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TL;DR: Unblock TNAFlix from anywhere in the world with a VPN. The best service for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.

Your access to porn sites is often restricted, which is probably a good thing. However, there is a time and a place for everything. And when the time is right, you shouldn't have to put up with online restrictions.

If you're looking for the best way to unblock porn sites like TNAFlix from anywhere in the world, we have the information you need.

How to unblock TNAFlix for free

VPNs can unblock porn sites by connecting you to secure servers in other locations.

VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in another location, bypassing geo-restrictions to secure access to porn sites like TNAFlix from anywhere in the world. This might sound complicated, but you can unblock your favorite porn sites in just a few simple steps:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that supports access to TNAFlix

4. Visit TNAFlix

5. Watch TNAFlix content from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-year subscription + 3 months free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for unblocking porn sites are not free, but most do offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By taking advantage of these offers, you can unblock porn sites and then recover your investment at a later date. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it works well if you're traveling or temporarily away from home.

If you want to retain permanent access to sites like TNAFlix from anywhere in the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for bypassing online restrictions is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for porn?

ExpressVPN is the top choice when it comes to unblocking porn sites like TNAFlix, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

• Strict no-logging policy

• Fast streaming 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.

Unblock TNAFlix for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Unblock Kick from anywhere in the world with a VPN. The best service for unblocking Kick is ExpressVPN.

There are times in life when you won't be able to access your favorite sites. In these moments, you should really consider using a VPN. These handy tools can bypass restrictions to secure access to everything the online world has to offer. And you shouldn't need to spend anything.

If you're looking for the best way to unblock Kick for free from anywhere in the world, we have the information you need.

How to unblock Kick for free

VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other locations. This process bypasses geo-restrictions so that you can access Kick from anywhere in the world. The process is actually really straightforward.

Access Kick from anywhere in the world in just a few simple steps:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that supports access to Kick

4. Access Kick from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-year subscription + 3 months free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for unblocking sites like Kick are not free, but most do offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By taking advantage of these offers, you can retain access to your favorite sites without spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it works well if you're traveling or temporarily away from home.

What is the best VPN for Kick?

ExpressVPN is the top choice when it comes to unblocking sites like Kick, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

• Strict no-logging policy

• Fast streaming 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.

Unblock Kick for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Watch Seattle Storm vs. Connecticut Sun in the WNBA with WNBA League Pass. Avoid blackouts and watch the WNBA from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

We're getting close to the WNBA playoffs, which means teams are more determined than ever to earn a postseason place. Connecticut Sun have already clinched a playoff spot, while Seattle Storm are close, but not quite there yet.

What's exciting about this game is that both team sits near the top of their respective conferences. Ultimately, they're two of the best performing squads this season. The action should be fast and furious, particularly with Seattle out to prove themselves.

Fortunately, we have all information you need to watch Seattle Storm vs. Connecticut Sun in the WNBA for free, no matter where you are around the world.

When is Seattle Storm vs. Connecticut Sun?

Seattle Storm vs. Connecticut Sun in the WNBA starts at 1 p.m. ET on Sept. 1. This fixture takes place at the Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

How to watch Seattle Storm vs. Connecticut Sun

Basketball fans can watch Seattle Storm vs. Connecticut Sun plus the remainder of the WNBA 2024 season from anywhere in the world with a WNBA League Pass.

It's worth noting that the WNBA League Pass doesn't show locally televised games live in the participating teams' local areas. But you can bypass this restriction by using a VPN. A VPN is a useful online tool that can hide your real IP address (digital location) and then connect you with secure servers in other locations, enabling you to watch every WNBA League Pass game live, excluding games on Amazon Prime Video.

To access every WNBA League Pass game, follow these easy steps:

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

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

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location with no broadcast deals for the WNBA

4. Log in to WNBA League Pass

5. Stream every WNBA game live (except games hosted by Amazon Prime Video)

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal What is the best VPN for the WNBA?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for hiding your real IP address and streaming more sport, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

• 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 $99.95 but for a limited time only. This deal — 49% off — includes an extra three months for free, along with a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Stream Seattle Storm vs. Connecticut Sun in the WNBA from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Manchester United vs. Liverpool in the Premier League for free with a seven-day trial of Fubo. Access Fubo from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

After a promising victory over Fulham in the first round of Premier League fixtures, Manchester United suffered a disappointing defeat to Brighton last weekend. And it certainly doesn't get any easier for Manchester United, because Liverpool are coming to town on the back of two impressive wins.

If you want to watch Manchester United vs. Liverpool in the Premier League for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Manchester United vs. Liverpool?

Manchester United vs. Liverpool in the Premier League kicks off at 11 a.m. ET on Sept. 1. This fixture takes place at Old Trafford.

How to watch Manchester United vs. Liverpool for free

Manchester United vs. Liverpool is available to live stream for free with a seven-day trial of Fubo.

Fubo offers coverage of all 380 matches of the 2024-25 Premier League season in Canada, but anyone can access this package with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Canada, meaning you can unblock free live streams of the Premier League from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2024-25 Premier League by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Sign up for a seven-day free trial of Fubo

5. Watch Manchester United vs. Liverpool in the Premier League for free from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Manchester United vs. Liverpool in the Premier League without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream this weekend's Premier League fixtures before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the Premier League?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Canada

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Live stream Manchester United vs. Liverpool in the Premier League for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League for free with a seven-day trial of Fubo. Access Fubo from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Another weekend, another round of Premier League fixtures. There are a number of intriguing matchups this weekend, but Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur might be the best. Both teams have picked up four points so far, but something has got to give at St. James' Park.

If you want to watch Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Newcastle United vs. Spurs?

Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League kicks off at 8:30 a.m. ET on Sept. 1. This fixture takes place at St. James' Park.

