's also Kaluuya's directorial debut, and a hell of a watch.
Protagonists Izi (Top Boy star Kane Robinson) and Benji (Jedaiah Bannerman) live within the titular neighborhood known as The Kitchen, the last remaining bastion of independent housing in London. Plagued by brutal police raids and skint resources, the community is constantly under threat. It's a brilliantly shot, superbly acted, and all-too-real cautionary tale. — S.C.
How to watch: The Kitchen is now streaming on Netflix.
There are hundreds of different headphones and earbuds in varying shapes, sizes, styles, colors, and of course, prices. These days, you can grab a random pair off the digital shelf without too much research and find that they do the job just fine.
However, if you're tired of settling for "just fine" when it comes to the gadgets that you're using for hours every day, then it's worth investing in the best headphones. This doesn't necessarily mean giving up on budget options and going all in on a $500 pair. For instance, our favorite wired earbuds will only set you back $38.
How to choose the best headphones for youWe'll show our hand early: There's no definitive "best" product here. Sure, elite headphones brands like Bose, Sony, and Apple put out high-quality products across the board, but even within each of those brands, you'll find different tiers of products. Some will deliver better value, and some will deliver better hardware and performance.
SEE ALSO: Sonos Ace headphones review: Hands-on with the first headphones from the audio giantAll this to say, the best pair of earbuds and headphones largely comes down to personal preference and how you plan to use them. Some listeners swear by over-ear headphones while others prefer the minimalism of earbuds — one is not necessarily better than the other. Athletes who like to use headphones at the gym will appreciate waterproof materials and certifications, while frequent fliers will prefer devices with a long battery life, comfort, and portability. Finally, music lovers and audiophiles will want to invest in premium features like a custom equalizer, spatial audio, or best-in-class active noise cancellation.
You can use these factors to guide your purchasing journey, but don't get overwhelmed. To help you pick, we tested all of the headphones in this guide to bring you the best for noise cancellation, music, budget shoppers, and wired connections. So, read on to find the perfect new pair of headphones or earbuds.
Best noise-cancelling headphones: Bose 700 Bose 700 headphones $379.00 at AmazonRead our full review of the Bose 700 headphones.
Who it's for:Most headphones with ANC only offer one level of noise cancellation, plus a transparency mode, so you're not completely unaware of the world around you. The Bose 700s amp that up tenfold, giving you ten different adjustable levels of ANC, plus one level without, for the ultimate customization experience. If you're picky about the intensity of your ANC, these are the best headphones for your ears.
Why we picked this:When Mashable tech reporter Alex Perry tested out these headphones, he found they worked effortlessly in multiple loud scenarios: "I've tried these out in the lively Mashable office, on the busy streets of New York City, and even in a particularly noisy bar. In every scenario, I couldn't hear much, except for what I chose to listen to."
To cycle through the different levels, you can use the app or cycle between three favorite settings directly on the headphones. These headphones do have one major downside: They originally came out in 2019. We think they remain current because no other brand has yet delivered headphones with as much ANC customization, but for anyone who loves top notch sound quality, you'll no longer find it in the Bose 700s. It's good, but not industry leading.
As these headphones are being phased out of Bose's lineup (the Bose QuietComfort Ultras are serving as their replacement, though they only have one level of ANC and transparency mode), they are on sale — you'll just want to grab them while they're still around.
Battery life: 20 hours | Colors: Black, soapstone, silver luxe
Best sound-first headphones: Sony WH-1000XM5 Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones $398.00 at AmazonRead our full review on the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones.
Who it's for:For music lovers, we have to recommend the latest flagship Sony headphones. The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones deliver top-notch ANC and audiophile-level sound quality, with a hefty 30-hour battery life. Their design offers a less expensive alternative to the AirPods Max, for those who like their headphones to sound and look good.
Why we picked this:If you're into Bose headphones but aren't totally sold on Sony, we're willing to bet you'll see something you like in the WH-1000XM5s.
Often, people herald Bose as having the superior ANC but Sony as owning the sound space. Our Deputy Reviews Editor Miller Kern definitely noticed that these headphones excelled in the latter arena when she tested them out: "[The sound] is full and clear, and feels like surround sound. I’m a big fan of power ballads (I’m not allowed to pick the music at parties), and Brandi Carlile’s 'Right on Time' sounded like it was meant to be listened to on these headphones. The vocals and instruments all got to shine, and the headphones made it feel like I was there in the studio. These are probably the best-sounding headphones I’ve ever tried."
We do wish they folded up so they weren't so bulky to take on the go, but it's a relatively small con compared to the pros, especially if you're planning on wearing these headphones all day long.
Battery life: 30 hours | Colors: Black, blue, silver
Best noise-cancelling earbuds: Apple AirPods Pro Apple AirPods Pro $189.99 at WalmartRead our full review of the second-generation USB-C AirPods Pro.
Who it's for:If portability, active noise cancellation, and balanced sound are what you're looking for, your search ends with the AirPods Pro. It's not uncommon for earbuds to have active noise cancellation, but the AirPods Pro deliver an impressive performance. Plus they're versatile — whether you like to wear your headphones around the house, on a run, or as you're falling asleep at night, the AirPods Pro fit the bill. For obvious reasons, they're also the best headphones for iPhone users.
Why we picked this:Last year, Apple finally gave their AirPods Pro a much-needed upgrade in the form of a USB-C charger. Other than the charging port, they're identical to the second-gen Pros released in 2022, which Mashable Senior Editor Stan Schroeder described as "the first pair of earbuds I'd actually consider taking on an airplane (instead of my much larger and clunkier over-ear headphones)." He went on to say "In some aspects, the active noise cancellation was even better than on my daily drivers: B&W's excellent PX7 over-ear headphones."
Despite their size and enhanced ANC, the Pro's battery still lasts for up to six hours on a single charge and 30 hours overall with the case. However, it is worth noting that the battery life will noticeably decline after a few years.
Battery life: 6 hours per charge (30 hours with case) | Colors: White
Best AirPods alternative: Beats Studio Buds + Beats Studio Buds + $169.95 at AmazonIf you're into earbuds with good ANC but less into shelling out $249, you'll find your happy medium in the Beats Studio Buds +. There's a reason we've consistently named them the best AirPods alternative.
Why we picked this:The AirPods Pro are great, but these popular wireless earbuds aren't in everyone's budget. These Beats will run you about $80 less (or more, if you catch them on sale), give you some more leeway with color options, integrate just as well into an Apple ecosystem as AirPods, have the same battery life as AirPods, and still deliver pretty good ANC. If you're into a more bass-heavy sound, you'll definitely be happy with them.
While we didn't find them to be a one-to-one experience during our testing — you should expect the AirPods to block out more noise, and we missed wireless charging — they were still incredibly comfortable. We also found them to fit better than AirPods, so if those Apple earbuds usually slip out of your ears, you'll want to try these buds instead. And for Android users, Google Fast Pair makes these earbuds a much better option than AirPods.
We do want to mention that if $169.95 is still fairly steep, you can also get ANC through Amazon's Echo Buds for just $119.99. (Echo Buds were our former budget pick, but we found the Beats have more to offer all-around.) For another solid option in the budget wireless earbuds space, try the Anker Soundcore Life P3i earbuds, which offer ANC and great battery life for under $50. Though, they do lack multipoint pairing and have a less rich sound profile than Beats earbuds.
Battery life: 6 hours with ANC, 9 without (27 hours with charging case) | Colors: Ivory, black, transparent, silver
Best workout headphones: Beats Fit Pro Beats Fit Pro $159.00 at AmazonRead our full review of the Beats Fit Pro.
