Feed aggregator

SAVE OVER $200: As of May 9, the Apple MacBook Pro (M4 Chip, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD Storage) is on sale for $1,322.02 at Amazon. This deal saves you 14% on list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro (M4 Chip, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) $1,322.02 at Amazon
$1,599 Save $276.98 Get Deal

Something wonderful is happening to the Apple M4 chip. We're seeing deals on MacBooks, Mac Minis, and MacBook Pros, with some models falling to record-low prices. What a time to be alive!

As of May 9, the Apple MacBook Pro (M4 Chip, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) is on sale for $1,322.02 at Amazon. This deal saves you 17% on list price, and represents the lowest-ever price on Amazon according to tracker camelcamelcamel. It literally doesn't get any better than this, so if you've been patiently waiting for your moment to invest in this powerhouse, this is it.

SEE ALSO: Best MacBooks of 2025: Which MacBook should you buy?

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 chip offers stunning levels of performance in a machine that's primed for Apple Intelligence. Users get all-day battery life and an impressive Liquid Retina XDR display with up to 1600 nits peak brightness. In our review, Kimberly Gedeon said the "M4 MacBook Pro wows with endurance-defying battery life and stellar performance, allowing Apple to reclaim its throne." In short, we liked it.

Pick up the Apple MacBook Pro for its lowest-ever price at Amazon.

Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, 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 the latest 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 Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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

Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Sportswear

• Green: Ballpark backups

• Blue: Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, etc.

  Purple: Hockey achievements

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

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

• Yellow: Athletic clothing brands

• Green: Baseball relief roles

• Blue: Men's tennis players

• Purple: NHL Awards

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 Sports Edition #228 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Athletic clothing brands - CHAMPION, RUSSELL ATHLETIC, STARTER, UNDER ARMOUR

• Baseball relief roles - CLOSER, LONG, MIDDLE, SETUP

• Men's tennis players - ALCARAZ, FRITZ, RUNE, SINNER

• NHL Awards- CALDER, HART, LADY BYNG, VEZINA

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.

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 Mashable

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, May 9, 2025:

AcrossHumpty Dumpty, in many illustrations

• The answer is Egg.

Cartoon bear who wears a red shirt and no pants

• The answer is Pooh.

Collection of world maps

• The answer is Atlas.

Counterpart of "adios"

• The answer is Hola.

[See circled letters]

• The answer is Wow.

DownClean water org.

• The answer is EPA.

Subculture with black clothing

• The answer is Goth.

"When they ___ ..." (start of a memorable Michelle Obama line)

• The answer is GoLow.

Angel topper

• The answer is Halo.

It has sharp teeth

• The answer is Saw.

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 Games

Are 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.

TL;DR: Grab Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business for PC or Mac for just £120.54 through June 1.

Opens in a new window Credit: InterPlein Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC Lifetime License £120.54
£188.37 Save £67.83 Get Deal

You wouldn’t keep paying for Netflix if you could own your favorite shows, right? So why are you still subscribing to Office apps you use every day? Microsoft 365’s price keeps going up, but there’s finally a way to break free — and it'll cost you way less in the long run.

Microsoft Office 2024 is the answer you've been looking for. Instead of monthly payments, simply pay £120.54 once and be set for life (reg. £188.37). It's that simple. And, yes, this lifetime download works for PC or Mac.

What's included?

This license comes with: 

• Word

• Excel

• PowerPoint

• Outlook

• OneNote 

The newest version of Microsoft Office is a little different from Microsoft 365. But just because you're switching to a lifetime license doesn't mean you'll miss out on some of the most recent updates. Word and Excel both still have AI integrations for text suggestions and smart data analysis, and PowerPoint still has improved tools for recorded presentations. 

Once you've redeemed your purchase, you can install your apps on one computer. After that, they're yours to use however you want. No more subscription fees or sudden price hikes to worry about. 

Why rent when you can own? 

Get a Microsoft Office lifetime license on sale for £120.54 with no coupon needed.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Mother figures are the backbone of the world. Yours may be your biological mother, or maybe she's your mother-in-law, your best friend's mom, or simply someone whose motherly instinct has helped you through hard times.

Moms teach you the adulting necessities, give advice even if the problem is your fault, and above all, they put up with your shit and (almost) never complain.

The game plan here isn't just to snag the last bouquet at CVS just so you're not the kid who forgot Mother's Day (but definitely also get flowers). And you don't even need to spend a lot of money. (Peep our list of Mother's Day gifts that cost less than $50. Want even more cheap gift ideas?

