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The best Black Friday streaming deals so far include up to 75% off Prime Video add-ons

Mashable - Fri, 11/22/2024 - 13:06
The best Black Friday streaming deals at a glance: BEST OVERALL Paramount+ with Showtime (Prime Video add-on) $2.99 per month for two months (save $20) Get Deal BEST FOR HORROR FANS AMC+ Ad-Free (Prime Video add-on) $2.25 per month for two months (save $13.48) Get Deal BEST FOR NEW THEATRICAL RELEASES MGM+ (Prime Video add-on) $1.75 per month for two months (save $10.48) Get Deal BEST FOR CHRISTMAS ADDICTS Hallmark+ (Prime Video add-on) $2 per month for two months (save $11.98) Get Deal

'Tis the season for streaming. Black Friday is one of the best times (if not the best time) to sign up for streaming services, as you can typically score some serious savings on monthly membership fees. In years past, we've seen Hulu offer 99 cent subscriptions and Max offer six months of streaming for $2.99 per month. So, if history is any indication, we're in for a treat in 2024 — especially since prices have skyrocketed over the past year.

While the standalone streaming services you know and love (think Hulu, Peacock, Max, etc.) have yet to announce their deals for Black Friday, Amazon's sale has kicked up some early deals on some streamers if you choose to subscribe as a Prime Video add-on. That means you'll need a Prime membership or an existing Prime Video account in order to snag these discounts up to 75% off.

If you're not a Prime member or Prime Video subscriber, stay tuned for more Black Friday streaming deals to come in the next week. As for now, here are the best Black Friday streaming deals live for Prime members. We'll update this list with the latest and greatest deals as they drop.

Best Black Friday streaming deal Opens in a new window Credit: Prime Video / Paramount+ Paramount+ with Showtime (Prime Video add-on) $2.99 per month for two months (save $10 per month) Get Deal Why we like it

Typically $12.99 per month, you can score Paramount+ with Showtime for just $2.99 per month for your first two months as a Prime Video add-on. That saves you $20 total and gets you unlimited, ad-free access to the entire Paramount+ catalog, plus Showtime originals and movies (like Yellowjackets and The Curse), live TV with CBS, and college football. Paramount+ is home to NFL on CBS, UEFA Champions League matches, CBS originals like Ghosts, Survivor, and Big Brother, old Nickelodeon and MTV shows, and Paramount's latest theatrical releases like A Quiet Place: Day One and Smile 2 (coming soon). For just under $6, you can binge a whole lot of stuff over the next two months. After the promo period, the cost will jump back up to $12.99 per month, so be sure to cancel before that if you want to avoid charges.

More Black Friday streaming deals

  • AMC+ with ads — $1.25/month for two months $4.99/month (save $3.74/month)

  • AMC+ ad-free — $2.25/month for two months $8.99/month (save $6.74/month)

  • BET+ Premium — $2.75/month for two months $10.99 per month (save $8.24/month)

  • BritBox — $2.25/month for two months $8.99/month (save $6.74/month)

  • Discovery+ with ads — $1.25/month for two months $4.99/month (save $3.74/month)

  • Discovery+ ad-free — $2.25/month for two months $8.99/month (save $6.74/month)

  • Hallmark+ — $2/month for two months $7.99 per month (save $5.99/month)

  • MGM+ — $1.75/month for two months $6.99 per month (save $5.24/month)

  • PBS Masterpiece — $1.50/month for two months $5.99/month (save $4.49/month)

  • Starz — $2.75/month for two months $10.99/month (save $8.24/month)

LLM Siri aims to rival ChatGPT — but don’t expect it until iOS 19

Mashable - Fri, 11/22/2024 - 12:56

Apple’s promised Siri overhaul likely won’t be fully realized until 2026.

A new report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says Apple is working on a Siri LLM to compete with ChatGPT. But it won't be ready until the iOS 19 and macOS 16 software updates, likely announced in 2025 and released in spring 2026.