Who it's for:When it comes to workout headphones, you need a pair that'll actually stay in your ears. Motivating yourself to get through a set of push-ups is hard enough without an earbud popping out. The Beats Fit Pro earbuds are more than up to the task, and they deliver exceptional battery life, sound quality, and a few extras.
Why we picked this:Earbuds designed for exercise typically have some sort of wingtip to help hold them in place, but those wingtips can often squeeze uncomfortably on your ears, especially with longer-term use. The small wingtip of these Beats hits the sweet spot — they're large enough to provide hold, and small enough to be undetectable. Mashable tech reporter Alex Perry writes that the wingtips "result [in] a pair of earbuds that never feel like they're going to fall out and, more importantly, never intrude on your comfort. I've worn these bad boys for six straight hours without any problems. It's hard to ask for more than that."
Beyond comfort, these earbuds provide an impressive sound profile, including that deep bass that Beats are known for. And of course, as any workout earbuds should be, these earbuds are sweat and water-resistant with an IPX4 rating.
Battery life: 6 hours (24 hours with case) | Colors: Black, white, coral, gray, purple, blue, yellow, tan, brown, beige
Best premium noise-cancelling headphones: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones $429.00 at AmazonRead our full review of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones.
Who it's for:If you're looking for a headphone experience built around excellent ANC, we think the Bose 700 headphones will more than do the job (and for a lot less). However, if you appreciate premium features such as spatial audio and want the most comfortable pair of headphones we've ever tested, then you'll be happy with the new Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones — and you'll still dole out less than you would for Apple AirPods Max over-ear headphones.
And if you need more convincing, we recently named these new Bose headphones the best noise-cancelling headphones for flying.
Why we picked this:We weren't at all surprised that these QuietComfort headphones delivered all-day wear without issue. Even with glasses on, they never felt too tight or heavy, despite being an over-ear headphone with earcups that sealed out sound. Speaking of sound, it always came out well-rounded and functioned well with the immersive audio (which, by the way, is a new feature for the QuietComfort line).
They don't have adjustable ANC like the 700s, but the one ANC level works, though it will shine the most with lower-pitched tones (for higher tones, a bit of music or a podcast will go a long way in assisting the built-in noise cancellation). As for the downsides, these headphones are expensive at $429 (though you can find them on sale), so we expected a lot out of them. The pairing can be a little touch and go at times and completely fine at others, but this inconsistency is characteristic of other Bose headphones we've tested.
The most baffling flaw of these headphones is the lack of passive playback, meaning you have to turn on the headphones to use the wired connection. Though these are clearly meant to be wireless headphones first and foremost, this feels like a weird oversight (and a deviation from older models). Still, on balance, we think they justify the investment — they're really comfortable.
Battery life: 24 hours | Colors: White, black, sandstone
Best wired earbuds: Marshall Mode Marshall Mode earbuds $37.92 at AmazonThere are a lot of good reasons to consider wired earbuds. Some people simply don't want the hassle of constantly charging their headphones. Fair enough. Some people want impressive audio quality without shelling out $100 or more, and some simply aren't buying what Big Bluetooth is selling. For shoppers who fall into any of the above groups, we recommend the affordable Marshall Mode earbuds.
Why we picked this:Though they're only $60 (and usually on sale for less than $40), Marshall Mode earbuds deliver better sound than most wireless earbuds that are triple the price. The bass is clear but not overpowering, and the highs bright but never too thin or tinny-sounding.
As for how you sound on the headphone's built-in mic, friends we spoke to on the phone said we came through with perfect clarity (the same can't be said for our tester's two-and-a-half year old first-generation AirPods Pro). Lower down on the wire is a separate remote, so you can pause and play your audio or hang up your calls without fiddling around with the mic. If you're sensing a theme, these earbuds are well-designed, and that comes through in how they wear and store.
During our testing, we had no trouble with the wire tangling, and it never felt too long during everyday wear. The buds themselves come with three ear tip sizes and wear comfortably all day. If you're not a fan of the shape of AirPods, then you're likely to find these a better shape for actually keeping your earbuds situated in your ears. There is one major downside with these wired earbuds, however. Unlike their more expensive wired counterparts, Marshall's don't come with a replaceable wire, so you'll want to take extra care to be as gentle as you can with the wire to extend its lifespan.
Battery life: N/A | Colors: Black
How we tested the best headphonesOver the years, we've tested out a lot of headphones and wireless earbuds at Mashable. To determine the best of the best, and not just pick what's trendy at the moment, we went back through our reviews from former and current tech reporters, editors, and shopping reporters. From JBL and Sony to Samsung and Anker Soundcore, we did our research to make sure we left no major headphone stone unturned, and the result is this guide — our favorite vetted and tested headphones of 2024 (so far).
All of the headphones in this guide were hands-on tested. In making our selections, we weighed:
Sound: Since headphones are first and foremost a way for you to listen to audio, if a pair of headphones didn't sound good, they didn't make the list — that goes for our budget pick, too.
Noise cancellation: These days, some form of noise cancellation is near-essential for any pair of headphones. We prioritized models that feature solid noise cancellation.
Comfort: What's the point of a great pair of headphones if they're too uncomfortable to wear?
Customization: Whether it be for ANC levels, transparency modes, or touch controls, headphones that allow you to adjust the settings will make them feel like they were made for you.
Battery life: Most wireless headphones on the market rely on Bluetooth connectivity, so having a battery you can rely on for at least a few hours of listening time is key.
Special features: When testing headphones and earbuds, we also take into consideration any other special features they offer. For headphones in the $200-plus price range, we expect at least a few special features.
You might notice that the Apple AirPods Max are missing from our top picks. It's not that we don't like them — in fact, we think they sound and look great. But when we reviewed them, we found that they didn't have a practical storage option, they never really turn off (thus draining the otherwise long battery life), and are just too expensive to justify a wholehearted recommendation. We understand if you like them regardless, but personally, we think there are better options at lower price points.
Recent testing updatesAs of Feb. 2024, two of our former recommendations, the Skullcandy Sesh Evo earbuds and Sennheiser IE 300 have been discontinued. We're in the process of testing new headphones to take their place, and we chose the Marshall Mode earbuds as our new budget pick for earbuds. We also added in the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones as an upgrade recommendation in March 2024.
From April to May 2024, we also tested the Marshall Major V headphones and Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 headphones, both of which had excellent sound profiles and easy to navigate custom equalizers on their companion apps. Ultimately, they didn't make the cut on our final list for a couple of reasons. With the Major V headphones, we love that their claim of 100+ hours of battery life held up under our testing, but we found them to get uncomfortable after a couple of hours. We also would have appreciated ANC at their $149 price point.
For the B&W headphones, we loved their design and premium feel in addition to their truly impressive sound, but we found that their ANC was only so-so. If you're willing to spend $399, you can find a better balance of sound and ANC in the Sony XM5 headphones.
As of June 2024, we've removed the Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones as they're officially discontinued and unavailable online.
When it comes to shopping for the best cheap laptops, you can do a lot with $1,000. (Heck, even $500 cuts some mustard nowadays.) But you'll probably have to make some compromises along the way to stay below that price point.
That doesn't mean you have to settle for a total clunker that doesn't tick any of the boxes on your must-have specs list. It just means you have to shop a little smarter than someone with unlimited funds.
That's where we come in. The Mashable team is constantly reviewing new laptops, and we can recommend several affordable machines for different budgets, operating system loyalties, and use cases based on our hands-on testing.