How to watch Newcastle United vs. Spurs for free

Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur is available to live stream for free with a seven-day trial of Fubo.

Fubo offers coverage of all 380 matches of the 2024-25 Premier League season in Canada, but anyone can access this package with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Canada, meaning you can unblock free live streams of the Premier League from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2024-25 Premier League by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Sign up for a seven-day free trial of Fubo

5. Watch Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League for free from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream this weekend's Premier League fixtures before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the Premier League?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Canada

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Live stream Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace in the Premier League for free with a seven-day trial of Fubo. Access Fubo from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Crystal Palace have not made a strong start to their Premier League campaign. Two defeats from two games leaves the Eagles desperate to take something from their upcoming game at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea recovered from an opening day defeat to win comfortably against Wolves in the second round of fixtures, and will be looking to build on that positive result this weekend.

If you want to watch Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace in the Premier League for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace?

Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace in the Premier League kicks off at 8:30 a.m. ET on Sept. 1. This fixture takes place at Stamford Bridge.

How to watch Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace for free

Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace is available to live stream for free with a seven-day trial of Fubo.

Fubo offers coverage of all 380 matches of the 2024-25 Premier League season in Canada, but anyone can access this package with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Canada, meaning you can unblock free live streams of the Premier League from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2024-25 Premier League by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Sign up for a seven-day free trial of Fubo

5. Watch Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace in the Premier League for free from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace in the Premier League without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream this weekend's Premier League fixtures before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the Premier League?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Canada

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Live stream Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace in the Premier League for free with ExpressVPN.

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 August 30's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

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

Tweet may have been deleted

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

Tweet may have been deleted

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for September 1 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Heat up

• Green: Lobe is one

• Blue: Dark shades

• Purple: Not mentioned: Software for pairing with hardware

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

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

• Yellow: COOK IN A PAN

• Green: PARTS OF THE EAR

• Blue: SHADES OF BLACK

• Purple: WHERE YOU MIGHT FIND A "DRIVER"

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #448 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• COOK IN A PAN - BROWN, CHAR, GRILL, SEAR

• PARTS OF THE EAR - ANVIL, CANAL, DRUM, HAMMER

• SHADES OF BLACK - CHARCOAL, JET, RAVEN, SABLE

• WHERE YOU MIGHT FIND A "DRIVER" - GOLF BAG, LIMOUSINE, MOVIE SET, TOOLBOX

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.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

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 August 30's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable 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.

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.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for September 1 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Not hard.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no reoccurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter M.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

MUSHY.

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.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

The year is 1983. Talk radio host Alan Berg (Marc Maron) is on the Colorado airwaves comically dressing down racist callers, while elsewhere across the Pacific Northwest, a series of armed robberies becomes a matter of concern — even more than usual — because of possible white supremacist ties. This is the backdrop of The Order, Justin Kurzel's highly engrossing (if politically slight) police story, in which fictitious FBI officer Terry Husk (Jude Law) begins pulling on real-world threads with disturbingly modern implications.

Written by Zach Baylin, the film is based on Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt's late-'80s nonfiction book The Silent Brotherhood, which tells of a real white supremacist splinter group known as "the Order" (or "the Silent Brotherhood"), whose concerns with preserving white supremacy led them to meticulous acts of terror. It is, first and foremost, an incredibly fun movie, even if "fun" may not seem like the right approach for such volatile material.

This is, in part, because Kurzel finally discards his perpetually dour cinematic mindset, and replaces it with the thrills and frills of a Hollywood action drama. However, the film's success is also owed to Law's central performance as a lonely, no-nonsense cop for whom the work comes first, even if it drives him up the wall, and keeps him constantly on the verge of explosion.

What is The Order about? Credit: Vertical Entertainment

Within its opening minutes, The Order depicts the dueling danger and ridiculousness of white supremacy, thanks to Maron's distinctly Maron-esque version of Berg, a Jewish radio personality who fields calls from frustrated bigots looking for an outlet. His sharp and witty barbs can be heard even before the first images appear, though once they do, they present a stark contrast to this lively soundtrack. In the dead of night, a pair of neo-Nazis guns down one of their own for talking too much about their plans.

Berg is only shown on-screen a handful of times, but his show is the film's de facto narrator, appearing at a handful intervals to remind us of the everyday form that antisemitism and white supremacy can take. While this makes for necessary comic relief, it's also a vital contrast. Much of the movie depicts the more far-flung extremes of white supremacy, through fringe militias ready and willing to take violent action, but the recurrence of Berg's voice keeps the Overton window from shifting too greatly; he reminds us that his easily dismissed callers and the movie's armed factions bloom from the same seed.

Those familiar with Berg's life will know how his story eventually intersects with that of the Order — a disorienting instance of narrator and narrative coming into contact — but outside of this moment, the movie mostly tells the story of two people. The first is Husk, appropriately named for his new lot in life after putting in for a transfer. The temperamental agent sits in the FBI's sparse Idaho branch, waiting for his wife and children to join him, though they may as well be phantoms. He's empty, and has nothing but the job.

The movie's second major character is Robert Jay Matthews (Nicholas Hoult), who goes by Bob; he leads the Order through planning and pulling off armed robberies in order to fund a weapons stockpile. In contrast to Husk, Bob is charismatic, well-liked and always surrounded by people. The neo-Nazis he recruits consider him a brother. He has a wife and son at home, and even a pregnant mistress. Right from its basic premise, The Order establishes the allure of his cult: community and togetherness.

Husk, upon spotting suspicious "white pride" flyers around town, makes inquiries at the local sheriff's office, though no one seems concerned except for rookie cop Jamie Bowen (Tye Sheridan), who more willingly spots these red flags since he has mixed race children, and is married to woman of color (Morgan Holmstrom, an actress of First Nations and Filipina ethnicity). With Bowen's help, Husk begins making inquiries around town in the hopes to identifying the group's ringleader, but Bob is always one step ahead, leading to a an exhilarating cat-and-mouse game involving deviously enjoyable heists and shootouts, albeit at the cost of examining the more challenging corners of its subject matter.