SEE ALSO: The best gifts for her

Skip the generic mugs and show your appreciation with a gift picked just for her: Whether it's something to make a part of her life easier, something she's mentioned wanting in passing, or simply something to make her feel like a damn queen, you can't put a price on everything she's done for you, but heartfelt gifts certainly help.

After all, they say "No matter how hard you try, you always end up like your mother." But is that even a bad thing?

We can all agree that moms and mother figures deserve the world. But realistically, very few of us can afford to gift ours the diamond necklace or island getaway she's worthy of unwrapping this Mother's Day.

Is that an excuse to just send Mom a gift card from the grocery store checkout line and call it a day? Not in the slightest. (Don't even think about it.)

SEE ALSO: Best Mother's Day gifts: Show mom some love

Read on for more than 20 inexpensive but thoughtful Mother's Day gift ideas under $50 that will make her feel special without breaking the bank, including several products recommended to us by our own moms and mom friends.

FREE AUDIOBOOKS: Stuff Your Earbuds Day is takes place on May 9-10. There's no limit on the number of free audiobooks you can download.

Stuff Your Kindle Day is always exciting, but what about the audio equivalent? Stuff Your Earbuds Day is a lesser-known event that gives shoppers the opportunity to score free audiobooks. It's time to put Stuff Your Kindle Day to the side and show some love for this generous event.

Looking to make the most out of Stuff Your Earbuds Day? We've got all the information you need.

What is Stuff Your Earbuds Day?

Stuff Your Earbuds Day is an annual event hosted by Romance Audiobookworms. During the special event, you can gain access to literally hundreds of free audiobooks across a wide range of genres. These free audiobook deals are live for 48 hours, and there’s no limit on the number that you can download. This is your moment to stock up.

When is Stuff Your Earbuds Day?

Stuff Your Earbuds Day takes place on May 9-10. You can sign up for updates and reminders here.

Who can participate in Stuff Your Earbuds Day?

The great thing about Stuff Your Earbuds Day (besides all the free audiobooks) is that anyone can participate. All you have to do is locate the audiobooks you want and download them from whatever platform you prefer (Google Play Books, Apple Books, Spotify, Chirp, Kobo, BookFunnel, and Barnes & Noble Nook).

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Tourist attraction in Venice and Amsterdam.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

CANAL

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Lively.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 9, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

PERKY

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To accumulate over time.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 9 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 9, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

AMASS

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Felt in the back or neck after a bad night's sleep.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for May 9 Hurdle Word 4 answer

CRICK

Final Hurdle hint

A kind of beer.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

LAGER

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

TL;DR: Unblock Pornhub from Alabama with a VPN. The best service for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.

The world of porn was rocked earlier this year by the news that more than a third of U.S. states introduced restrictions for online adult content. After the introduction of age verification laws, millions of users in Alabama are now unable to access Pornhub. There are complicated reasons for the restriction, but the workaround is actually straightforward.

If you want to unblock porn sites like Pornhub for free from Alabama, we have all the information you need.

How to unblock Pornhub for free in Alabama

VPNs are useful tools that can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other locations. This straightforward process bypasses geo-restrictions so you can access sites like Pornhub from anywhere in the world.

Unblock Pornhub by following these 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 Pornhub

4. Visit Pornhub

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (2-Year Subscription + 4 Months Free) $139 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for unblocking porn sites are not free, but most do offer free-trial peiods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites like Pornhub without actually spending anything. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you the opportunity to temporarily retain access to Pornhub before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to sites like Pornhub, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for bypassing content restrictions is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for Pornhub?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking porn sites like Pornhub, 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 always secure

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% 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 Pornhub for free in Alabama with ExpressVPN.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games 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 today'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.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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 May 9 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: You'd use a remote to find these

• Green: Distant

• Blue: Math terms

• Purple: Used to block out sunlight

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: TV display settings

• Green: Fuzzy, as a memory

• Blue: Results of some arithmetic

• Purple: Window treatments in the singular

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 #697 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• TV display settings: BRIGHTNESS, COLOR, CONTRAST, TINT

• Fuzzy, as a memory: DIM, FAINT, REMOTE, VAGUE

• Results of some arithmetic: DIFFERENCE, PRODUCT, QUOTIENT, SUM

• Window treatments in the singular: BLIND, DRAPE, SHADE, SHUTTER

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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 9

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.