SEE ALSO: The best laptops of 2024, tested and reviewed What is the best cheap laptop?As of mid-2024, we believe the best cheap MacBook is the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air powered by the previous-generation M2 chip. It's speedy enough for most people, it's got a great keyboard, and it starts at $999 (though it's often on sale for less than $900).
Among Windows laptops, the Lenovo Yoga 7i 14 (Gen 9) is currently the best cheap laptop we've tested. It has a newer processor and a good battery life, it doubles as a tablet, and it comes in at a starting price of $899.99.
Read on to learn more about these picks and some other solid options. FYI: We've listed the pricing and specs of our testing units, which may not apply to each laptop's base model.
A lot of guys have a love-hate relationship with the best dating apps for men, but what's the alternative?
Meeting someone organically, or "in the wild" as some people call it, can feel nearly impossible. Between work, hobbies, and trying to maintain some semblance of a social life, who has the time to actually meet people? That's where online dating comes in.
If you're already rolling your eyes, we hear you. Dating as a man in the 21st century is tough. It's not just the pressure to make the first move or the fear of rejection — it's the endless swiping through fake profiles, AI-generated thirst traps, bots posing as potential matches, and the relentless Instagram models trying to lure you into their OnlyFans scam. It's easy to get discouraged.
SEE ALSO: Dating predictions for the rest of 2024Despite these challenges (and the very long list of others we didn't mention), there are still plenty of real people out there looking for love, just like you. It's just a matter of finding the best dating apps and putting in the effort to weed out the fakes and the flakes.
Do dating apps work for most guys?Yes! We're not going to sugarcoat it and say everyone finds love on their first swipe (or even their first app). But here's the thing: Real men and women are finding real connections on these apps every day. One 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that one in 10 partnered adults met their significant other through online dating. The numbers are even higher for young people and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
When asked about their experiences with dating apps, 53 percent of users said they had a positive experience, with 14 percent even rating it as "very positive." Of course, your mileage may vary depending on who you are and what you're looking for. But the good news is that guys seem to be having a pretty decent time, with 57 percent reporting positive experiences and results compared to 48 percent of women.
SEE ALSO: Dating app coaches promise to upgrade your love life. But what do they actually do? Which dating app should I use as a guy?The dating apps we've highlighted in this roundup are a great starting point for guys who are serious about finding a connection, whether it's a casual fling, a serious relationship, or something in between. Each app offers unique features and caters to different dating styles, so there's bound to be one that fits your personality and goals.
Don't be afraid to experiment; try out a few different apps and see what works for you. And most importantly, don't get discouraged by the occasional bad date or disappointing match. Remember, there are plenty of fish in the (digital) sea, and with a little effort, we're sure you'll find the one that's worth reeling in.
TL;DR: Watch Ecuador vs. Venezuela in the 2024 Copa America for free on Sportitalia. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
Sure, it's for American teams only (well, sort of), but the 2024 Copa America is exciting for football fans all around the world. That's because the Americas are home to some of the greatest teams on the planet — particularly in South America.
And even though Ecuador and Venezuela aren't the strongest teams, the group stages of any tournament can throw up surprises. Both teams will have their sights on improving their Copa America performances in 2021, when Ecuador fell at the first knockout stage and Venezuela struggled to get out of the group.
All of which means this Group B clash isn't to be missed and you can watch it wherever you are around the globe. You don't have to be in the host country of the USA.
If you want to watch Ecuador vs. Venezuela in the 2024 Copa America for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.
When is Ecuador vs. Venezuela?Ecuador vs. Venezuela in the 2024 Copa America kicks off at 6 p.m. ET on June 22. This fixture takes place at the Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara.
How to watch Ecuador vs. Venezuela for freeEcuador vs. Venezuela in the 2024 Copa America is available to live stream for free on Sportitalia.
Sportitalia is a free-to-watch streaming platform in Italy. While the platform is geo-blocked outside of Italy, viewers in other parts of the world can access it by using a VPN. A VPN is a handy tool that can hide your real IP address, including your location, and connect you to a secure server within Italy. That will allow you to access Sportitalia from anywhere in the world.
Access free live streams of Copa America by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Italy
Visit Sportitalia
Watch the 2024 Copa America for free from anywhere in the world
While the best VPNs for streaming aren't free, leading VPN providers tend to offer incentive deals such as free trial periods or money-back guarantees. You can take advantage of these deals to get access for long enough to watch the 2024 Copa America — all without spending a penny. It's not a long-term solution, though with all the benefits of a VPN you may decide to keep the service on a more permanent basis.
What is the best VPN for Sportitalia?ExpressVPN is the best choice for unblocking 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 currently on sale for just $99.95 — for an impressive saving of 49%. This deal includes an extra three months for free, as well as a year of free unlimited cloud backup, and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Live stream Ecuador vs. Venezuela for free with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: Watch Bangladesh vs. India in the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup for free on Disney+ Hotstar. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
It's time for Bangladesh and India to go head-to-head in the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup. It's set to be a great game, so don't miss out.
In the Super Eights, each team will play the others in their group once, and the top two teams from each of these groups progress to the semi-finals - but who will make it through?
Want to tune in? You can watch Bangladesh vs. India in the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup for free from anywhere in the world, and we have all the information you need.
When is Bangladesh vs. India?Bangladesh vs. India in the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup starts at 10:30 a.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. BST on June 22. This fixture takes place at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua.
How to watch Bangladesh vs. India for freeIt couldn't be easier to livestream Bangladesh vs. India. For smartphone users in India, you can watch the 2024 Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup for free on Disney+ Hotstar app.
This free content is geo-restricted to India, so for fans elsewhere in the world, you'll need a VPN. These powerful tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in India, meaning you can access this free content on the Disney+ Hotstar app from anywhere in the world.
Access free T20 Cricket World Cup live streams by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in India
Download the Disney+ Hotstar mobile app
Watch Bangladesh vs. India in the 2024 T20 Cricket World Cup for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are generally not free, but they do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. Take advantage of these offers to can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch Bangladesh vs. India (plus the rest of the tournament) before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for Disney+ Hotstar?ExpressVPN is the best service for accessing live sport on Disney+ Hotstar, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including India
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure
Fast connection speeds
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.
Watch Bangladesh vs. India in the 2024 T20 World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: Watch Afghanistan vs. Australia in the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup for free on Disney+ Hotstar. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
We’re into the second stage of the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup and it’s been an exciting tournament so far. This year sees the debut of the new Super 8s format where the eight qualifying teams will be divided into two groups of four. Each team will play the others in their group once, with the top two teams from each of these groups progressing on to the semi-finals.
Next up is Group 1 teams, Afghanistan and Australia.
If you want to catch the next fixture in the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Afghanistan vs. Australia?Afghanistan vs. Australia in the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup starts at 8:30 p.m. ET on June 22 / 1:30 a.m. BST on June 23. This fixture takes place at the Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown, St Vincent.
How to watch Afghanistan vs. Australia for freeWant to tune in? Don't worry, it couldn't be simpler to livestream Afghanistan vs. Australia. For smartphone users in India, you can watch the 2024 Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup for free on Disney+ Hotstar app.
This free content is geo-restricted to India, so for fans elsewhere in the world, you'll need a VPN. These powerful tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in India, meaning you can access this free content on the Disney+ Hotstar app from anywhere in the world.
Access free T20 Cricket World Cup live streams by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in India
Download the Disney+ Hotstar mobile app
Watch Afghanistan vs. Australia in the 2024 T20 Cricket World Cup for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are generally not free, but they do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. Take advantage of these offers to can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch Afghanistan vs. Australia (plus the rest of the tournament) before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for Disney+ Hotstar?ExpressVPN is the best service for accessing live sport on Disney+ Hotstar, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including India
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure
Fast connection speeds
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.
