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Following the massive acclaim from Poor Things, director Yorgos Lanthimos and Academy Award-winning actress Emma Stone teamed up again for Kinds of Kindness. The cast is stacked, which is to be expected at this point. Besides Stone, Kinds of Kindness stars other Poor Things alumni Willem Dafoe and Margaret Qualley, plus Jesse Plemons (Killers of the Flower Moon), Hong Chau (Showing Up), Joe Alwyn (Conversations With Friends), Mamoudou Athie (Elemental), and Hunter Schafer (Cuckoo). This time around, however, Lanthimos shifts gears away from his mainstream successes (The Favourite, The Lobster). Kinds of Kindness is presented as three short films whose stories are connected only thematically. Whether the new approach pays off is up for debate.
If you missed it in the theaters, the film is officially set to make its streaming debut on Aug. 30. Here's what you need to know about how to watch Kinds of Kindness at home.
What is Kinds of Kindness about?As noted above, Kinds of Kindness is made up of three distinct, but loosely connected absurdist stories. The all-star cast recurs across each story, playing different roles.
The first story, "The Death of R.M.F.," centers around Robert (Plemons) fighting to take back control of his life from his boss Raymond (Dafoe). Raymond controls every aspect of Robert's life, so when he says "no" for the first time, it leads to dire consequences.
Part two, "R.M.F. is Flying," follows Daniel (Plemons), a quiet cop whose wife Liz (Stone) has gone missing. He's reunited with her under bizarre circumstances, leading him to believe she's an imposter.
And last, part three, "R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich," Emily (Stone) and Andrew (Plemons) are investigators for a cult led by Omi (Dafoe) and Aka (Chau). They're searching the country for a prophesied person with the ability to raise people from the dead, but the search leads Emily back to the life she left behind.
The trailer doesn't give much away as far as the plot goes, but it does give you a dose of the bizarre vibes and stellar cast:
Is Kinds of Kindness worth watching?Mashable reviewer Robert Daniels described the film as "prickly, dark" and a return to Lanthimos' "unconventional roots, his older, spikier films like Kinetta and Dogtooth." Critics overall weren't blown away by Kinds of Kindness but didn't hate it either. On Rotten Tomatoes, it received a 72 percent critic rating (as of the time of writing).
Audiences, on the other hand, were completely torn. At the time of writing, the film only has a 49 percent audience rating out of over 100 reviews. Some called it one of the weirdest movies they've ever seen.
"Ultimately, Kinds of Kindness circles the drain as more of a thought experiment," our reviewer adds.
Of course, everyone is different and reviews are subjective. You'll have to watch it for yourself to decide whether Lanthimos' latest work is weird in a good way or just plain weird.
Read our full review of Kinds of Kindness.
Can I watch Kinds of Kindness at home?If you missed Kinds of Kindness in the theater, the bizarre dark comedy is available to buy from digital-on-demand retailers like Prime Video, YouTube, and Apple TV. It will also be available to rent at a later date. If you'd rather wait and stream the film, keep reading for more information.
Here are some of the platforms where you can purchase the film online:
Prime Video — $18.49 to buy for Prime members (save $1.50)
Apple TV — $19.99 to buy
Fandango at Home (Vudu) — $19.99 to buy
YouTube — $19.99 to rent or $24.99 to buy
Google Play — $19.99 to rent or $24.99 to buy
Kinds of Kindness will officially make its streaming debut on Hulu starting Aug. 30. The Searchlight Pictures film will also be available to stream via Hulu on Disney+ for Bundle subscribers. If you're not a Hulu subscriber, you'll be happy to learn that the streamer offers a generous 30-day free trial to newbies. For everyone else, subscriptions start at $7.99 per month, but we've rounded up the best ways you can save on your subscription below.
The best Hulu streaming dealsBest Hulu deal for most people: Hulu annual subscription Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu Hulu (with ads) annual subscription $79.99 per year (save 16%) Get DealWhile the $7.99 per month streaming cost isn't terrible, it could be cheaper. By subscribing to a Hulu with ads annual plan, you can save 16% and pay just $6.67 per month instead. Of course, you'll have to pay the full cost of $79.99 upfront. But it certainly beats the $95.98 you'd pay by dishing out monthly payments. Plus, you might get lucky and save yourself from inevitable price hikes for a year.