The Order takes a functional approach to white supremacy. Credit: Vertical Entertainment

As a period-specific film about a white supremacist cult, The Order resembles Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman at a distance, down to their use of shifting comedic and dramatic tones, urging viewers to take even the most ludicrous facets of white supremacy seriously. Distinguishing them is, of course, the fact that Lee's film was about infiltration from within, while Kurzel's is more of a chase — and the fact that Black experiences and perspectives are central to BlacKkKlansman.

The Order doesn't necessarily have to follow the same path — its one Black FBI agent, played by Jurnee Smollett, delivers forceful dialogue but is mostly perfunctory — though it often leaves material on the table. BlacKkKlansman was by no means an exposé on white supremacy within policing (Lee has been criticized for this), but its haunting conclusion suggests that even the heroic actions of its Black police detective have done little to stymie the rise of American neo-Nazism in the long term. The Order avoids the question of race within policing altogether — the concept barely seems to exist outside of the confines of the cult — but these shortcomings also help streamline The Order, making it a worthwhile pulp procedural.  

The film's approach to white supremacy is best labeled "utilitarian." Little by way of action or dialogue works to unearth the group's underlying ideology — neo-Nazi characters discuss America no longer being "our country," and hint at the economic downturn that may have driven them into Bob's open arms — but The Order has an intense an unrelenting focus on the white supremacist playbook. Which is to say: The Order prominently features The Turner Diaries, William Luther Pierce's 1978 neo-Nazi novel that lays out a detailed plan to overthrow the U.S. government, culminating in "The Day of the Rope," i.e. the hanging of traitors at the U.S. Capitol.

If this fiction is eerily reminiscent of the January 6, 2021 insurrection, that's no coincidence. The Turner Diaries has long informed white supremacist rhetoric in America, as well as QAnon-like conspiracy theories. The book and its pages appear throughout the film, both as a blueprint for Bob and a not-so-subtle clue for Husk and Bowen, who use its pages to convince the FBI to divert its resources to taking down the Order. In centering the book to this degree, the film becomes a premonition of sorts, a warning that events which have recently come to pass — and might again, in the near future — don't exist in a vacuum.

The Order is Kurzel's most accomplished piece of filmmaking. Credit: Vertical Entertainment

There's an argument to be made that The Order is a B-movie in the body of a prestigious "issue" drama. There's just as valid an argument that it's Kurzel's best movie, a metamorphosis akin to the last decade of M. Night Shyamalan's career — which include films like The Visit, Glass, Old, and Trap — in that both filmmakers have finally gotten out of their own way and embraced cinematic "trash."

Kurzel's films have, for the most part, been steeped in grief and death. This has led to some intriguing experiments, like his 2015 Macbeth adaptation, in which Lady Macbeth's plot is born out of mourning the loss of a child (the film, while pleasing to the eye, is far too long). On the other hand, it has also led to oddities like 2016's Assassin's Creed, a video game movie that forgets to have fun. With The Order, Kurzel remembers that fun is still possible even within macabre confines, and he shoulders Law with embodying this energetic paradox.

Law's character, Husk, is a sad sack on the verge of madness. His "bad cop" routine is his baseline, and though he doesn't bounce off the walls like, say, Nicolas Cage in Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, he belongs in the same conversation. His nose bleeds at regular intervals (due to his medication, he claims), though at one point, when he's particularly eager to "lean on" a suspect, he does so quite literally, going freak-mode during an impromptu interrogation and bleeding all over him. It's wildly silly, though thank God for Law's refusal to artificially repair his hairline; the actor's widow's peak not only makes Husk a more realistic presence, but a more menacing one as well.

In contrast, Hoult crafts Bob as a charming, measured, and ostensibly "regular" guy. He would be downright affable, were it not for the Nazi swastikas in his garage. While Husk and Bob have few on-screen meetings, their dichotomy is discomforting. Hoult — who's playing Lex Luthor in James Gunn's just-wrapped Superman: Legacy — plays his neo-Nazi character as though he were a Boy Scout, like Superman. Meanwhile, Law's approach to his altruistic, obsessive lawman can be oddly frightening, as though joining the Order had borne more immediate fruits and payoffs than trying to bring them down; you can see why people join. 

However, this upside-down approach to hero and villain also plants the seeds for a typically Kurzel turn. In the film's final act, the unrelenting fatalism of his films like Nitram, True History of the Kelly Gang, and The Snowtown Murders returns with a vengeance, as though he couldn't resist the delayed gratification. Only this time, rather than adding mere texture, the late arrival of this tonal despondency feels earned, as if an extension of these characters' lives. It's reminiscent of Michael Mann's Heat, in that Husk and Bob are men so driven and obsessed with their goals that they push everyone away in the process.

The Order seldom slows down, skillfully building to each new action crescendo with the help of Jed Kurzel's rumbling, unrelentingly energetic score. It may not have anything novel to say about race in America — whether then or now — but its broad reminders of the mechanics of neo-Nazi terror feel mostly justified by the movie's brisk, deftly modulated pace. That it's an action movie in the body of something more "prestigious" or important ought to feel insulting, but really, it's been the key to Kurzel's necessary transformation all along.

The Order was reviewed was reviewed out of its world premiere at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival. It will open in select theaters Dec. 6.

The platform went dark across Brazil on Saturday, sending online commentators to new digital town squares.

Brazil is serious about this ban of Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter).