Watch Afghanistan vs. Australia in the 2024 T20 World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: As of June 18, you can sign up for the All-in-One Raspberry Pi and Arduino Developer Bundle for just £55.31 (reg. £334.36) — that's less than £7 per course.
Summer is here, and it's the perfect time to rediscover old hobbies or take on fresh ones. And if learning to program and make gadgets has been on your list, you're in luck because a helpful online learning bundle is currently on sale.
Become savvy in Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Python 3, and more developer's tools from the comfort of your home with The All-In-One Raspberry Pi & Arduino Developer Bundle. This bundle of nine info-packed courses is great for beginners and is currently on sale for just £55.31 — less than £6.50 a class — for a limited time.
Don't know a lick of programming? Don't worry, you can kick off your education with beginner-level courses like "Raspberry Pi For Beginners: Complete Course." These ten hours of instruction are taught by Edouard Renard, an experienced software engineer, who will guide you through building projects with Raspberry Pi. You'll learn the programming language Python 3 from the very beginning as you figure out how to create a web server on your very own Raspberry Pi board. Renard will also teach you how to build a complete surveillance and alarm project by the time you're done with the class.
After you receive schooling on Raspberry Pi, the brains of the operation, move on to Arduino, the arms and legs of the operation. "Arduino for Beginners: Complete Course," also taught by Renard, will have you creating an interactive obstacle detection application for yourself. You'll also learn how to program Arduino with C/C++. From there, advance your knowledge with his course "Raspberry Pi and Arduino: The Next Level" and go from an intermediate level to advanced with the ability to combine both of these skill sets. You'll learn to use Raspberry Pi as the brain and Arduino as the muscles of your application.
Learn a practical new skillset with this Raspberry Pi & Arduino Developer Bundle. It's on sale for just £55.31 (reg. £334.36) for a limited time.
Prices subject to change.
Opens in a new window Credit: StackCommerce The All-in-One Raspberry Pi and Arduino Developer Bundle £55.31TL;DR: Watch Belgium vs. Romania in Euro 2024 for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
For football fans, it doesn't get much better than Euro 2024. World-class players competing for four whole weeks. Next to the World Cup, it's the biggest event in international football.
Belgium and Romania will battle it out next in Group E, as both teams look to claim a place in the knockout stages. On paper, Belgium are the strongest team in the group, but even with the kind of footballing power that includes Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne, you can never take anything for granted. It has been 24 years since Romania have progressed to the knockout stage of the tournament. Can the Romanians take the fight to Belgium and claim three massive points?
If you want to watch Belgium vs. Romania in Euro 2024 for free, no matter where you are around the globe, we've got together all the information you need.
When is Belgium vs. Romania?Belgium vs. Romania in Euro 2024 kicks off at 3 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. BST on June 22. This fixture takes place at the Cologne Stadium in Cologne, Germany.
How to watch Belgium vs. Romania for freeBelgium vs. Romania in Euro 2024 is being broadcast by ITV, with free live streaming available on ITVX.
Though ITVX is geo-blocked outside of the UK, there are ways to access this free streaming platform. The easiest and best way is to use a VPN. This tool will hide your actual IP address and connect you with a secure UK-based server, allowing you to bypass geo-restrictions to access ITVX. You can do this from anywhere in the world.
Unblock ITVX by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
Visit ITVX
Stream Belgium vs. Romania in Euro 2024 from anywhere in the world
There are other costs to consider when using a VPN to access free streaming platforms overseas. The best VPNs for streaming require an upfront fee, but you'll find that VPN providers have sweetener deals such as free trials and money-back guarantees. Just sign up to watch every Euro 2024 fixture and cancel the deal without parting with any cash. It's a sneaky but simple trick.
What is the best VPN for ITVX?ExpressVPN is the best 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. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. That's a saving of 49% on list price.
Stream Belgium vs. Romania in Euro 2024 for free with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: Watch Turkey vs. Portugal in Euro 2024 for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The Euro 2024 action continues with probably the biggest superstar in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo, as Portugal kick off against underdogs Turkey.
A win for Portugal would likely see them progress to the knockout stage. Don't forget — Portugal won the whole tournament back in 2016. It could be Ronaldo's last major tournament, so expect the iconic player to do something spectacular. Don't count Turkey out, though. They reached the semi-final back in 2008 and always have the capacity to cause an upset on the big stage. They'll be fighting to get a point from this fixture.
If you want to watch Turkey vs. Portugal in Euro 2024 for free, we've pulled together some helpful information.
When is Turkey vs. Portugal?Turkey vs. Portugal in Euro 2024 kicks off at 12 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. BST on June 22. This fixture takes place at the BVB Stadion Dortmund in Dortmund, Germany.
How to watch Turkey vs. Portugal for freeTurkey vs. Portugal in Euro 2024 will broadcast on ITV and live stream for free on ITVX.
ITVX is geo-restricted for the UK, but anyone can access the platform by using a VPN. A good quality VPN can hide your real IP address and then connect your computer with a secure server located within the UK, meaning you can bypass geo-restrictions to access ITVX from anywhere in the world.
Unblock ITVX by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
Visit ITVX
Stream Turkey vs. Portugal in Euro 2024 from anywhere in the world
While accessing ITVX itself is free, the best VPNs for streaming do require a subscription fee. There's a way around that too. VPN providers tend to offer incentive deals for new users, such as free-trial periods and money-back guarantees. Take advantage of these offers to gain access to ITVX without committing any cash. This is not a long-term solution, sure, but it gives you time to stream all the Euro 2024 fixtures for free.
What is the best VPN for ITVX?ExpressVPN is the best 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
There's a great, limited-time offer at ExpressVPN right now. A one-year subscription costs just $99.95, with an extra three months for free plus a year of unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee. That's an overall saving of 49%. Be sure not to miss it.
Stream Turkey vs. Portugal in Euro 2024 for free with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: Watch Georgia vs. Czech Republic in Euro 2024 for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
There's nothing quite like the buzz of a major football tournament. That's why Euro 2024 isn't just "must watch," it's "can't miss." Even smaller fixtures, such as the Group F clash between Georgia and Czech Republic, promise to deliver drama and surprises.
Captained by West Ham's Tomas Soucek, Czech Republic have previously reached the Euro final and went to the quarter-finals last time around. Georgia, meanwhile, are getting their first taste of the European Championship — and the competition is fierce. Elsewhere in Group F, Georgia and Czech Republic will face Turkey and Portugal — a win here could help secure either team a spot in the knockout stages.
If you want to watch Euro 2024 from anywhere in the world, check out the below information on how to access this fixture for free.
When is Georgia vs. Czech Republic?Georgia vs. Czech Republic in Euro 2024 kicks off at 9 a.m. ET / 2 p.m. BST on June 22. This fixture is hosted by the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg, Germany.
How to watch Georgia vs. Czech Republic for freeGeorgia vs. Czech Republic in Euro 2024 will be broadcast by the BBC, with live streaming available on BBC iPlayer.
BBC iPlayer is technically geo-blocked, which means that only viewers within the UK are able to access it. There is a workaround for this streaming service however, when you use a VPN. By using a VPN you can hide your IP address, which includes your real-world location, and connect to a UK server. This will allow you to watch all content on BBC iPlayer and other UK-based platforms. You can watch from anywhere in the world, as long as you have a solid internet connection.