The tech giant has been scrambling to update its dated voice assistant in the generative AI era, which has seen the rise of ChatGPT and competitors like Google Gemini.

SEE ALSO: Apple's smarter, AI-infused Siri may not come until 2025 What to expect from Siri’s AI overhaul

Apple announced a slew of new AI features as part of Apple Intelligence at WWDC last spring, including an updated Siri. But, "the company has yet to truly overhaul the software," said Gurman, adding "the upgrades that accompanied Apple Intelligence were mostly cosmetic."

So far, these have been part of iOS 18 updates, including a new glowing interface, the ability to type to Siri, and forthcoming integration with user data to perform personalized tasks based on emails, calendar events, and messages.

Tweet may have been deleted

The project, internally dubbed "LLM Siri" will reportedly rebuild Siri from the ground up, as an LLM (Large Language Model) that is trained on mass corpora of data. A Siri trained on advanced Apple AI models will "allow for back-and-forth conversations" and "interact more like a human and handle tasks in a way that’s closer to ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini," said Gurman.

Even though Apple is developing its own Siri LLM, the company has partnered with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT to iPhones as a third party tool with the iOS 18.2 update in December. Apple has also shared plans to partner with Google to provide Gemini as an alternative chatbot. The idea is to give Apple users a buffet of choices depending on the chatbot's specialities and offerings. On a related note, Apple is touting Apple Intelligence as privacy-minded, running tasks on-device and asking users if they want to proceed with a third-party option.

iOS 18.2 will be the biggest update so far, since it will include ChatGPT features that work with Siri, and other Apple Intelligence features like Genmoji and Image Playground. So for now, Apple is relying on OpenAI's chatbot to handle some of the more advanced generative AI tasks. The iOS 18.2 update is expected within the first two weeks of December.

Need a new computer monitor? Plenty are on sale ahead of Black Friday 2024.

Mashable - Fri, 11/22/2024 - 12:53
Best Black Friday monitor deals 2024 Best monitor deal LG 27MS500-B 27-inch FHD Monitor $99.99 (save $30) Get Deal Best gaming monitor deal Samsung Odyssey BG65 32-inch Curved Gaming Monitor $349.99 (save $350) Get Deal

It's not even officially Black Friday yet, and the deals for monitors are honestly good enough to start shopping right now. Whether you're looking to add a little something to your work-from-home setup or hoping to give your gaming experience a serious upgrade, there are a ton of live deals that you'll definitely want to take a look at.

From minimalistic office displays to gaming machines that are big on spectacle, take a look at our top monitor deal picks ahead of Black Friday 2024. Be sure to keep checking back, too, because we'll be updating this page with even more deals throughout the massive holiday shopping event.

SEE ALSO: The best early Black Friday laptop deals: Score record lows on the M4 MacBook Pro and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 Best monitor deal Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 27MS500-B 27-inch FHD Monitor $99.99 at Amazon
$129.99 Save $30.00 Get Deal Why we like it

If you're looking for a new work-from-home monitor on a budget, this LG model is only $99.99 ahead of Black Friday ($30 off the original price). The 27-inch, 1080p monitor doesn't have too many bells and whistles, but still packs a lot of value at this price — including a 100Hz refresh rate, an ergonomic tilting design, a Reader Mode, and more.

More monitor dealsBest gaming monitor deal Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Odyssey BG65 32-inch Curved Gaming Monitor $349.99 at Best Buy
$699.99 Save $350.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Curved gaming monitors are all the rage these days, and Samsung's Odyssey line is amongst the most popular of its kind. This 32-inch model from Samsung is just $349.99 leading up to Black Friday, which is a whole $350 off the list price. In addition to the immersive curved design, the Odyssey BG65 monitor also has a 240Hz refresh rate with 1ms response times, a QHD resolution, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, and much more to make for a smooth and effortless gaming experience. Don't miss out on this deal.

More gaming monitor deals

Wayfairs Black Friday sale is a Pinterest fever dream — shop furniture, decor, and more

Mashable - Fri, 11/22/2024 - 12:24

SAVE 80%: Wayfair is offering up to 80% off during its early Black Friday sale. Shop mattresses, furniture, and more.