Best bundle deal: Get Hulu and Disney+ for 37% off Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu / Disney+ Duo Basic bundle: Hulu and Disney+ with ads $9.99 per month (save 37%) Get DealFor more bang for your buck, sign up for the Duo Basic Bundle and get access to the full Disney and Hulu libraries for only $9.99 per month. That's just $2 more than paying for Hulu on its own — or a savings of 37%. Even better, if you're a sports fan, you can also throw ESPN+ into the mix and pay $14.99 per month. That's a savings of 44% on all three services.
Best for students: Hulu Student Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu Hulu Student $1.99 per month (save 75%) Get DealStudents wanting to stream Kinds of Kindness can sign up for Hulu for the very low price of $1.99 per month. That's 75% in savings compared to the full cost of Hulu with ads. Just enter your college email address into SheerID to verify your eligibility and score the deal.
Best for T-Mobile users: Hulu (with ads) included for one year for Go5G Next customers Opens in a new window Credit: T-Mobile / Hulu Hulu (with ads) Free for select T-Mobile customers Get DealIf you're looking to sign up for streaming services for free, one of the best ways is to switch your mobile plan to T-Mobile's Go5G Next plan. Customers on this plan not only get Hulu with ads included but also Netflix and Apple TV+. Already on the Go5G Next plan? Be sure to claim your offer over on the T-Mobile promo page. Just enter your T-Mobile number and account details in order to sign up.
Note: After your initial 12-month promotional period, you'll also have to take action in order to keep your subscription alive.
In the 40 years since a low-budget action film from a relatively unknown filmmaker and crew blasted onto film screens, the Terminator has proven to be an incredibly resilient, if not relentless property. James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd's creation has spawned five sequels, including the iconic Terminator 2: Judgement Day, the TV series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, as well as numerous books and graphic novels, and countless parodies. With all this, one might wonder if there's any life left in this franchise. But if we've learned anything from this science-fiction series, it's that you can't keep a good Terminator down.
Set in 1997 Tokyo, the new Netflix series Terminator Zero embraces hand-drawn animation to tell the story of a brilliant scientist named Malcolm Lee (voiced by André Holland) and Kokoro (voiced by Rosario Dawson), the advanced AI system he has created to decide the fate of humanity. Nuclear war is merely hours away. Can Malcolm convince Kokoro to stop Skynet? Meanwhile, a soldier (voiced by Sonoya Mizuno) from the post-apocalyptic year of 2022 has traveled back in time to save the scientist's children — and maybe the world — from a Terminator (voiced by Timothy Olyphant).
The story itself is compelling, as the scientist tries to justify humanity's existence and avert a nuclear apocalypse. However, it's the emotionally engaging and visually stunning animation that makes Terminator Zero a must-see. To learn more about how Terminator Zero was built, Mashable reached out to the series' showrunner/writer Mattson Tomlin and director Masashi Kudō, who shared insights into the design of their Terminator, the real-world history that informed the series' hardest-hitting imagery, and why it matters this animation is hand-drawn.
Writer Mattson Tomlin found anime to be freeing. Credit: NetflixIt just so happened that Mattson Tomlin was just the guy for the job. His feature-length directorial/screenwriting debut, Mother/Android, is a live-action sci-fi thriller about humans fighting to survive after their robotic helpers turn against them. "Ironically, I was walking around town saying, 'This is not my audition for Terminator,'" he told Mashable in a Zoom interview. "And I got a call on set. 'Hey, they're thinking about doing Terminator as a series, and it's going to be animated. Do you want to meet about that?' And I said, 'Absolutely, I do.'"
Given the talent involved, it's perhaps no surprise the series is visually stunning and narratively engaging. The real revelation is how wrapped up we can get in the perilous fate of characters who are, after all, drawings.
Netflix had already partnered with the Japanese animation studio I/G Productions for the project, as Tomlin explained. "They had all the pieces set up, and they were looking for someone with a fresh take." He added, "I said, 'This is what I want to do [in terms of the story], and this is how I want to do it.' And everyone just said, 'Yeah, man, sounds good. You should do that.' It was a remarkably smooth development process."