Unblock BBC iPlayer by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
Visit BBC iPlayer
Stream Georgia vs. Czech Republic in Euro 2024 from anywhere in the world
While connecting to BBC iPlayer is free of charge, using a VPN for streaming does technically require a subscription cost. Thankfully, VPN providers offer incentive deals such as free-trial periods and money-back guarantee offers. This allows you to sign up without parting with any cash — for a limited time, at least — and use the VPN to watch Euro 2024. You can then cancel the membership after the tournament.
What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?ExpressVPN is the best choice for streaming live sport on BBC iPlayer, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including the UK
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
ExpressVPN is offering a 49% discount for a limited time only. For a cost of just $99.95, you'll receive a one-year subscription, plus three extra months for free, a year of unlimited cloud backup, and a 30-day money back guarantee. A great deal for watching Euro 2024.
Stream Georgia vs. Czech Republic in Euro 2024 for free with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: Watch Mexico vs. Jamaica in the 2024 Copa America for free on Sportitalia. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The 2024 Copa America has kicked off with some really exciting action, and it's not stopping anytime soon. The next fixture sees Mexico take on Jamaica in a game stacked with stars. It's arguably the best matchup of the tournament so far, and you can watch all the action without spending anything.
If you want to watch Mexico vs. Jamaica in the 2024 Copa America for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Mexico vs. Jamaica?Mexico vs. Jamaica in the 2024 Copa America kicks off at 9 p.m. ET on June 22. This fixture takes place at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
How to watch Mexico vs. Jamaica for freeEvery 2024 Copa America game is available to live stream for free on Sportitalia, including Mexico vs. Jamaica.
Sportitalia is geo-restricted to Italy, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These powerful tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Italy, meaning you can access Sportitalia from anywhere in the world.
Access free live streams of Copa America by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Italy
Visit Sportitalia
Watch the 2024 Copa America for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can 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 Mexico vs. Jamaica in the 2024 Copa America 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 June 22'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:An official decree.
Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?There are no letters that appear twice.
Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...Today's Wordle starts with the letter E.
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 Wordle #1099 is...
EDICT.
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 June 22's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
What is Connections?The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
Tweet may have been deletedEach puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer. If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
Tweet may have been deletedPlayers can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Here's a hint for today's Connections categoriesWant a hit about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Again and again
Green: Golf tools
Blue: Horror movies
Purple: Sausage slang
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: One Thing After Another
Green: Kinds of Golf Clubs
Blue: Horror Movies, with "The"
Purple: Words for Sausage
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 Connections #377 is...
What is the answer to Connections todayOne Thing After Another: CHAIN, SERIES, STRING, TRAIN
Kinds of Golf Clubs: DRIVER, IRON, WEDGE, WOOD
Horror Movies, with "The": BIRDS, FOG, OMEN, RING
Words for Sausage: BRAT, DOG, FRANK, LINK
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.
Sutekh's Empire of Death has crumbled. And with it, Ncuti Gatwa's first season of Doctor Who (a.k.a. Season 14 of the show that was rebooted in 2005) is in the books.
While some plot threads were tied up neatly (the Susan Twist mystery; the search for Ruby Sunday's real mum), others remained teased but untied.
So since the TARDIS is no longer being dogged by the canine-headed god of death, here are the big questions that will continue to dog Whovian brains until Season 15 hits our screens — starting with another Christmas special in December 2024, then continuing with another 8 episodes in 2025.
Who is Mrs. Flood?Appearing at the end of "Empire of Death" in a fetching new white fur outfit on a rooftop of snow, Mrs. Flood (Anita Dobson) warns us that the Doctor's story ends in "absolute terror." But how does she know? And who is she, anyway?
We already knew that Mrs. Flood knows our hero (whom she called a "clever boy" when her life was restored in "Empire of Death") and his machine (which she identified as a TARDIS in the season opener, "The Church on Ruby Road." We know she died lamenting her "many plans" and that she always seems "to hide myself away."
That latter statement seems to be the most telling. In the same episode ("Legend of Ruby Sunday"), the Doctor noted that Time Lords sometimes change faces in order to hide themselves. Could Mrs. Flood be a Time Lady, then? A new version of Missy, or perhaps the Doctor's much-teased granddaughter Susan?
Which other 'Pantheon' gods will the Doctor meet?The Toymaker, The Maestro and Sutekh: all defeated, at least for now. But there are other gods in the so-called Pantheon, as outlined by Harriet Arbinger in "The Legend of Ruby Sunday," and some of them have been in the show already. There's the Mara, which hails from the Peter Davison era. There's the Trickster, from the spin-off show The Sarah Jane Adventures. And there's the "threefold deity of malice, mischief, and misery" — unidentified as of yet, but a clear tease for upcoming adventures (as well as a way to launch a thousand fan theories as to which classic villain or villains this god could represent).
What's with the fourth-wall breaking?Mrs. Flood has now talked directly to camera three times. The Maestro specifically noticed and winked at it several times in "The Devil's Chord." And the Doctor winked at camera right before the "Twist at the End" song in that same story. Is this a power that members of the Pantheon have – in which case, the Doctor himself is in the Pantheon – or some other unexplained twist?
How will the Doctor and Ruby Sunday reunite?"Ruby Sunday, I will see you again," the Doctor said as he coldly kicked his friend out of the TARDIS. But that fact wasn't exactly a spoiler. Meanwhile, Mrs. Flood said that the story of "Ruby Road" had come to an end, not Ruby's story itself.
We know Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) is coming back for season 2, alongside a new companion played by Varada Sethu. We know Nicola Coughlin of Broadchurch and Derry Girls fame is in the Christmas special, called "Joy to the World" and written by former showrunner Steven Moffat. But will Ruby also be in the Christmas special, or does she get a well-earned holiday break with her new family?
Will the Doctor meet Susan again?"Maybe I'll find her one day," the Doctor said casually to Ruby. We certainly hope so! Carole Ann Ford, who played Susan in 1963-4, plus once in 1983, is now aged 84. Russell T Davies, showrunner and classic Who fan, had better have filmed her regeneration scene already.
Will the Doctor find out more about his background?The Doctor has known (s)he's an orphan since the controversial "Timeless Child" reveal in the Jodie Whittaker era: basically, (s)he has lived countless lives since being found by a portal, and a shadowy Time Lord organization kept wiping his/her memories of those regenerations that go back beyond the early history of the show. Davies has already signaled his willingness to incorporate the Timeless Child into his stories this season.
So is that search for his origins going somewhere in the 15th Doctor's era? It may perhaps be connected to "bi-generation," the concept Davies introduced in Gatwa's first episode, "The Giggle." Davies tells Mashable that bi-generation gets a shout-out in season 15. Will we learn that it has happened before – perhaps creating the evil version of the Doctor, the Valeyard?
How will the Doctor meet his new companion?Varada Sethu showed up unexpectedly in the season 14 episode "Boom!" Does that mean the Doctor will be meeting her character, an Anglican Marine named Mundy Flynn, or just someone else who happens to look like her? There's precedent for the latter: Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman) appeared in multiple "splinter" versions of her character, as did Susan Twist.
But don't expect Doctor Who to repeat this formula too much. After all, as the Doctor told us in season 14, there's always a twist at the end.
How to watch: All Gatwa's first season of Doctor Who is on Disney+, where available, and on BBC iPlayer in the UK.
The history of Doctor Who was forever changed by the season finale episode "Empire of Death" — but not in the way we were expecting.
Despite inspiring a flurry of fan theories about Ruby Sunday's mum (could it be Rose?), showrunner Russell T Davies simply gave us the statistically most likely answer. As foreshadowed in "The Legend of Ruby Sunday," the mystery mother was ... an ordinary young woman. Instead of the appearance of Susan the Doctor's granddaughter, we learned that her name was sprinkled throughout history by Sutekh the Destroyer, god of death.