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 Mashable

By 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 preferrined pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 9 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 9 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Outsiders

The words are outdoor-related.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are types of camping essentials.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Camping Gear

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for May 9

• Tent

• Backpack

• Camping gear

• Thermos

• Cooler

• Lantern

• Grill

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.

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 today'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 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for May 9 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 was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

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 May 9, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Gibberish.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter T.

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...

TRIPE.

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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 9

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 discussions follow those of rival OpenAI, which recently closed a funding round that valued it at $300 billion.

Thanks to President Donald Trump's tariffs, we've seen a lot of price increases in the tech world. And today, some outlets reported that Microsoft is increasing prices on some of its Surface devices.

We're not so sure.

Yes, the $999.99 base configurations of Microsoft's 13.8-inch Surface Laptop 7 and 13-inch Surface Pro 11 disappeared from its online store this week after the company unveiled two smaller and cheaper Surface devices. The two flagship Copilot+ PCs now start at $1,199.99 in the Microsoft Store, causing several tech publications to report 20-percent price hikes. And to be fair, Microsoft did recently increase the price of Xbox gaming consoles.

However, Microsoft tells Mashable the price of its base Surface Laptop and Pro hasn't changed after all.

"Microsoft did not raise Surface Pro or Surface Laptop prices," Nancie Gaskill, Microsoft's General Manager of Surface Business, said in a statement to Mashable. "Microsoft simply removed the Surface Laptop and Pro $999 base models from Microsoft.com. Customers can purchase base models of Pro and Laptop at the starting price of $999 at other key retailers."

SEE ALSO: Microsoft reveals 2 compact Surface devices starting well under $1,000

At the time of writing, shoppers could buy them for even less: The base models of both devices were on sale for $200 off at Best Buy.

Why the markup in the Microsoft Store, then? Look closely at the specs in their listings: The $1,199.99 Surface Laptop and Pro that Microsoft is selling have a 10-core Snapdragon X Plus processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage, while the $999.99 base models available elsewhere have half the storage (just 256GB).

So, the prices haven't changed; the company is simply no longer selling the lesser configurations.

It's also worth noting that both 512GB models have held steady at $1,199.99 since launching in June 2024.

Microsoft's newly announced 13-inch Surface Laptop and 12-inch Surface Pro are slightly cheaper alternatives to their flagship counterparts, with starting prices of $899.99 and $799.99, respectively. They're available for preorder in the Microsoft Store and beyond.

Some laptop manufacturers have raised their prices because of President Donald Trump's tariffs on imported Chinese goods. Asus previously told Mashable that some of its laptops saw tariff-related price hikes of up to nine percent. But Microsoft's Copilot+ PCs have been marked safe for now.

Other Microsoft products haven't been so lucky. On May 1, the tech giant announced that it was raising the recommended retail prices of its Xbox consoles and controllers, and that new first-party games would debut at $79.99 later this year. It attributed the price changes to "market conditions and the rising cost of development."

Digital resurrection projects — using artificial intelligence to bring back the likeness of people who have died — have become a trend for at least two years. And, as AI gets more advanced, so do the resurrections.

Most recently, Stacey Wales used AI to generate a video of her late brother, Christopher Pelkey, to address the courtroom at the sentencing hearing for the man who killed him in a road rage incident in Chandler, Arizona. According to NPR, its the first time AI has ever been used in this way.

"He doesn't get a say. He doesn't get a chance to speak," Wales told NPR, referring to her brother. "We can't let that happen. We have to give him a voice."

Pelkey was a veteran who served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army, according to an online obituary. He was also heavily involved in his local church, and he went on multiple mission trips. His sister told NPR that he loved God, loved others, and would give a stranger the shirt off his back. He was 37 when he died.

Wales created the AI video of her brother in a few days, but she didn't come up with the idea immediately. After two years of trying to craft a victim impact statement, Wales said she had the epiphany that the only voice that mattered was her late brother's.

"Every time I'd get in the shower or the car and my thoughts were quiet, I wrote down what I was feeling — frustrated, crying or emotions, yelling, anger, love, anything that I could think of," she told NBC News. "I've been writing it for two years, but I never had the idea to help Chris speak until a week and a half before this second trial."

Wales also posted the AI video of her brother online, and you can watch the same video shown in the courtroom.

SEE ALSO: AI deepfakes bring back the voices of gun violence victims. They're still begging Congress for change.

"Hello. Just to be clear for everyone seeing this, I'm a version of Chris Pelkey recreated through AI that uses my picture and my voice profile," the AI avatar said in the video. AI Pelkey thanked everyone in his life, and said he and his shooter, Gabriel Paul Horcasitas, "could have been friends" in "another life."