Tomlin found the use of anime further freed up the narrative "because you can do anything." He explained, "When you're doing something live-action and you write 'EXT. Night,' then suddenly this is a night shoot. One hundred or 1,000 or 3,000 people are going to have to turn their clocks around. And [if it's a scene with rain], you need a rain machine, and the actor needs a wetsuit. [With anime,] all of that just goes away."
The challenges, Tomlin said, came "around performance and emotion. You take a traditional film like Alfonso Cuarón's Roma, in which you have a lot of static shots — a lot of it is wide [shots], characters at a distance. And then, when you finally have the face, you are just absolutely compelled by that face." With animation, Tomlin acknowledged, "It's a little difficult in terms of performance, because you're not looking at a real human being." So, when his writing called for big emotions, Tomlin had to ask himself: "How long can I push this scene with this kind of emotion before I break my own spell?"
Director Masashi Kudō brought Tomlin's words to vivid life. Credit: NetflixThat's where director Masashi Kudō came in. Translating the Terminator to anime was a challenge that the animator embraced. Kudō, best known for his work on the anime series Bleach, found Tomlin's storytelling was less dialogue-heavy than many Japanese anime scripts.
"[This meant] the human emotions needed to be conveyed through their actions," Kudō told Mashable via email, "which is a style I appreciate." He felt the use of hand-drawn "detailed expressions and performances" could drive the story and engage the viewer. A simple image in the first episode — a young girl sitting alone on a couch, her eyes shimmering with unexpected tears — is so compelling that you'll keep watching just to find out what happened in her mysterious past.
The design work is perhaps most vivid when Kokoro appears to Lee through colorful avatars. The word "Kokoro" roughly means "heart," but in Buddhism it connotes our spiritual essence, tying together mind, wisdom, feeling, and aspiration. To reflect these inspirations, Kudō said, "[My team] incorporated the look of goddesses or heavenly maidens from Japanese mythology. My aim was to give the viewers the impression of a higher spiritual being that humans are in awe of."
Through the work, Kudō's team found that "it was a joy to challenge ourselves by doing something visually interesting, such as making the Kokoro room transform into a fantastical space during the dialogue scenes between Kokoro and Malcolm."
Another challenge was translating the iconic Terminator into an anime character. In Terminator Zero, he is Japanese in appearance and less muscular than his predecessor Arnold Schwarzenegger, but no less frightening.
Kudō said of his Terminator: "I wanted to create an eerie, unsettling vibe that creeps up on you… For the design, we wanted to go for a reptile-ish image with an expressionless face characterized by its small, widely spaced pupils."
The nuclear apocalypse of Terminator Zero comes from Japanese experience. Credit: NetflixMany of us will never forget how terrifying the images of nuclear war were in Terminator 2: A playground full of children incinerated, while a nuclear blast rolled over Los Angeles, obliterating buildings and freeways, and leaving us breathless. Terminator Zero's portrayal is just as visceral and immediate, and just as gravely serious, despite — or perhaps because of — the limitless nature of animation, as well as the story's setting.
The idea of nuclear war resonates differently in Japan, the only country ever to experience the devastation of nuclear weapons. As an American, Tomlin was determined to make clear to his audience that "nuclear war is not fantasy. It's the killer cyborgs at the moment that are kind of a fantasy. But, [nuclear war is] real. And it happened. And it happened there… This is a story that takes place in Japan… [So] there was definitely a desire to take it seriously and not have it feel fun or thoughtless."
Tomlin entrusted Kudō and his animation team "to imbue [the images of nuclear devastation] with that kind of horror because [nuclear war] is still a very vivid concept in Japan, whereas over here in the States, a little bit of it is kind of like it's an idea."
Kudō shared via email, "Most Japanese learn about the horror of nuclear weapons from childhood. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum has numerous exhibits and documents vividly documenting the devastation. I believe this shared knowledge within the team helped us create an animated representation with a strong impact."
Hand-drawn animation brings an essentially human touch to Terminator Zero. Credit: NetflixAs the Terminator franchise focuses on the fear of humans being overtaken by computer tech, the hand-drawn animation in Terminator Zero underscores the central message about the value of human creativity.