But that doesn't mean Whovian brains aren't exploding at what Davies just casually revealed along the way, starting with this incredible headline:
Sutekh has been hanging around the TARDIS for the last 49 years of Doctor Who. Credit: Disney+In "Pyramids of Mars" (1975), the only story prior to this season to contain Sutekh, the Doctor (Tom Baker) and Sarah-Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) thought he had trapped his most powerful enemy in a time corridor, where he aged more than 7,000 years. Then they jumped in the TARDIS and quickly left the scene of the trap — a burning priory in 1911 that would one day become UNIT HQ.
But from that point onwards, we now know, Sutekh was wrapped around the TARDIS, "staring into eternity and slowly evolving into my godhood."
That's right — every single Doctor Who story from "Pyramids of Mars" to "The Legend of Ruby Sunday" has been irrevocably changed, because each one now contains secret Sutekh.
The Sutekh-on-the-TARDIS era now starts with "The Android Invasion" (1975) and continues for an astonishing 231 more TV stories, including everything in the last 19 "New Who" years of Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, Jodie Whittaker, Tennant again, and now Ncuti Gatwa. There are hundreds of implications. To pick just one: When Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) clung to the outside of the TARDIS in "Utopia" (2007), he was riding with Sutekh to the literal end of the universe.
No wonder Gatwa's Doctor screamed when he thought of all the worlds he'd accidentally infected with Sutekh's Susan clones. We should too. In watching him do it, oblivious themselves, the TV audiences of the last 49 years are effectively complicit. Name another show that can give you a twist like this!
SEE ALSO: 'Doctor Who' just bested 'Bridgerton' in queer romanceThe twist does, however, also mess with the stories of Sutekh's return in Doctor Who comics, novels, and Big Finish audio dramas. But hey, you can always head-canon that problem away by saying Sutekh got splintered in time, or some such typical Who explanation.
The Memory TARDIS is now canon.That ersatz TARDIS held together with "memories and wishes"? Not only is it a fan's dream, with more Easter eggs than you can wave psychic paper at — such as the "WHO 1" license plate from the Doctor's car Bessie in the Jon Pertwee era, and the classic show's TARDIS console on the ceiling — it's also the setting for Tales of the TARDIS, a recent BBC series that repackages classic multi-part stories in omnibus editions — including, most recently, "Pyramids of Mars."
In bookend scenes, companions and Doctors from the classic era (all played by their original actors at their current creaky ages) reminisce in the so-called Memory TARDIS. None of the characters know how they got there, except to suggest that the TARDIS itself is dreaming. Now we know why — and Davies can pat himself on the back for placing one of the key moments from the finale in a spin-off that started the previous year.
How to watch: Tales of the Tardis is streaming on BBC iPlayer in the UK. No word yet on when or even if Tales of the TARDIS will ever land on Disney+, though the companion bookend scenes have been uploaded by fans to YouTube.
The Doctor likes to watch himself in "Pyramids of Mars."Gatwa's Doctor spends a good chunk of his first scene with Sutekh staring at the classic Tom Baker story in question. Now at first glance, it may seem strange that this supposed memory of the Doctor's looks very much like a BBC production from 1975, complete with camera angles and cuts.
But there's precedent for this, most notably in "Trial of a Time Lord" (1986). In this season-long story, the Doctor (Colin Baker) and his prosecutor the Valeyard (Michael Jayston) argue over multiple new-to-us Doctor adventures while they watch them on a giant projector screen in court. The battered cathode ray tube screen Gatwa is toting at least seems much more Doctor-ish.
How to watch: "Pyramids of Mars" is streaming on BBC iPlayer in the UK and Britbox in the U.S.
Mel misses the Sixth Doctor's unusual outfit. Ncuti Gatwa and Bonnie Langford in "Empire of Death." Credit: Disney+Speaking of Colin Baker, his polka-dot bow tie and his eyesore of a multicolored coat is front and center in the Memory TARDIS — which explains why Melanie Bush (Bonnie Langford) has a nostalgic moment when she sees them.
Mel was introduced in "Trial of a Time Lord," but lost that version of the Doctor in the very next story when he regenerated into the Seventh Doctor, Sylvester McCoy. Was this her way of saying McCoy should have kept the coat?
The Doctor has history with spoons... and whistles.The spoon that the Doctor procures on a distant planet is far from the first to appear in the show. McCoy's Doctor, like McCoy himself, liked to play the spoons. Peter Capaldi's Doctor once dueled Robin Hood in a wonderfully silly spoon-on-sword fight. And Jodie Whittaker's Doctor melted Sheffield steel spoons to make her sonic screwdriver.
But that's nothing compared to the Doctor's love of (literal) dog whistles. He used one many times in the Tom Baker era, sometimes to summon his robot dog K-9 and sometimes to incapacitate or annoy military figures and officials. The fact that it was a dog whistle should have been a clue to the Doctor's plan to drag Sutekh through the Time Vortex like Mitt Romney with the family dog.
The Beatles teased the ending of "Empire of Death." The Beatles in "The Devil's Chord." Credit: Disney+"My dog is alive, he's not dead," the Beatles sang earlier in the season, in "The Devil's Chord." At the time it was seen merely as doggerel (pun very much intended), an indication that the world had lost its musical mojo. But the giant invisible dog-headed deity sitting outside the TARDIS on Abbey Road knew differently. If only the Doctor had listened to the Beatles!
Sutekh is cultural appropriation.Speaking of the dog-headed alien deity, why did he just happen to look like the Egyptian god named Sutekh? "Cultural appropriation," says the Doctor — a timely reversal of an outdated Who trope.
In "Pyramids of Mars," Tom Baker's Doctor says Sutekh was so evil that cultures across the universe designed their gods to look like him — which is, y'know, a bit dismissive of thousands of years of ancient Egyptian history. So it's fitting that the first Doctor actor born in Africa (Gatwa is Rwandan-Scottish) gets to stand up for the dignity of the continent's oldest civilization.
73 yards is the radius of the TARDIS' perception filter! Aneurin Barnard as Roger ap Gwilliam in "73 Yards." Credit: Disney+Sutekh created all those Susans at the edge of the TARDIS' perception filter — which the Doctor reveals to be a distance of 66.7 meters. Ruby remembers that this is 73 yards. Which is of course the name of this season's episode in which an older version of her follows Ruby at this distance for her entire life until she breaks a time loop, erasing her memory of the entire story.
In "73 Yards," UNIT commander Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) postulated that the mystery stalker had something to do with the TARDIS' perception filter. (Confirmed!) That's also the distance of the CCTV camera that recorded the events on Ruby Road seen in "The Legend of Ruby Sunday."
We also see Roger ap Gwilliam (Aneurin Barnard), the future fascist Prime Minister from "73 Yards," whose genetic database allowed Ruby to find her mum. But that raises a terrifying prospect: if the time loop is broken, and Ruby's stalker no longer scares Gwilliam into resigning, and Sutekh restored the lives of everyone in that future Britain, does that mean the nuclear-mad PM gets to launch his missiles after all?
More Doctor Who planets than ever got a shout-out.Skaro, home of the Daleks. Telos, home of the Cybermen. (Well, one of their homes — long story.) The Ood Sphere, home of the Ood. These are just some of the planet that get a shoutout from the Doctor as Sutekh inadvertently restores life to all of them. (Agua Santina, the planet with the woman with the spoon and the baby, is entirely new.)