Best Wayfair Black Friday deals Best mattress deal Sealy Cool 12-inch Medium Hybrid Mattress (Queen) $449.99 at Wayfair (save $650) Get Deal Best kitchen deal Ninja Professional 72-ounce countertop blender $59.99 (save $40) Get Deal Best holiday decor deal Holiday Aisle pre-lit 7.5-foot flocked artificial Christmas tree $169.99 (save $246.90) Get Deal

It’s official: Every retailer on the internet is doing some kind of Black Friday sale. Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and now Wayfair have all launched what I’m calling a discount extravaganza (cue Ru Paul’s voice).

SEE ALSO: What time Black Friday sales start for Amazon, Target, Walmart, Best Buy, and more

You can get up to 80% off seasonal decor, furniture, mattresses, and more during the Wayfair Black Friday sale. There are tens of thousands of discounted items across nearly every category Wayfair sells, and we’re here for it.

Here’s everything you need to know about Wayfair’s Black Friday sale:

When does Wayfair’s Black Friday sale start?

Wayfair's Black Friday sale officially kicked off on Nov. 21 and will run through Cyber Monday, Dec. 2, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Is Way Day better than Black Friday?

Way Day usually out-deals Black Friday when it comes to home goods, so you can find great deals during Wayfair’s Black Friday sale.

Way Day is Wayfair’s biggest sale of the year, usually taking place in the spring around Mother’s Day. Wayfair hosted two Way Day events this year — one in May and one in October (to compete with Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days).

How long is the Wayfair Black Friday sale?

Wayfair’s Black Friday sale ends Cyber Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

The best deals to shop during Wayfair’s Black Friday sale

Wayfair’s Black Friday sale is packed with deals. To help you figure out which ones are worth shopping for, we parsed through the pages and found the best deals on furniture, decor, and more:

Best mattress deals Opens in a new window Credit: Sealy Sealy Cool 12-inch Medium Hybrid Mattress (Queen) with CopperChill Technology $449.99 at Wayfair
$1,099.99 Save $650.00 Get Deal Why we like it

You can snag a Sealy Cool 12-inch Medium Hybrid Mattress (Queen) with CopperChill Technology for just $449.99, which is cheaper than it was during the Way Day sale in May. That’s a 59% discount or $650 in savings.

This mattress is ideal for hot sleepers who prefer a bed that’s not too soft but firm. The Sealy CopperChill gel-infused memory foam is comfortable and helps prevent night sweats. It’s also backed by a 10-year limited warranty, just in case.

More Black Friday mattress dealsBest kitchen deals Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Ninja Professional 72-ounce countertop blender $59.99 at Wayfair
$99.99 Save $40.00 Get Deal Why we like it

The Ninja Professional 72-ounce countertop blender is on sale for $59.99, down from $99.99. That’s 40% off and just $10 higher than Amazon’s all-time low price, according to our trusty price-checking tool CamelCamelCamel.

This blender has a powerful 1,000-watt motor and comes with a 72-ounce total crushing pitcher to make smoothies, frozen drinks, and more. You can probably make dips and salsas in it, too (depending on the ingredients and consistency you're going for).

Note: This is one of Wayfair’s “Deal of the Day” deals, so it might not be available at this price tomorrow. But Amazon matched the price, so if you can’t decide right now, you might be able to find it over there.

More Black Friday kitchen deals Best holiday decor deals Opens in a new window Credit: The Holiday Aisle The Holiday Aisle pre-lit 7.5-foot flocked artificial Christmas tree $169.99 at Wayfair
$416.89 Save $246.90 Get Deal Why we like it

The Holiday Aisle pre-lit 7.5-foot flocked artificial Christmas tree is on sale for $169.99. That’s 59% off the list price, or roughly $250 in savings.

This pre-lit tree has more than 1,000 positive reviews on Wayfair. Reviewers say it’s even more beautiful in person, is easy to set up, and looks great even without ornaments. If you need a smaller or larger size, it sells up to 12 feet and down to 4.5 feet.