"We definitely wanted it to feel like humans made it," Tomlin said. "[The animators] are at the top of their game, and I knew they would make it look great. On the writing side, the job was to imbue it with emotion, a real sense of purpose, and stake out why it needs to exist."
With AI moving from science fiction to our everyday life, Tomlin's goal is more relevant than ever before.
We live in an era in which the threat of AI launching a nuclear war is not so immediate. Yet, many creators believe that generative AI apps "devalue human art" by producing a cheap imitation without the craft of human hands. Hollywood writers fear they will one day be hired simply to refine AI scripts, for little pay, rather than developing their own ideas. Voice actors fear their performances could be replicated by an AI program, which would then replace their labor and destroy their source of income. Already, AI programs are being trained on visual artist's copyrighted work "without credit and compensation." Musicians, as well, have argued that AI's widespread adoption "threatens the livelihood" of working artists, by replacing their voices and musicianship with a digital simulation. Dazzled by the novelty and power of AI, we now risk casting off and forgetting the wonders that the human imagination can achieve when creators have a chance to develop their own talents and express their emotions.
And so it's especially thrilling to see how Terminator Zero puts real storytellers and their craft front and center. An emotionally driven narrative along with vivid, hand-drawn animation, enhanced judiciously with digital technology, makes a strong and compelling case for trusting human creators to use their skills and imagination with total freedom. The results can be absolutely stunning, as they are in Terminator Zero, revealing what human imagination and human hands are capable of building.
The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.
With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.
So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on MashableHere are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Thursday, August 29, 2024:
AcrossThrows, as a fishing lineThe answer is casts.
The answer is alpha.
The answer is pluot.
The answer is rinse.
The answer is inked.
The answer is capri.
The answer is allIn.
The answer is spunk.
The answer is those.
The answer is sated.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of GamesAre you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Mini Crossword.
If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.
Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on MashableBy providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for August 29 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer hints for August 29 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Wake up and...These words run hot and cold.
Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explainedThe answers all relate to types coffee.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.
NYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is CoffeeOrder.
NYT Strands word list for August 29Iced
Espresso
Mocha
Latte
CoffeeOrder
Cappucino
Black
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and 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 Strands.
TL;DR: Through Sept. 3, you can get The Ultimate Cybersecurity & IT Career Certification Pathway Training Bundle — worth £139.49 — for just £22.72.
If we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that the internet needs some regulation. While most people have good intentions, there are plenty who don’t — and it’s costing the world trillions of dollars. Cybercriminals are ruthless, but little do they know that cybersecurity professionals are outsmarting them at every twist and turn.
If you’re interested in giving hackers a dose of their own medicine, a career in cybersecurity might be right for you. And it’s easier than you think to get started — especially if you’re already involved in the IT world.
The Ultimate Cybersecurity and IT Career Certification Pathway Training packs 169 hours of exam prep content into a £22.72 bundle. With help from experts like David Bombal, a Cisco Certified Systems Instructor with many years of experience, as well as Mike Meyers and the Total Seminars team of instructors, you can further your IT career by acing some of the most essential industry exams.
The bundle features eight courses in total, each one centred on a specific exam. Think of each course as a study guide — you can work through the content at your own speed and go over it as many times as you need, whenever is suitable for you.
There’s a 75-hour guide for the Cisco CCNA 200-301 exam, which will teach you how to configure Cisco routers and switches, help you understand how Kali Linux can be used to hack networks, show you how to apply what you’ve learned to real-world networking scenarios, and more. Then, you’ll switch gears to CompTIA certifications — industry-leading credentials to grow your IT career. There are guides for the CompTIA ITF+, A+ Core 1 and Core 2, Network+, Security+, CySA+, and PenTest+ exams. And like the Cisco guide, you can work through them all at your own speed until you feel confident enough to take each exam.
This massive cybersecurity exam prep is designed for beginners and intermediate IT pros looking to further their careers. It's normally valued at £139.49, but you can sign up for only £22.72. Keep in mind that this limited-time offer is only available through Sept. 3.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Opens in a new window Credit: David Bombal The Ultimate Cybersecurity & IT Career Certification Pathway Training Bundle £22.72 at the Mashable ShopOh 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 29'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 August 29 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:You failed...bad.
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 F.
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...
FLUNK.
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.
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 29'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 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.
SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for August 29 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: Keyed instruments
Green: Considered in a specific way
Blue: College
Purple: Second half of brand names
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Kinds of Pianos
Green: Deem
Blue: U.S. College/Universities
Purple: Second Names in Companies with Ampersands
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 #444 is...
What is the answer to Connections todayKinds of Pianos: ELECTRONIC, GRAND, PLAYER, UPRIGHT
Deem: CONSIDER, COUNT, JUDGE, REGARD
U.S. College/Universities: BROWN, DUKE, HOWARD, SMITH
Second Names in Companies with Ampersands: GAMBLE, JOHNSON, NOBLE, YOUNG
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.
Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski is so bullish on AI that the Swedish buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) platform plans to cut it's workforce by 50 percent in the next few years.
Speaking to the Financial Times, Siemiatkowski said that Klarna is hoping to scale its workforce down from 3,800 to 2,000 employees. The current employee count was already reduced from 5,000 after Klarna conducted mass layoffs last year. With almost half the workforce at the company, Siemiatkowski plans to shift customer service and marketing duties to AI. "Not only can we do more with less, but we can do much more with less," he said to the FT.
SEE ALSO: How does 'Buy Now, Pay Later' work?None of this is coming out of the blue. Siemiatkowski has been vocal about the cost-saving benefits of AI. Klarna implemented a hiring freeze last December, with the end-goal of "shrinking" the company and replacing certain tasks with AI. In an archived post on X that has since been deleted, Siemiatkowski received backlash for boasting about the millions of dollars saved by automating tasks like AI image generation, implementing an AI assistant, and doing more with half the size of its marketing team.
In the short term, Klarna's approach seems to be paying off. As reported in its Tuesday Q2 earnings call, the BNPL company has greatly narrowed its net losses from $84 million to $980,000 when converted from Swedish Krona to US dollars. But betting big on AI automation is a gamble that might not pan out. Economic experts in a Goldman Sachs report see "limited US economic upside from AI," and if history tells us anything, automation of certain services like self-checkout kiosks and customer service can backfire and create new problems.
Klarna isn't the only tech company to cut its workforce in favor of investing in AI. In January Duolingo cut 10 percent of its contractors, and attributed the redundancy of workers to AI. Meta and Google have also laid off employees as they invest deeper in AI.
Tesla has promised its wide-ranging Supercharger network will open to other U.S. electric vehicles for more than a year. Yet, here we are in August 2024 and most non-Tesla EVs cannot charge with a Supercharger.
Why? The New York Times has a detailed report on the subject. The primary culprits are delays in software and hardware. A non-Tesla EV would need both updated software and a physical adapter to use a Supercharger. The rollouts for both those components have proven painfully slow.
SEE ALSO: Tesla considers adding a new ‘stuck detection' feature to Cybertruck. Here’s why.Apparently some in the industry have wondered if the crawling process was purposeful.
Wrote Jack Ewing of the Times:
"The delays have fueled speculation that Mr. Musk was having second thoughts about opening up Tesla’s network, possibly because he was worried that access would help other automakers sell battery-powered models and lure customers from Tesla, which has suffered from declining sales."
The thinking is that while Tesla would make money off other EVs charging with Tesla Superchargers, perhaps Musk reconsidered the value of keeping the company's roughly 30,000 fast chargers exclusive to its drivers. Though, as the Times noted, the company has recently posted about ramping up its production of chargers, which many took as a good sign for the eventual rollout.
Tweet may have been deletedTesla making Superchargers available for other electric vehicles is a big deal because charge anxiety is often a major concern for potential EV buyers. Having a much larger network of chargers at your disposal would ease that anxiety.
It's been slow going, with carmakers across the country pushing back deadlines as they've tried to work with Tesla to update software and acquire adapters. It's also likely safe to assume it didn't help that Musk recently fired 500 people from the Supercharger team at Tesla, reportedly over a petty dispute with the team leader.
Tesla has had a rough of it lately. It's had a few separate recalls and has seen sales decline with increased competition in the EV space. The Cybertruck has been a disaster. It'll be interesting to see how the Supercharger rollout proceeds amid that backdrop.
Garmin's got a new flagship in its rugged smartwatch category, the Garmin Fenix 8.