The others are pretty deep cuts, to put it mildly. Only two are from the New Who era: Messaline from "The Doctor's Daughter" and Shan Shen from "Turn Left." The others are all classic show locations: Vortis from "The Web Planet", Tigella from "Meglos," Calufrax from "The Pirate Planet," Spiridon from "Planet of the Daleks."
You could probably watch all these stories, but you might have to be an ancient god wrapped around a TARDIS to have that kind of time on your hands.
How to watch: All Gatwa's first season of Doctor Who is on Disney+, where available, and on BBC iPlayer in the UK.
Joshua John Miller's The Exorcism, which he co-wrote with partner M.A. Fortin, is not your average summer scare-'em-up. Instead, it's a spiky subversion of the possession subgenre, a talky psychological drama starring Russell Crowe as a washed-up actor attempting to make a comeback with a remake of an unnamed exorcism movie — that sure sounds a lot like The Exorcist. Anthony Miller (Crowe) is also trying to reconnect with his queer teen daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins). But can Lee forgive him when he seems to be off the wagon yet again? Or is there something far more devilish at work here?
In an interview with Mashable, Fortin and Miller shared about their battle to keep The Exorcism queer, the personal origins that inspired the film, and why they don't believe in the curse of The Exorcist.
The Exorcism was born from Miller's family legacy. Credit: Vertical EntertainmentExorcism stories are a dime a dozen these days, from the endless Exorcist sequels to Evil's recurring possession plotlines. But if there's a filmmaker who could put a unique spin on the subgenre, it's director Joshua John Miller, who has been steeping in cult cinema since he was in utero.
Miller's father was Jason Miller, who made a splash as Father Karras in The Exorcist and regaled his young son with tales from the set. His mother, Susan Bernard, was a B-movie icon, with starring roles in films like the seminal Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! and fans that include Quentin Tarantino. While Bernard inspired Miller and Fortin's script for 2015's The Final Girls, a deliciously nostalgia-soaked horror comedy that recalls Miller's own experience watching his mom as a scream queen, Jason Miller's legacy proved a pricklier point of inspiration.
As Miller explained, "I think, with this particular story, it's not like The Final Girls ... the relationship with my mom was not as complicated, whereas with my dad, it was far more fraught. And I think in certain ways, his own 'possessions and demons' were a lot darker and a lot harder for him to reconcile."
Although Jason Miller was rightfully lauded by critics and movie lovers for his performance as the harrowed Father Karras, he failed to achieve similar heights when he adapted and directed his own Pulitzer Prize–winning play, That Championship Season, for the big screen. Instead, the elder Miller found refuge in local theater productions. But he appeared in a few movies, including William Peter Blatty's tormented The Exorcist 3, before dying at the relatively young age of 62 in 2001. It is a legacy that's also influenced Joshua's half-brother, Jason Patric, who performed in a Broadway revival of That Championship Season in 2011.
For his part, as a child, Miller appeared in the trippy slasher Halloween III: Season of the Witch and the punkest vampire Western this side of the Pecos, Kathryn Bigelow's Near Dark, in which he played a feral pint-sized fanger named Homer. And, as TikTok won't let us forget, he was also the campy little brother in Teen Witch, a performance, he told Peaches Christ and Michael Varrati in a recent episode of their Midnight Mass podcast, was inspired by Bette Davis in Now, Voyager and Gena Rowlands in A Woman Under the Influence. In an oddly sweet nod to Near Dark, Miller's co-star Adrian Pasdar has a devilishly good pre-credits cameo in The Exorcism.
Turning the tables on the gender roles of possession movies was the way in for Miller and Fortin. Credit: Vertical EntertainmentThe Exorcist, and many other possession movies over, present a damsel in (devilish) distress, with a man — often a Catholic priest — rushing into save her. However, The Exorcism centers not on Anthony (who can be viewed as a stand-in for Miller's own father) but the character's daughter, Lee Miller (Ryan Simpkins), who is still reeling from the death of her mother — and her father's public fall from grace. Lee's also falling for Anthony's co-star, Blake (Chloe Bailey), who is the stand-in for Linda Blair. Their relationship is sweet and untroubled, and together, the two teens set out to help save Tony from whatever demons he's facing.
Focusing the story on Lee and Blake was the key for both Miller and Fortin. "The kind of genre that we always gravitated toward was more female-forward," Fortin explained, "Women driving the action, women being the ones trying to figure out their own destiny, women just being the heroes. Possession movies — or at least most possession movies — historically are mostly about female subjugation, women being defenseless creatures." By making their women the center of the story, the collaborators inherently drew on some of Miller's own experiences as a child growing up near the Hollywood spotlight.
However, pulling from his own life means doing press about the movie can be painful. "I didn't realize what I was getting myself into," Miller said, adding, "Not just the making of a movie — and that Herculean effort — but even just doing press about the movie… Let's talk about your dead father for 12 hours every day. Let's talk about alcoholism for 12 hours every day, you know? Let's talk about addictions; let's talk about all of the sorts of things that you would probably save for your therapist."
Did Joshua John Miller have to confront The Exorcist curse? Credit: Vertical EntertainmentAlmost as old as the 1973 film is the fan theory that it was cursed. Miller doesn't fall prey to those sorts of superstitions. "I don't believe in that stuff," he said, concisely. However, that doesn't mean filmmaking isn't a sort of deal with the devil, in and of itself.
"What I do believe is that evil exists in people, and I think that making movies is always a complicated game," Miller explained. "In the Hollywood movie system, you're always in strange negotiation with various elements, people who are probably morally compromised. It's just the nature of the world we're in, right? And I think that the only cursed experiences I really had during this — were with some of the people I had to work with in the process."
Miller noted he had to battle to keep in the queer love story between Lee and Blake and to maintain the psychological element. He noted there was pressure to turn his film into "a more sort of typical exorcism movie," adding, "These sorts of eternal struggles with a studio were the parts that were the most challenging. Not any kind of woo-woo magical thing happening on the set."
When the conversation turned to the rise of studio-made horror and its flood of remakes, Miller said, "Horror used to be a really transgressive space. It was not commodified by the studio system. It was not run by people looking for money..."
Here, Fortin interjected, "It was like porn—"
Miller agreed: "It was taboo. And suddenly what's happened is that some smart people, some also really brilliant, creative people, have found a way to commercialize a queer space, an underground space, a space for the kids outside smoking the cigarettes, doing bad things. And now horror has become this Marvelverse." He lamented horror being dumbed down to go mainstream to "get the most people in," continuing, "It's bullshit, because it's defanged."
Miller yearns for "the B[-movie] element of horror that's dirty and messy and doesn't necessarily work as a whole as well, but it's got cool elements, and then like weird, uncomfortable trauma stuff, like these are the things that kept it queer and strange and off the grid." He concluded, "[Horror cinema has] been commodified and neutered, and like everything in [the film industry], everything's bottom-line — money, money, money, money."
UPDATE: Jun. 21, 2024, 4:00 p.m. EDT This guide has been updated to include new streaming details for Prime Video, as well as information on 'Oppenheimer's' Oscars wins.
The best ways to watch 'Oppenheimer' at a glance: BEST ON-DEMAND OPTION Rent or buy on digital $3.99 or $14.99 at Apple TV Get Deal BEST STREAMING OPTION FOR MOST PEOPLE Prime Video only $8.99 per month Get Deal BEST FOR NEW PRIME MEMBERS Prime Membership Free 30-day trial, then $14.99 per month Get Deal BEST FOR STUDENTS Prime Student Free 6-month trial, then $69 per year Get Deal BEST LONG-TERM VIEWING OPTION Prime Annual $139 per year (save 22%) Get DealThe summer of 2023 can be summed up in one word: Barbenheimer. Even if you didn't step foot near a theater, you heard about the cult-like phenomenon that was the joint theatrical release of Barbie and Oppenheimer. Both films far exceeded box office expectations and made waves during awards season. Oppenheimer, in particular, earned a baker's dozen Oscar nominations — the most of any film last season — and won seven. Not to mention it took home the biggest award of the night: Best Picture.