More Black Friday seasonal decor deals

Festive rugs are 20% off at Ruggable’s Holiday Steals Sale

Mashable - Fri, 11/22/2024 - 12:14

GET 20% OFF: Ruggable Holiday Steals Sale is offering 20% off on gorgeous winter rugs with code HOLLY24.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ruggable Ruggable Holiday Steals Sale Take 20% off select rugs with code HOLLY24 Shop Now

Ready for a holiday home redo? Ruggable’s Holiday Steals Sale is here just in time. Ruggable is the go-to for washable rugs that bridge the gap between durability and design.

The Ruggable Holiday Steals Sale features winter designs like the Morris & Co. Blackthorn Forest Green Tufted Rug and traditional Christmas designs like the Festive Garland Multicolor Tufted Rug. Shop the Holiday sale and take 20% off using the code HOLLY24.

SEE ALSO: Finally live: Amazon's official Black Friday sale, and a ton of new deals are here

When we tested Ruggable we were beyond impressed, finding them to be plush, attractive and deeply resilient. Resistant to spills and pet messes alike, they’re perfect for a busy home where the forces of holiday chaos reign and dogs chew up toys.

An important part of Ruggable is what exists beneath. Ruggable rugs lay overtop pads that hold them in place or add cushioning depending on preference.

Shop now to get 20% off of cozy holiday rugs at the Ruggable Holiday Steals Sale which runs concurrent to Black Friday sales elsewhere.

Whether you’re looking for a large rug to cover a whole living room, or a small rug to live at the foot of the sink, Ruggable has you covered. Ruggable designs can be sized to preference. If you like a design, you’ll be able to purchase a variation of it in a size that works for your room. The Holiday Steals Sale also has festive outdoor mats like the Holiday Reindeer Doormat.

When is Genmoji coming out?

Mashable - Fri, 11/22/2024 - 12:09

Genmoji is one of the most highly anticipated Apple Intelligence features arriving to iOS 18. A portmanteau of "generative AI" and "emoji," Genmoji allows you to create your own emoji with text prompts.

But the question is, when is Genmoji coming out?

As of this writing, Genmoji is currently available for testing via a beta version of iOS 18. We have a guide on how to use Genmoji, which includes steps on how to get on the Apple Intelligence waitlist — a necessary step for experimenters before accessing Genmoji. In other words, Genmoji is testable, but it's not quite ready for primetime.

SEE ALSO: How to use Genmoji on iOS 18 When is Genmoji coming out?

As mentioned, you can test Genmoji right now on your iPhone by navigating to Settings > General > Software Update. Next, download the latest version of the iOS 18.2 beta.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

You must be a part of the Apple Beta Software Program to access beta versions of iOS. (Make sure that you backup your iPhone, too, because beta versions are known to be a little rough around the edges.)

However, Genmoji has not yet been released to the public on a stable iOS version.

Genmoji is expected to officially roll out sometime in December. As we reported in mid-November, the exact date is reportedly Dec. 9, though Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, a respected Apple insider, claims that the release date is Dec. 2.

Other image-based Apple Intelligence tools expected around the same time are Image Wand and Image Playground, designed to refine rough sketches into polished visuals and generate images from text prompts, respectively.

For iPhone users, Apple Intelligence is only available for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models, as well as the entire iPhone 16 line.

Black Friday printer and scanner deals bring big discounts on Epson, Canon, more

Mashable - Fri, 11/22/2024 - 11:44
The best early Black Friday printer and scanner deals Best printer-scanner combo deal Epson EcoTank ET-280 $179.99 (Save $50) Get Deal Best budget printer-scanner combo deal Canon PIXMA MG3620 $39.99 (Save $40) Get Deal Best laser printer deal Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw $89.99 (Save $90) Get Deal

Nothing makes your home office official like a printer. Whether you’re after a laser printer built for speed and efficiency or an inkjet printer that delivers rich graphics on demand, modern printers and scanners are better than ever — right now, early Black Friday deals from Amazon and other retailers mean they’re also more affordable.