The company's Fenix line of smartwatches has long been the golden standard for durable smartwatches for athletes, but Apple put up a pretty good fight with its Apple Watch Ultra (now on its second iteration) rugged smartwatch.
Garmin Fenix 8 Garmin Fenix 8 Garmin Fenix 8 999.99 Get DealThe list of specs on both these watches is incredibly long and includes support for a multitude of sports and outdoor activities, but we're going to focus on the most important bits here. You see, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 has always won on Apple's massive ecosystem of apps and the ability to make standalone calls, and integration with Apple's smart assistant, Siri. On the other hand, Garmin's Fenix watches were always far ahead when it comes to battery life, but the ability to make phone calls from the watch was absent. So how does the new Fenix 8 fit into this picture?
What's with the name?Before we start, let's just clarify on Garmin's somewhat confusing new naming scheme. The company used to divide its flagship watch category into Fenix and Epix watches. Now, Epix is gone; instead, you have the Garmin Fenix 8 Solar, which essentially means "Fenix 8, with solar power, but without an AMOLED display." And then you have the Garmin Fenix 8, which has no solar power, but has an AMOLED display, which makes it a bit easier to read in direct sunlight.
The Fenix 8 also comes in several sizes, for a total of five variants. You can get the Fenix 8 Solar with a 47mm or 51mm display, while the Fenix 8 (with the AMOLED display but no solar) comes in 43mm, 47mm, or 51mm.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 only comes in one size: 49mm, has no solar power, but it does have a very, very good OLED display.
Got all that? Great, let's continue.
Massive difference in battery life Doing a lot of very long trail runs? The Garmin Fenix 8 should be able to keep up with you. Credit: GarminThis is Apple Watch Ultra 2's weak spot. It offers, per Apple's specs, up to 36 hours of battery life in normal use, and up to 72 hours in Low Power Mode. That's a lot better than the regular Apple Watch, but it lags far behind Garmin's best.
Garmin Fenix 8 offers a whopping 29 days of battery life, or 13 days with the always-on display option on. If you opt for the Fenix 8 Solar, this goes up to 30 days, or 48 days with solar charging (this assumes a lot of exposure to sunlight).
That's for the largest, 51mm variants of the Garmin. But even the smaller, 47mm version offers up to 16 days (7 days with always-on display on), or 21 days (28 days with solar charging). Finally, the 43mm version offers up to 10 days of battery life, (4 days with always-on display on).
This gets even more complicated when you add the various use cases and options that Garmin offers, such as Battery Saver mode, Expedition GPS mode, or Max Battery GPS mode. If you turn all satellite systems on and listen to music, for example, the battery life on the 51mm Fenix 8 goes down to 18 hours. Check out Garmin's spec sheet for all the details.
The bottom line, however, is that with the Garmin (per DC Rainmaker's incredibly thorough testing), will get you something like 6 days of regular use with some sports use thrown into the mix, while also giving you the option to extend that into weeks if needed.
Still no standalone calls The Apple Watch Ultra 2 can make phone calls even when your phone isn't with you. Credit: AppleThe Garmin Fenix 8 has another big addition: a microphone and speaker for calls, and invoking a personal assistant. You'd think that this makes it on par with the Apple Watch Ultra...but unfortunately it doesn't, because the Fenix 8, perplexingly, does not have cellular connectivity, so it relies on your phone to make calls.
Think about it: If you have a watch with a battery that lasts for days, and the ability to make calls, you'll be a little safer and more connected when you go for a long hike or other outdoorsy adventure. But if said watch relies on your phone to make calls, then you'll have to carry a phone and an additional battery with you, which sort of defeats the purpose of this feature.
As is, it's still a welcome improvement. With the new Garmin Fenix 8, you'll be able to answer that call mid-workout without reaching for your phone. But the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which has cellular connectivity, still wins in this regard.
Voice assistant, but basicSimilarly, the Garmin Fenix 8 now offers an offline Garmin voice assistant. This requires zero connectivity, which is nice, and it will let you perform basic tasks like start the timer, play some music, or start a workout. But that's pretty much as advanced as it gets.
Garmin also supports Apple's Siri, as well as Google and Samsung's voice assistant, but those work via your phone (depending on the model) aren't directly patched into Garmin's smarts, so you can't use them to control Garmin-specific features.