"Well, I'm gonna go fishing now. Love you all. See you on the other side," AI Pelkey said at the end of the video.

According to NPR, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Todd Lang said, "I loved that AI. Thank you for that." He gave Horcasitas the maximum sentence of just over a decade in prison for manslaughter.

This isn't the first time people have pushed the limits of AI to create versions of people who have died. It's a phenomenon particularly beloved by TikTok true crime fans, as Rolling Stone reported in 2023. And just last year, youth-focused gun reform organizations March For Our Lives and Change the Ref used audio "deepfakes" to "resurrect" gun violence victims in a campaign to Congress.

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return to The Conjuring franchise for one final demonic case in The Conjuring: Last Rites.

The pair have played real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren since 2013's The Conjuring. They reprised their roles in the sequels The Conjuring 2 and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. Plus, they also appeared in cameos or supporting roles in other Conjuring Universe films, like Annabelle Comes Home and The Nun.

Safe to say that after all this time, Ed and Lorraine have seen enough demonic activity to scare them several lifetimes over. But The Conjuring: Last Rites promises to be their last case, raising the question: After killer dolls and possession, what could possibly have been bad enough to make the Warrens retire?

The Conjuring: Last Rites is based on the Warrens' investigation of the Smurl family, who claimed to have experienced several supernatural incidents in their house in West Pittston, Pennsylvania. The trailer for The Conjuring: Last Rites highlights some of these occurrences, including a nightmarish floating doll and a sink filling with blood. But surely it will take more than that to deter the Warrens.

The Conjuring: Last Rites also stars Mia Tomlinson as Ed and Lorraine's daughter Judy, as well as Ben Hardy as Judy's boyfriend Tony. Michael Chaves, who helmed The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, is back in the director's chair. James Wan, creator of the franchise, serves as a producer alongside Peter Safran.

The Conjuring: Last Rites hits theaters Sept. 5.

Based on how hard it's been to lock down a Nintendo Switch 2 preorder, just about anyone could predict a big launch for the hotly anticipated new game console. In its latest earnings report, Nintendo itself predicted a giant first year for the Switch 2.

In its latest official sales forecast, released on Thursday, Nintendo said it expects to sell 15 million Switch 2 consoles before the end of March 2026, per CNBC. That date may seem random, but Nintendo's corporate fiscal calendar runs through March, so that's Q4 for the Japanese gaming giant.

SEE ALSO: Handheld Xbox console images leak just weeks before Switch 2 launch

For context, 15 million units would be one of the fastest starts for a console ever. Per Polygon, the original Switch came in at 14.8 million units in a similar timespan after its launch, while the PS5 (which was admittedly hurt by COVID supply chain issues) hit 13.4 million in that same window.

Fascinatingly, some industry analysts like Daniel Ahmad from Niko Partners actually see the 15 million units figure as conservative by Nintendo, and with good reason. While the hardware itself is impressive and there's a solid enough software lineup to match, President Donald Trump's tariff policies have thrown the general economic state of the world into question. The Switch 2's preorder in the U.S. had to be delayed by a couple of weeks because of tariffs, and though the announced price point of $450 is unchanged at the time of publication, the recent Xbox price hikes show that the gaming industry is not immune to large-scale price increases due to economic uncertainty.

With that in mind, it's entirely possible that Nintendo is low-balling itself and the Switch 2 will be an even bigger hit than predicted. Or, perhaps, many gamers will be avoiding big purchases over the next several months. Everything is on the table.

Toyota is facing a staggering $1.2 billion tariff bill, and that sum only includes tariff costs for April and May.

The Japanese automaker released financial results on May 8, which the company said "tentatively factored in" the estimated costs of the Trump tariffs.

In its FY2025 financial results, the company forecasted material costs for the coming year at 350 billion yen. But that number does not include an additional 180 billion yen for tariff impacts.

To put these numbers in perspective, Toyota reported a net profit for the year of $32.7 billion (through March). The $1.2 billion tariff bill would amount to 4 percent of the company's profit. Overall, Toyota's operating profit was down about 10.4 percent year over year, and the company forecasted a steeper decline of 21 percent in 2026.

The company also reported that electric vehicle sales now accounted for 46.2 percent of total sales, a “significant increase” driven largely by hybrid EVs like the Prius. The company sold an additional 850,000 EVs in the latest fiscal year, and it expects EVs to account for 50 percent of all sales in 2026, a major milestone. Across the world, current and potential Tesla drivers are rejecting the brand because of polemic CEO Elon Musk, which could be a boon for companies like Toyota.