After banning the social network within its borders, one nugget in the New York Times' report about the story stands out: Anyone who tries to access X in Brazil using technical workarounds like VPNs will be fined substantially. To be more specific, those people could be fined as much as nearly $9,000 per day for using X in Brazil.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk's X is now banned in Brazil

While a large country's supreme court banning a social network may sound excessive (as if such a thing could happen here), the story of how it happened doesn't exactly paint X and Musk in a positive light. Brazil's government ordered the site to stop hosting disinformation, Musk called it "censorship," and eventually things escalated from there. On Wednesday of this week, X (which shut down its Brazil operations earlier this year) was ordered by Brazil to appoint a legal representative in the country within 24 hours; X did not do this. As such, X is now banned in Brazil.

And if you try to get around that ban, you'll have to pay up. Be careful.

With Boeing's troubled spaceship deemed too risky to bring its crew home from space, NASA has bumped the two female astronauts set for the next International Space Station rotation to free up seats. 

Zena Cardman, who would have been the SpaceX Crew-9 commander, and Stephanie Wilson were cut from the upcoming crew. NASA astronaut Nick Hague, who would have served as pilot, will shift into the commander role, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will accompany him as mission specialist. 

The decision to reduce the SpaceX Dragon crew from four astronauts to two leaves a pair of seats empty for Boeing Starliner's crew, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, on the return trip. They will ride home with Hague and Gorbunov at the end of the scheduled rotation in February 2025. 

SEE ALSO: The long, thorny history of Boeing's Starliner spaceship Only NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will fly in the SpaceX Crew-9 capsule to the International Space Station this September. Credit: SpaceX

This summer, veteran astronauts Wilmore and Williams have remained in limbo 250 miles above Earth, as NASA leadership and Boeing mission managers discussed whether Starliner was safe to bring them home. During the test flight in June, the crew discovered perplexing propulsion issues on Starliner. 

What should have been an eight-day stint in space for them will now stretch for eight months. 

NASA chief astronaut Joe Acaba said choosing who would stay and who would go on the SpaceX Dragon flight was a tough decision. He had to balance selecting one NASA astronaut with experience to command the flight with preserving a spot for a Roscosmos cosmonaut in order to maintain an integrated crew.

 "Zena and Stephanie will continue to assist their crewmates ahead of launch," Acaba said in a statement. "They exemplify what it means to be a professional astronaut."

The original SpaceX Crew-9, from left: NASA astronaut Stephanie Wilson, Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, and NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Zena Cardman. Credit: NASA / Bill Stafford / Robert Markowitz

Getting Starliner through the testing phase has been a relentless battle for Boeing, though its representatives have not always been forthcoming on why the program has suffered so many setbacks. A string of issues has spanned a decade. 

After the Space Shuttle retired in 2011, NASA hitched all of its rides on Russian rockets to the space station, costing the United States tens of millions of dollars per ride. Some considered it a national embarrassment. 

NASA hired Boeing and SpaceX to build commercial spaceships to carry astronauts to and from the station in 2014. While SpaceX's capsule went into service four years ago, Boeing's Starliner has yet to obtain certification for regular flight operations. NASA never intended to have all its eggs in Elon Musk's basket and says Starliner is still crucial to have as a backup. 

Starliner attached to the International Space Station. Credit: NASA

So long as the weather conditions are good, Starliner will undock from the space station without any passengers on Sept. 6 and will attempt a robotic landing about six hours later, just before midnight on Sept. 7, in a New Mexico desert. The SpaceX Crew-9 capsule bringing up Hague and Gorbunov is expected to launch on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, no earlier than Sept. 24. 

NASA said Cardman and Wilson will be eligible for reassignment to future expeditions.

As the Perseverance rover rumbled over Mars terrain scoping out rocks, seven companies spent the summer trying to figure out how to help NASA bring its samples back to Earth. 

The U.S. space agency's mission to return bits of rock, dust, and even air from the Red Planet, known as Mars Sample Return, is in trouble. An independent review found the unprecedented project would cost upward of $11 billion and take nearly two decades to accomplish. 

Problems with the mission's management came at the worst possible time. Hundreds of scientists and engineers working on the project at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory lost their jobs, taking the brunt of NASA's budget cuts over the past two years.

In a desperate plea, NASA announced that it would solicit proposals from the aerospace industry, in addition to asking its other campuses, for input on how to save the mission. Then in June, NASA selected seven companies out of 48 proposals to flesh out their concepts over the following three months: Lockheed Martin, SpaceX, Blue Origin, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Northrop Grumman, Quantum Space, and Whittinghill Aerospace received up to $1.5 million each to pursue studies.

From repurposing moon landers in development for NASA's Artemis campaign to rethinking the last leg of the journey, the companies have put forward some new strategies and approaches, often involving their own hardware, according to public records reviewed by Mashable.

"Mars Sample Return will be one of the most complex missions NASA has undertaken, and it is critical that we carry it out more quickly, with less risk, and at a lower cost," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson in a statement. "I’m excited to see the vision that these companies, centers and partners present as we look for fresh, exciting, and innovative ideas to uncover great cosmic secrets from the Red Planet."

SEE ALSO: A space company is headed to Mars this fall. No, it's not SpaceX. The Perseverance rover is dropping sets of sample tubes filled with rocks and dirt on the Martian ground for later retrieval. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech

Since landing on Mars in 2021, Perseverance has filled 25 of 38 sample tubes with rocks and dirt. NASA's goal has been to retrieve at least a few of them and get them to Earth in the 2030s. To do that, the agency planned for the rover to deliver the samples to a robotic lander equipped with a rocket. If the rover couldn't make the drive, drones similar to the recently deceased Ingenuity helicopter would pick them up and fly them to a lander.

Once the tubes were in space, an orbiter built by the European Space Agency would bring them some 140 million miles back to Earth. (With both planets constantly moving, their distance is always changing.)