In contrast, Apple Watch Ultra 2 is well integrated with Apple's own voice assistant, Siri. Garmin is closing the gap a little bit here, and we haven't tested it ourselves yet, but it seems like Apple is ahead in this regard.
New diving features Hey recreational divers, Garmin's got something for you. Credit: GarminWhen Apple launched its Ultra smartwatch, it did something interesting by adding well thought out support for recreational diving features. Typically, pro divers will want to use a dedicated diving computer (Garmin sells those as well), but Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a nice set of features that will satisfy most recreational divers.
Now, Garmin Fenix 8 supports diving-related features as well -- and yes, it does seem like Garmin had its mind on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 when it designed the new Fenix.
On the hardware level, the Fenix 8 now has a depth gauge and leak-proof metal buttons (the Ultra 2 doesn't have these). But it goes further than that, essentially adding a ton of functionality from its pro-grade Descent lineup of diving watches. In short, it supports scuba and apnea dive activities, and overall matches the Apple Watch Ultra's diving features. It's very close to a tie between the Fenix 8 and the Ultra 2, though Garmin's pro-diving pedigree does give a slight nod to the Fenix 8.
About that priceWe've got bad news here. Garmin Fenix 8 starts $999.99, and that's for the 43mm AMOLED model. The 47mm variant (both Solar and AMOLED) costs $1,099.99, and the largest, 51mm version costs $1,199.99.
This is pricier than the Garmin Fenix 7 at launch and, more importantly, a lot more expensive than the $799 Apple Watch Ultra 2. Apple products aren't cheap, and when you're selling a competing product at this much of a premium, it's a pretty big statement -- or a mistake.
Is the Garmin Fenix 8 better than Apple Watch Ultra? Yes and no.Garmin had an obvious intention to catch up with the Apple Watch Ultra 2 in all areas where it lagged behind, while improving even further in the battery life department.
And yeah, at a glance, the improvement do sound like the Fenix 8's got everything the Ultra 2 has (sans Apple's app ecosystem), while also offering massively better battery life and more versatile battery management.
However, the Fenix 8 still doesn't offer cellular connectivity, which is a bit of a bummer, and its voice assistant isn't as smart as Siri. It also costs a lot more than the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Also, the Ultra 2 might very soon get replaced with a new version, so we'd advice to wait until Apple's September 9 event until deciding on either model.
It's almost new Apple Watch season, which means it's potentially almost time for you to pick out which band you'll use with your next Apple Watch.
Whether you'll be upgrading to the new Apple Watch 10 or the Apple Watch Ultra 3, there are a ton of watch band options for you.
Apple's website has a long, almost overwhelming, list of watch bands in every size and color you could imagine. Whatever you want your Apple Watch to look like is how it will look. The world is your oyster.
With that in mind, here are some of the most notable watch band types to choose from for your new Apple Watch.
SEE ALSO: Apple Watch Ultra 3 rumors: Everything we know so far Sport bands Pink is always good. Credit: AppleIf you want maximum comfort, and aren't too concerned about your Apple Watch looking like a real watch, the wide variety of sport bands on display might be for you. Made of fluoroelastomer (synthetic rubber), the sport bands come in bright colors and promise both softness and strength. If you'd like to forget your Apple Watch is even there, this might be the one to pick.
Sport bands are also just $50, and as you'll see, that's a bargain compared to some of the other options.
Apple Watch Band - Sport Band (41mm) - Abyss Blue - Regular Get Deal Sport loops Technically the Pride Edition, but also it just looks good regardless. Credit: AppleIn a similar vein, sport loops are meant for comfort and affordability more than pure aesthetics.
They're made of nylon weave and come in a bunch of different colorways, such as the Pride Edition featured here. If you want a soft texture for your watch band, and don't want to spend more than $50, this might be the way to go.
Apple Watch Band - Sport Loop (40mm) - Anchor Gray - Regular Get Deal Milanese loops Fancy. Credit: AppleJumping from perhaps the least fancy option to perhaps the most fancy, Milanese loops are old-school-looking watch bands made of stainless steel mesh. It's also totally magnetic, and Apple promises that means it can be adjusted exactly to your liking. If you want a Milanese loop for your Apple Watch, be warned that it starts at $100, which is $50 more than something like a sport band.