If you missed the ambitious Christopher Nolan epic in theaters, you can catch up on the brooding blockbuster at home. Oppenheimer initially made its streaming debut on Feb. 16 via Peacock. As of June 18, however, it jumped ship to Prime Video. True devotees also have the option to rent or purchase the film at digital retailers.
Whether you want to see it for the first time or re-watch it again and again, here's everything you need to know about how to watch Oppenheimer at home.
What is Oppenheimer about?Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning non-fiction book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Nolan's Oppenheimer is an unsettling biopic that centers on the career of the "father of the atomic bomb."
Cillian Murphy stars as physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who is appointed by Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves Jr. (Matt Damon) to work on the U.S. government's top-secret Manhattan Project — aka developing and designing the atomic bomb. The story is told through interwoven timelines across decades and features a star-studded cast playing historical figures, including Robert Downey Jr., Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, Benny Safdie, David Krumholtz, Matthew Modine, David Dastmalchian, Jack Quaid, Dane DeHaan, Jason Clarke, James D'Arcy, Tony Goldwyn, Alex Wolff, and Kenneth Branagh.
In case you missed it, here's the full theatrical trailer:
Is Oppenheimer worth watching?If the seven Oscar wins and $975 million worldwide box office earnings are any indication, Oppenheimer is can't miss cinema. Not to mention the 93% critic rating and 91% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film is ambitious, haunting, and unforgettable, which is why we dubbed it one of the best films of 2023. Mashable's Belen Edwards calls it "Nolan's finest and most devastating work yet."
"In typical Nolan fashion, Oppenheimer is epic in scope, delivering jaw-dropping shots of New Mexico vistas, dancing particles, and of course, the fateful Trinity Test. But it's the film's third act that hits the hardest, as the weight of the Manhattan Project reverberates through time, extending past Oppenheimer's life and into our present. With an unflinching focus on Oppenheimer's flaws and a haunting lead performance from Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer becomes part tragedy, part horror movie, and entirely unforgettable," she writes in our guide to the best movies of 2023.
It certainly has its flaws — Nolan's depictions of women, the bleeding soundscape, and a troubling omission of Japanese perspectives — as pointed out by Mashable's Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko. But for the most part, the film is a major achievement.
Read Mashable's full review of Oppenheimer.
Is Oppenheimer streaming?Oppenheimer initially debuted on Peacock back in February, but as of June 21, it's now available to stream on Prime Video instead. Already have a Prime Video subscription? You're good to go. If not, continue scrolling to learn the best ways to sign up and stream Oppenheimer at home.
How to watch Oppenheimer at home: Best streaming dealsYou'll need an active Amazon Prime membership or standalone Prime Video subscription in order to watch Oppenheimer at home. While there aren't too many Prime Video deals floating around compared to other streaming services, we've managed to round up the best options you have to save a bit of money.
Best Prime Video deal for newbies: Free 30-day trial Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Prime membership Free 30-day trial Get DealIf you've never been a Prime member before, or you're returning after some time away, Amazon will offer you a free 30-day trial to test the waters. That's plenty of time to watch Oppenheimer (despite how long the movie is). After your trial, you'll be charged full price ($14.99 per month or $139 per year), so be sure to cancel before the month is up if you want to avoid charges.
Best Prime Video deal for students: Save 50% through Prime Student Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Prime Student Free 6-month trial, then $69 per year Get DealStudents can score a free six-month trial to Prime via Prime Student. You just need a verifiable student email address and you can unlock access to all of the Prime perks (plus more), including Prime Video. That means you can stream Oppenheimer for free as many times as you want over a six-month period. When your trial ends, it'll only cost you half the price of a regular Prime membership — just $69 per year or $7.49 per month.
Note: You'll have to prove you're actually a current student through SheerID, so your ancient student email address won't work.
Best for everyone else: Prime Video only Opens in a new window Credit: Prime Video Prime Video only $8.99 per month Get DealNot eligible for a free trial or discounted Prime Student membership? You probably won't be able to watch Oppenheimer for free. You can, however, save some money on your subscription by opting for Prime Video as a standalone service (rather than paying for a full Prime account). A full Prime membership costs $14.99 per month, but Prime Video on its own is just $8.99 per month. It may not be as good as a free trial, but it certainly beats paying full Prime pricing for the streaming aspect alone.
The thing is, Amazon obviously would rather you become a Prime member, which means signing up for Prime Video alone is unnecessarily complicated. Basically, when you go to sign up for a subscription, just be sure to select the option to "see more plans" or "change plan" and navigate to the Prime Video only option. Like a Prime membership, you can always cancel whenever you please with no strings.
Best long-term value: Amazon Prime annual membership Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Prime annual membership $139 per year (save 22%) Get DealIf you do want all the Prime membership perks, you could choose an annual membership rather than monthly to save about 22%. Rather than the usual $14.99 per month, it'll cost you $139 per year — that breaks down to just $11.58 per month. You'll get access to Prime Video to watch Oppenheimer, as well as all the other Prime perks, like fast and free shipping, free Grubhub+, access to Amazon Music, and exclusive deals and savings for an entire year. If you're currently on the monthly plan and want to switch and save, navigate to your Prime membership under your account details to change your plan.
Other ways to watch Oppenheimer at homeIf you'd prefer not to sign up for another streaming service just to watch a single film — albeit, a very long one — you can also opt for renting or purchasing Oppenheimer on digital video on demand services like Prime Video or Apple TV for $3.99 or $14.99, respectively. With rentals, you'll get 30 days to start watching and just 48 hours to finish once started. For those who struggle to watch things within that time frame, you'll likely be better off purchasing the film for your digital library instead.
Here are all the links to rent or purchase the film on digital:
OpenAI has made its first acquisition and it's an analytics startup called Rockset.
The ChatGPT maker announced the deal on Friday, saying "we will integrate Rockset’s technology to power our retrieval infrastructure across products." The company also said members of Rockset's team will join OpenAI.
SEE ALSO: All the media companies that have licensing deals with OpenAI (so far)As the ongoing battle to build the most capable AI models rages on, OpenAI seeks to gain a competitive edge against rivals like Google and Anthropic.
Details of how Rockset's real-time search and analytics database will integrate with OpenAI's products are unclear (as is the sum OpenAI is paying to acquire Rockset). But OpenAI has an Enterprise model for businesses, which could benefit from data querying and analysis in chatbot form. OpenAI is also rumored to be working on a search engine, so the acquisition of a company that enables real-time data retrieval could point to ChatGPT becoming a formidable competitor to Google Search. Then there's the OpenAI API, which could be improved through more or better data analysis tools.
"We’re excited to be joining OpenAI to empower users, enterprises and developers to fully leverage their data by bringing powerful retrieval to AI, said Venkat Venkataramani, CEO of Rockset. So it could mean bringing Rockset's tech into all of the above.
In the Rockset announcement, Venkataramani also mentioned that Rockset will be "helping OpenAI solve the hard database problems that AI apps face at massive scale." This points to the increasingly evident problem of supplying AI models with high quality data and ensuring proper alignment.
Stay tuned as there's sure to be more details emerging soon.
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