A core of a Martian rock about the size of a piece of chalk within a Perseverance rover drill. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / ASU / MSSS

The pressure to find a solution has only increased since July, when NASA announced that Perseverance had just discovered in an ancient dried-up riverbed a leopard-spotted rock, with features that microbes could have formed billions of years ago, when the planet was warmer and wet. 

Though NASA stopped short of claiming it had found evidence of life, the rover's instruments detected organic compounds within the rock that are, at the least, building blocks for life in this world. But the only way to know for sure whether those compounds came from living creatures or a geological process is to grab a sample and bring it home for a rigorous analysis.

"It's kind of a reminder that no one is going to care if it costs $6 billion or $11 billion if we discover evidence of life beyond Earth for the first time in human history," Casey Dreier, the nonpartisan Planetary Society's senior space policy adviser, told Mashable.

Mars Sample Return would mark humanity's first attempt at launching off another planet. Credit: NASA How private companies would change the mission

A Mashable review of the proposal summaries shows many of the ideas suggested by the seven companies focus on the Mars Ascent Vehicle, the rocket that would blast the samples off Mars and into space — a sign that insiders may have identified the MAV as one of the key problems. The mission would mark humanity's first attempt at launching off another planet. Aerojet Rocketdyne, Whittinghill Aerospace, and Northrop Grumman's proposals all pitch ways to make that rocket — and the lander bringing it down to the surface — lighter and smaller. 

Aerojet Rocketdyne went a step farther, urging that if NASA were to reduce the mass of the Mars rocket, the team could potentially reuse the sky crane landing system that brought the Perseverance and Curiosity rovers to the Martian surface for this mission.

Lockheed Martin is looking into how NASA could model the mission after some of its Discovery and New Frontiers-class planetary missions, according to its proposal, which are cost-capped in the millions-of-dollars range. These relatively frugal missions involve private space company partners and are pre-authorized by Congress, generally making them quicker to develop. 

And, of course, Lockheed thinks it's up to the task. The company said it would assess how replacing government equipment, as well as reducing the number of samples collected, could help drive down costs. Lockheed has a long track record of developing 11 Mars vehicles for the agency in the past, said Lisa May, the company's manager of deep space exploration strategy, in a statement to Mashable. 

"It's kind of a reminder that no one is going to care if it costs $6 billion or $11 billion if we discover evidence of life beyond Earth for the first time in human history."

The newcomer space companies are also part of the mix. Elon Musk's SpaceX wants Starship to be incorporated somehow into the mission architecture, and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin is looking into how NASA could leverage the company's own Artemis moon lander, dubbed Blue Moon. Either spacecraft could potentially carry a heavier load than the lander and rocket in development, ensuring the agency wouldn't have to make difficult choices about which samples to leave behind on the Red Planet.   

While most of the concepts seem to be centered on cost savings in the samples' retrieval, Quantum Space's proposal seeks to redesign a much later part of the journey. Its plan would involve a handoff of the samples from the European orbiter to Quantum's own moon-orbiting spacecraft that would eventually drop the samples over Earth for a Utah desert landing. The company is calling this its "anchor leg concept" — a way to cut back on near-term costs of the mission, according to Quantum. 

"The use of our commercially developed spacecraft to achieve one of the highest priority goals in solar system exploration exemplifies a successful private-public partnership," said Ben Reed, Quantum's co-founder and CIO, in a statement. "Our sleeves are rolled up, and we’re ready to dive in!"

The Perseverance rover on Mars uses tools to bore holes in rocks to collect samples. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / ASU Why Mars Sample Return is in jeopardy

NASA and the broader scientific community have pushed for Mars rocks since 1978, after the success of the Viking mission, said Dreier of The Planetary Society. 

In order to insulate Mars Sample Return from inconsistent support from Congress, NASA designed and organized this science endeavor like it would a human spaceflight program, with its development spread across all NASA campuses and jobs posted throughout the country. But that approach apparently resulted in in-fighting, he said: Changes to one vehicle or phase of the mission at one NASA center would then have cascading repercussions, necessitating redesigns on other parts being developed at other centers. 

And with a lack of big-picture messaging on the significance of the mission, Mars Sample Return never enjoyed the sort of political buy-in that, for example, kept lawmakers focused on getting moon missions to the finish line in the past, Dreier said. But he's cautiously optimistic that NASA's desire to address the issues now will get the project back on track.

"NASA's trying to find ways to break through the bureaucratic management inertia that had settled on the program, that was just dragging it down," he said. "I think this is a near-death experience that might shake everyone out of complacency."

Imagine not eating for half a year.

For the Alaskan bears of Katmai National Park and Preserve, the long winter famine always looms large. So they eat. And eat. And attempt to grow profoundly fat, because they must subsist off their fat stores for months. That's why, in this wild northern realm, a fat bear is a healthy bear.

One of the largest and most dominant bears of Katmai's Brooks River — a salmon-clogged region of the park that's livestreamed on explore.org — is bear 32, "Chunk." As a large dominant bear, he earns access to the most productive fishing spots, allowing an already large bear to grow huge.

"By all ursine measures, Chunk has been successful. He's perhaps the largest bear at Brooks River," Mike Fitz, a former Katmai park ranger and currently a resident naturalist for explore.org, told Mashable.

Fitz estimates Chunk currently weighs 1,200 pounds. And the bear still has a strong salmon-consuming month ahead.

SEE ALSO: A violent event occurred on Alaska's fat bear livestream

A single sockeye salmon can pack around 4,000 calories. So a bear like Chunk, who repeatedly catches fish in the Brooks River, eats tens of thousands of calories per day. But on Aug. 26, Chunk outdid himself.

Avid bear cam observers, who document bear behavior throughout the summer, informed Fitz that Chunk ate a whopping 45 salmon in about 10.5 hours of fishing. Fitz has personally seen similar achievements, having watched the giant Katmai bear 747 consume 15 salmon in three hours.