Apple Milanese Loop (Apple Watch) $92.06 at AmazonThis is where things start to get expensive.
Buckle bands, like this mulberry one, start at a whopping $150. For that price, though, you get a suede-like texture and a buckle that is actually magnetic, so it's more high-tech than it looks. Still, $150 is a lot. Wouldn't it be wild if there was one that was even more expensive?
Apple Modern Buckle $99.99 at AmazonFor the stainless steel lovers, Apple has fashioned a couple of different very nice looking — and also very pricey — link bracelet options for Apple Watches. The silver one starts at $350 and the black one at a staggering $450, but perhaps you get what you pay for. Apple's website claims it takes nine hours to cut a single one of these together and that there are more than 100 components to it.
If you want people to know that you spent a lot of money on your Apple Watch, here's a great choice for you.
Oittm Apple Watch Band, 42mm Stainless Steel Replacement Link Bracelet Strap Classic iWatch Wristband with Double Button Folding Clasp for Apple Watch (42mm Space Gray) Get DealSo, you had a video go viral and it had a very specific phrase, like "Hawk Tuah on that thang" or "very demure, very mindful."
Sure, maybe a viral phrase isn't the most sophisticated form of humor, and maybe the trend doesn't promise long-term relevance or a particularly enduring appeal. But viral phrases can lead to a huge influx of brand deals and, if you're smart about it, merchandise sales.
Take Jools Lebron, the TikTok creator who popularized the viral phrase "very demure, very mindful." Because of the phrase's success, she could finance her transition. She went on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and she made videos with Verizon and Southwest Airlines. But, a few days after the phrase took off, a Washington State man named Jefferson Bates filed to trademark it himself, despite it not actually being his phrase. According to legal documents obtained by NBC News and TMZ, he didn't even name Lebron in the application.
"I've just invested so much money and time into this," Lebron said in a TikTok video that Pop Crave posted on X before Lebron deleted it. "And I feel like I did it wrong. I feel like I didn't try hard enough. I wanted this to do so much for my family and provide for my transition, and I just feel like I dropped the ball. Like, I feel like I fucked up, and someone else has it now. I don't even know what I could've done better because I didn't have the resources."
A few hours later, Lebron dropped another video saying that she "got it handled" on "the trademark front."
"I'm gonna leave it at that," she said. "We got it handled. Mama got a team now. It's getting handled. I appreciate you guys tagging me, I appreciate all of the mentions, it's getting handled. Keep an eye out."
SEE ALSO: Why is everyone online 'very demure, very mindful' right now?It's unclear what exactly happened with that specific trademark suit, but it's clear that if you have a phrase go viral, work on that trademark asap. Josh Gerben, LegalShield Provider Attorney and Founding Partner at Gerben Perrott PLLC told Mashable that there are "several legal grounds" that would likely leave Bates without the trademark.
"That said, this is an important lesson that filing trademark applications as early as possible can avoid the potential for costly legal battles," Gerben said.
Trademarking your phrase — which the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office describes as "a group of words that are used together in a fixed expression" — allows you a few rights: it protects your intellectual property, it gives you exclusive rights to use that phrase in commerce, it helps you build a brand around the phrase, it allows you to license it for advertising campaigns which will help you potentially earn royalties, and it gives you a legal basis to stop other people from using the phrase without your permission.
"Branding is at the core of every influencer’s success," Heidy Vaquerano, a partner at Fox Rothschild in Los Angeles, told Mashable over email.
If you want to trademark your phrase, start by searching USTPO to make sure no one else has trademarked it. Then, determine the category you want to register the phrase, like on merchandise, in advertising, as a brand name, or another category. After you've decided that, you'll want to file a trademark application with the USPTO. They'll ask a bunch of questions about the phrase and how you want to use it, and you'll probably have to pay some fees. The USPTO will review your application, which might take a few months, and then you'll be approved or denied.
"We always suggest that an influencer consult with an IP attorney with respect to their overall branding," Vaquerano said. "Jools may have become famous for the viral phase, but she should also consider looking at registering any other unique branding marks/phrases that she uses as it is important to protect her newfound popularity."
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