The financial report also acknowledges the uncertainty of the current financial moment. The slapdash rollout of the Trump tariffs has caused much confusion and many price increases, and the report highlights "the difficulties in anticipating the business outlook due to the impact of U.S. tariff impacts and other factors."

Previously, Mashable reported on the ongoing fallout from the Trump tariffs. Smart home company Wyze recently shared a steep tariff bill on X, while e-commerce giants like Shein and Temu are struggling after the May 2 expiration of the de minimis exemption for imports.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Toyota only included the April and May tariff impacts because the tariff situation is so "fluid." The United States and Japan are actively negotiating the latter's tariff rate.

We reached out to Toyota for comment on the tariff situation, and we'll update this report if we hear back.

In 2020, The Old Guard, from director Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Woman King), delivered a thrilling combination of badass action and fantasy. Now, the tale of a group of immortal mercenaries — headed up by Charlize Theron, firmly in her action hero era between this, Atomic Blonde, and Mad Max: Fury Road — continues in The Old Guard 2.

SEE ALSO: Summer Movie Preview: What's coming to theaters and streaming?

For The Old Guard 2, Victoria Mahoney (Yelling to the Sky) takes over directing duties from Prince-Bythewood, who remains a producer. Greg Rucka, who wrote the first film as well as the original Old Guard graphic novels, co-wrote the film with Sarah L. Walker.

The movie picks up in the aftermath of The Old Guard. Andromache "Andy" of Scythia (Theron) has lost her immortality, while newbie immortal Nile (KiKi Layne) is getting the hang of being on the team. However, a fresh threat is rising: The first of the immortals (Uma Thurman) is coming to tear Andy and co. apart, resulting in a sword fight in the film's first trailer that will leave you saying, "Hell yeah."

But Thurman's character isn't the only problem awaiting Andy and Nile. Fellow immortal Quynh (Veronica Ngô) has escaped from her underwater prison and teamed up with traitor Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts). You can bet that after 500 years of being trapped in an iron maiden, revenge is Quynh's top priority. As the past catches up to Andy, and as she grapples with being mortal, will she and the rest of the Old Guard live to see another day?

The Old Guard 2 also stars Marwan Kenzari and Luca Marinelli as longtime lovers Joe and Nicky and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Old Guard handler Copley. The film introduces Henry Golding as Andy's longtime friend Tuah.

The Old Guard 2 hits Netflix July 2.

Meet Aperol and Bellini, the codenames Meta has given its new "super-sensing" AI glasses with facial recognition technology, according to The Information.

Meta originally scrapped the facial recognition feature for the first generation of the Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses over ethical concerns. However, the new report from The Information claims that a more business-friendly Federal Trade Commission under the new Trump Administration has emboldened Meta to reboot its plans for the next generation of smart glasses.

It's the latest example of AI-powered tech creeping into your private life, whether you like it or not.

SEE ALSO: Samsung heats up AR glasses arms race with new microdisplay technology

Meta may have signalled this shift back in April, when the company updated its privacy policies for its AR glasses. Meta also sometimes uses facial recognition to verify users' identity.

Now, The Information reports that facial recognition will be part of a live AI feature that will "always keep its cameras and sensors turned on and use AI to remember what its wearer encountered throughout a day." The feature will be opt-in (for the wearer, of course, not for anyone they interact with), but Meta is reportedly considering an indicator that would let people know the super-sensing feature is active. Currently, Meta's AI glasses have a light in the corner of the frame that signals when the glasses are taking a photo or video.

The live AI feature is already available, but it only lasts for about 30 minutes because of battery constraints. The new initiative is exploring how to make this feature last for hours, while adding facial recognition into the mix.

Meta's new focus is one of several instances of tech companies leveraging the AI boom to gather and process more granular data from its users. Recently, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas said on the TBPN podcast that they're building a browser to gather more personalized data about users. OpenAI is reportedly exploring some kind of social network to better compete with Meta AI and xAI's Grok, which can train on data from user posts. And then there's the Sam Altman-backed nonprofit World, which recently unveiled a mobile human verification device that scans people's eyeballs to distinguish humans from AI.

User data can be valuable to advertisers, but it can also be leveraged to improve AI models, since experts say companies are running out of training data (after "sucking the internet dry of usable information," as Nature put it recently).

As companies compete to gather as much data as possible, a concerning trend is becoming clear: privacy is out and surveillance is in.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.