"This is direct evidence of his hard work and success in preparation for winter hibernation."

The calories in each fish Chunk consumed likely varied this late in the season, as some fish have spawned (releasing eggs into a stream bed), and some haven't. Fitz estimates each fish contained an average of 3,000 calories.

"That would mean that Chunk consumed 135,000 calories in one day," Fitz marveled. "This is direct evidence of his hard work and success in preparation for winter hibernation."

Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted

These livestreamed cams capture an unfiltered view of bear behavior. Some of it is endearing, and sometimes it's harsh.

Chunk is often under the eye of the most watched camera, which is attached to a bear-viewing platform next to the river's waterfall. So his exploits are frequently observed. Earlier this summer, for reasons unknown, he attacked a cub that had fallen off the waterfall and passed near him in the river. In their hypercompetitive world, bears do sometimes attack each other or younger bears, but the impetus can remain uncertain.

"We get to see their moments of joy," Fitz said in an online live chat discussing the attack. "However, the webcams are live, the footage is uncensored. We also see bears face hardship, hunger, injury, pain, and even death."

In the coming month or so, Katmai's already rotund bears will continue to exploit any salmon left in the river. They'll lose up to one-third of their body weight during hibernation, so the more fat accumulation, the better odds of survival.

Each year, the park celebrates the success of these animals in their wild realm, an online event called Fat Bear Week. Chunk will clearly be a favorite. Though he'll certainly have some ursine competition.

"Chunk is poised to be a top contender in Fat Bear Week 2024," Fitz said.

I first tried the new Dyson OnTrac headphones for Mashable back in July. After spending a couple of months testing them out, the verdict is in: These headphones sound incredible. They're also supremely comfortable, making it easy to bliss out to my favorite music. I've been bopping my head and doing embarrassing air drums more in the past two months than I have in the last decade.

The OnTrac headphones also have a signature feature that I'm still wrapping my head around, even as the headphones are literally wrapped around my head. I'm talking about the 55-hour battery life — and that's with Active Noise Cancellation engaged.

Overall, I'm loving the new headphones, but I've found some pain points that might make you hesitate before dropping $499.99 on your own pair.

Dyson breaks into consumer audio

Dyson has released headphones before. You might remember the bizarre and slightly dystopian Dyson Zone, the headphones with a built-in mask and air purifier. (We all got a little weird during the pandemic, right?). With the OnTrac, Dyson is launching a whole new product line, so let's forget about the Zone, which is for the best.

With its headphones, Dyson enters a crowded market. Sonos recently launched the Ace headphones, the brand's new high-end headphones. Dyson also has to contend with Sony, Master & Dynamic, Bose, Marshall, and others.

SEE ALSO: The 6 best headphones for 2024, from wireless earbuds to the best noise-cancelling picks

Dyson has a reputation for innovative engineering, and when these shiny new cans first dropped, I asked, "Can Dyson do for headphones what it's done for vacuums and hair dryers?" I have an answer this time, and it's not quite. They're impressive, but they're hardly the only headphones worth buying in 2024.

Dyson's new high-end headphones feature customizable accessories. Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable Dyson headphones, this time without an air purifier. Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable A clever design hack gets you 50+ hours of battery

When you look at the OnTrac headphones, they appear to have three cushions along the inner side of the headband. However, only the top component is actually a cushion. Dyson added batteries in the other pieces, letting them blow other brands away in the race for longer battery life.

For comparison, Sony's flagship XM5 headphones offer 29-ish hours of battery life with ANC. Bose's QuietComfort Ultras offer 24 hours. And the Beats Studio Pro also cap out at 24 hours. (Apple's AirPods Max are now several generations behind, and don't even break the 24-hour mark.)

SEE ALSO: The Marshall Major V headphones claim to have 100 hours of battery life, so I put them to the test

With more than double the battery life of major competitors, this is much more than an incremental improvement. It's the kind of genius Dyson design hack that seems totally obvious in retrospect, and we expect other brands to follow Dyson's lead here. The gains are just too big to ignore.

The batteries live in the headband for even weight distribution and longer battery life. Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable

(Read more about the battery life in the "How We Tested" section below.)

Colorful, swappable components

You can buy these headphones in three pre-set colorways: CNC Copper, CNC Black Nickel, and Ceramic Cinnabar. The machine-cut aluminum ear plates and cushions come in a variety of colors, and you can purchase the ones you like best to customize your headphones.

Via Giphy

You can buy the extra accessories from Dyson, and this is another feature I hope other brands imitate. (I'm talking about expanded personalization, not making people pay extra for it.) The skin-tone headphones and transparent earbuds from Beats are always popular, and Apple's mint AirPods Max are still a popular fashion accessory years after their release.

OnTrac headphones in the CNC Copper colorway. Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable I swapped out the ear cups for a different color. Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable Let's talk about the sound

Here's the headline: The sound rocks. I've previously tested the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones and earbuds for Mashable, and I've personally used Beats, Apple, and Jabra products in the past. These are the best headphones I've tested yet.

According to Dyson, “Most headphones operate on a frequency range from 20 to 20,000 Hertz. Our technology expands that range, from 6 Hertz at the low end to 21,000 Hertz at the top." The brand says that results in improved bass, treble, and overall audio clarity, and I believe them.

These headphones sound superb, truly. They're the second-best audio experience I've ever heard. The only sound that beats it? xMems ultrasonic audio technology, which isn't yet available to consumers.

The sound really does sound true to life, and I've been listening on the Bass Boost mode because I have weak hearing on the low end of the spectrum. I can appreciate entirely new details in some of my favorite songs, and I've been listening to more music than I have in years thanks to these headphones.

I wish you could hear how incredible these are. Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable

If you want to disappear into a bubble of sound and enjoy your music to the fullest, these headphones deliver a powerful experience. The spatial audio isn't as advanced as what you get with the newest Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones, but the overall audio experience is mighty impressive.

Noise cancellation: Also very impressive

Dyson promises these headphones will deliver 40 decibels of noise cancellation. The over-ear headphones provide plenty of passive noise cancellation, and with active noise cancellation added to the mix, most ambient noises drop away like magic. It's not 100 percent noise cancellation, but it's very good.

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

The noise cancellation works well on calls, too. During a test call, a friend was able to tell that I was calling on headphones, but they could barely hear the train passing in the near distance.

And did I mention you can listen to music with ANC engaged for up to 55 hours? Again, I say, holy shit.

Comfort is king

I won't expand too much on the comfort of these headphones because I don't need too many words to describe it: They're really comfortable.

Between the design of the headband and the ear cushions, I've had no problems with fatigue, weight distribution, or discomfort while listening to music. You could easily wear these for a cross-country flight without issue. I found that I could angle the precise position of the ear cups, and the cups would stay firmly in that position, which added to the comfortable fit.

One drawback — they're not particularly comfortable around your neck, i.e. when you're not listening to music. So, I don't expect people to wear them as an accessory like you see with the Apple AirPods Max.

Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable My biggest gripe: The clunky design

For my Dyson OnTrac headphones review, I tried to set aside my feelings about the aesthetics and stay objective. But I have to say it: I hate that these headphones say "Dyson" prominently on the headband. Both sides of the headphones have the brand name above the cups. Unless I'm overpaying for a fancy new Burberry sweater, I hate when products have the brand name written on them.

Overall, I expect the aesthetics to be divisive, in a love-it or hate-it kind of way. Dyson embraced a chunkier design here, I suspect because of the camouflaged batteries in the headband. This contrasts with the slicker, more minimalist approach of other manufacturers.

Controls and connectivity

These headphones feature a mini joystick-like toggle that lets you control your music and volume. I found this a lot better than touch controls, and the headphones have proven to be super user-friendly.

The same goes for setup and the MyDyson app (the app tracks your usage and ambient sound exposure throughout the day). Unfortunately, they do fail in one respect: multipoint Bluetooth pairing.

Credit: Screenshot courtesy of Dyson Credit: Screenshot courtesy of Dyson

I couldn't get the headphones to easily switch between my devices. If I connected them to my MacBook for a Zoom call but wanted to switch back to my iPhone, I first had to go into my MacBook's Bluetooth settings, disconnect the headphones, then go into the settings on my iPhone to reconnect. It was annoying.

Are the Dyson OnTrac headphones worth it?

That's the $499.99 question. In terms of audio quality, battery life, and comfort, these headphones definitely justify that price tag. And if you like the customization aspects of the design, then they're a smart purchase.

But if aesthetics and vibes are as important to you as comfort and audio quality, then your decision comes down to how much you like the OnTrac design.

The Dyson OnTrac headphones are available at Dyson, Amazon, and Best Buy for $499.99.

Dyson OnTrac Headphones with Active Noise Cancellation $499.99 at Amazon
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TL;DR: Get Microsoft Office 2021 and Windows 11 Pro for $54.97 through September 3 — that’s less than $28 apiece.

Summer’s drawing to a close, and it’s time to get serious about those grades. Whether you’re hitting the books or looking to help your student, check out this ultimate back-to-school bundle: Microsoft Office and Windows 11 Pro, armed to help you tackle assignments and fight procrastination.

Separately, this office suite and OS cost hundreds, but they’re on sale for $54.97 for a few more days. This is your last chance to upgrade your Windows computer for such a deal before school starts.

Microsoft Office 2021 apps

Every student needs reliable productivity apps for those dreaded assignments and presentations. Lean on tools like Microsoft Word and PowerPoint for homework, OneNote for note-taking, and Outlook and Teams to stay connected to peers and teachers. 

Microsoft Office for Windows also comes with Access and Publisher. You might use Excel and Publisher for math and data science courses and Publisher if you’re designing materials for clubs or art classes.

Windows 11 Pro + Copilot AI

Upgrading your OS isn’t just for the new user design; you’ll also get the new AI assistant, Copilot. Microsoft calls it “the ultimate AI study buddy.”

Copilot uses a custom version of ChatGPT, so it’s like getting the chatbot's premium version without having to pay for it. You could use it to:

• Have it explain complex class concepts in simpler terms

• Make custom flashcards

• Create practice questions

• Simulate conversations in a new language you’re learning

You’ll also enjoy how Windows 11 Pro boosts your PC’s load times, gives you new productivity tools, and adds new security features like BitLocker device encryption. It’s like an internal makeover for your computer.

Take advantage of this Microsoft app bundle with Office 2021 and Windows 11 Pro at $54.97 (reg. $438) through September 3 at 11:59 p.m. PT. No coupon is needed for this discount.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Retail King The Ultimate Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License + Windows 11 Pro Bundle $54.97
$438.00 Save $383.03 Get Deal

TL;DR: Save 70% on a portable MagSafe-compatible iPhone charger until September 3.

My purse used to resemble a tech graveyard: A tumbleweed of charging cords and a hefty power bank that weighed me down like an anchor. But the other day, my shoulder was so sore from carrying around my bag, and my cord was so frayed my phone wouldn’t even charge, so I ordered this wireless iPhone charger.

If you remember Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack (they discontinued it), it’s almost identical to that, except it’s way cheaper. You can get one for only $34.97 (reg. $119.95) through September 3 in white, black, or light blue.

This gadget keeps my phone alive no matter what

Instead of digging through my purse to find my brick of a power bank, I just grab this small battery pack and stick it to the back of my phone. When I’m on the subway after work, using my car mount, or sitting at a restaurant, it's so nice not to worry about my ugly, frayed cord getting in the way.

I have the iPhone 13, but my friends with Androids can also use it as a portable wireless charging pad since it supports Qi-enabled devices. I’m everyone’s favorite friend when their phone is about to die.

Something important to note, though, is that if your case isn’t MagSafe-compatible, it won’t magnetically stick. So, if that’s important to you, you’ll have to get one, grab one of those sticky magnetic rings to make your case compatible (which is what I did), or pop your case off when you charge.

While I love this sleek, minimal wireless charger, my old clunker wins in terms of battery capacity. With 5,000mAh on board, I get about one and a half iPhone charges before I have to recharge this battery, but it’s so incredibly lightweight that I think it’s worth the effort. 

Order your magnetic iPhone charger while they’re only $34.97 (reg. $119.95) until September 3 at 11:59 p.m. PT. No coupon is needed for this price drop.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Electronic Avenue Speedy Mag Wireless Charger for iPhone $34.97
$119.95 Save $84.98 Get Deal

TL;DR: Save 42% on digital night vision binoculars that also record through September 3.

Opens in a new window Credit: Mesay Mini Digital Night Vision Binoculars with 1080p HD Recording $89.97
$159.99 Save $70.02 Get Deal

There's so much wildlife to see after the sun sets. Once you have a pair of night vision binoculars, your hiking and birdwatching (or even Bigfoot hunting) adventures don't have to stop after dark.

Grab these mini digital night vision binoculars that also record video for just $89.97 (reg. $159.99) through September 3. That’s 43% off.

Your binoculars, but better (and cooler)

Picture this: You’re venturing down a new trail, and you hear a twig snap. Is it Bigfoot? A deer? Guess you’ll never know — unless you pull out your new binoculars and take a closer look. With 10x optical zoom, you can see almost 1,000 feet away.

Better yet, when something inevitably catches your eye, you can freeze the moment in time by clicking the shutter. Your 1080p photos or videos are saved to the included 32GB TF card, so you can easily share them online.

When night rolls around, your view won’t be compromised. Since you have night vision, you’re basically an owl now. You can use the infrared illuminator during dusk or in complete darkness and see almost as far away as you would in the daylight. Imagine everything you’ll spot — like an owl hunting for prey, scavenging porcupines, or Bigfoot. Okay, probably not that last one, but it's fun to hope.

Grab night vision binoculars while they’re on sale for $89.97 (reg. $159.99) until September 3 at 11:59 p.m. PT. No coupon is needed for this price drop.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Save 76% on a Babbel lifetime subscription through September 3 and learn up to 14 new languages. 

Babbel didn’t just teach me French…it helped me meet the love of my life. I was in a little café in Paris, and a beautiful man came up and introduced himself to me — in French. 

Thankfully, I had downloaded the language-learning app before my friend's bachelorette trip to Paris. So I understood him. Mostly. The sparks flew instantly. I was so lucky to have stumbled across that Babbel lifetime deal when I had. It was only $139.97, compared to $599, and I couldn’t find a better price anywhere else.

How French lessons became a love story

After Louis and I met at the café, my friend kept calling Babbel the cupid of language-learning apps. I didn’t know how fluent I could become from an app, but with Louis’s phone number in my pocket, I was determined to give it a chance.

I set a goal on Babbel to practice for 20 minutes daily and become as fluent as possible. Babbel has more than just the basic greetings — I learned to talk about my job, order in a bar, discuss environmental issues, and buy theater tickets. 

But I was more than a little nervous for my date with Louis. What if I couldn’t understand him? Or worse, what if he couldn’t understand me? Babbel’s speech-recognition technology helped ease my anxiety (a little) by assuring me I was somewhat on the right track. Louis just told me I had an American accent.

When I got home, Louis and I promised to keep in touch. I took some live lessons through Babbel. While these are an additional cost, you get two free ones with this lifetime deal, which were tremendously helpful in boosting my confidence before Louis visited me in New York.

I’ve been using Babbel for about a year now, and when I saw that the lifetime subscription price was back down I had to encourage you to try it for yourself. You never know what doors it could open.

Learn a new language with a Babbel lifetime subscription on sale for $139.97 (reg. $599) through September 3 at 11:59 p.m. PT. No coupon is needed for this unbeatable deal.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Babbel Babbel Language Learning: Lifetime Subscription (All Languages) $139.97
$599.00 Save $459.03 Get Deal

SAVE 45%: Snap up a 4K dual-camera drone for just $64.97 (reg. $119.99) through September 3.

Opens in a new window Credit: RochasDivineMart 4K Dual-Camera Drone for Beginners with Intelligent Obstacle Avoidance $64.97
$119.99 Save $55.02 Get Deal

If you'd love to get a drone but think they're too expensive and too easy to crash into a tree — now's your chance.

Get a 4K dual-camera drone on sale for only $64.97. Normally $119.99, you can get this quadcopter for 45% off through September 3.

It practically flies itself

You don’t have to be a pilot to take flight with this done. Actually, it’s so simple a child — or your grandma — could do it. The remote control has one-key start and stop buttons for getting in and out of the air, so you don’t have to worry about taking off or landing like Tom Cruise in Top Gun.

Then, the drone flies itself in altitude hold mode, which keeps the drone steady. Take pictures or record videos from the 4K 90-degree front camera with the remote control. You could get some insane aerial shots of sunset landscapes or city views. Or try the 120-degree wide-angle bottom camera and gesture controls. This lets you make palm gestures or fists to take photos and videos, like group pictures of the whole family or action shots for TikTok.

Worried about crashing into a tree? The drone has 3-way obstacle avoidance that watches for and repels itself away from trees, walls, and people (you never know).

Grab this cheap beginner drone while it’s on sale for $64.97 (reg. $119.99) until September 3 at 11:59 p.m. PT. No coupon is needed for this price drop.

StackSocial prices subject to change.