Black Friday is one of the best times all year round to snag killer savings on printers and scanners like the Epson EcoTank ET-2800. This year major retailers like Amazon and Best Buy are taking Black Friday printer deals live a full week ahead of time, here are our favorites:

Best printer-scanner combo deal Opens in a new window Credit: Epson Epson EcoTank ET-280 $179.99 at Amazon
$229.99 Save $50.00 Get Deal Why we like it

If you owned a printer in the early 2000s then you’re probably used to ink cartridges that are so exorbitantly priced they can feel like alchemist’s materials. The Epson EcoTank ET-280 is an absolute innovation from that era. The EcoTank uses large ink tanks that are easy to refill and affordable to run … we’re talking much more affordable. Epson even comes right out and says it, stating that EcoTank refills can be 90 percent more affordable than older ink cartridges. 

Good quality color printing with drastically cheaper ink? What’s not to like? Especially when the printer itself is 36% off at its lowest price ever. 

Best budget printer-scanner combo deal Opens in a new window Credit: Canon Canon PIXMA MG3620 $39.99 at Best Buy
$79.99 Save $40.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Want it all for less? The Canon PIXMA MG3620 Wireless All-In-One Inkjet Printer fits a scanner and printer into the same affordable desk-sized box, and it’s real affordable — for Black Friday it’s priced down to just $40, saving you 50%. 

The Canon PIXMA printer handles color nicely for the price. Its scanner delivers resolutions up to 1200 x 2400 pixels. It’s also simple to use with wireless connectivity ensuring you can print from anywhere in the house.

Best laser printer deal Opens in a new window Credit: Canon Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw $89.99 at Amazon
$179.99 Save $90.00 Get Deal Why we like it

When you’re looking to print volume efficiently, a laser printer might be the way to go. The Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw Wireless Monochrome Laser Printer is a strong black-and-white laser printer that can really churn through paper. 

Designed to handle 30 pages a minute and hold up to 150, this is a great printer for pumping out long memos and document drafts. Wireless connectivity ensures it’s also simple to use. 

As of Nov. 21, get it for $89.00 and save 50%.

More printer dealsMore scanner deals

Elon Musk Gets a Crash Course in How Trumpworld Works

NYT Technology - Fri, 11/22/2024 - 11:39
The world’s richest person, not known for his humility, is still learning the cutthroat courtier politics of Donald Trump’s inner circle — and his ultimate influence remains an open question.

Why women behaving badly are dominating our screens

Mashable - Fri, 11/22/2024 - 11:36

If the last 12 months of film and television are anything to go by, female protagonists are truly entering their villain era.

From psychological romantic thrillers like Rose Glass's Love Lies Bleeding and Zoe Kravitz's Blink Twice to horror romps including Zelda Williams' Lisa Frankenstein and Coraline Fargeat's The Substance, women are done playing by the rules. Films like these frequently harness the palpable feminine rage in the world and use horror genre tropes like severe trauma and stalk-and-murder sequences with instances of extreme violence to challenge audiences' patriarchal, socially conditioned ideas about how women should act, often in the face of adversity, in their professional and personal lives. 

The "bad girl" isn't just a new trend, academic authors like Catharine Lumby and Roxane Gay have been writing about their perception in media and society for decades. But the recent influx is indicative of the growing number of women filmmakers claiming space in an antihero realm that their male counterparts have long dominated as with Barbet Schroeder's Single White Female, Adrian Lyne's Fatal Attraction, and Takashi Miike's Audition. 

SEE ALSO: How to watch the campy body horror gem 'The Substance' at home

These filmmakers are walking through the door opened by the likes of Julia Ducournau (Raw, Titane), Ana Lily Amirpour (A Girl Walks Alone At Night) and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Killing Eve) to offer stories centring on female characters with iffy moral compasses that counter the "good girl" cultural expectations of female-identifying people. Still, as much as they are female-focused, each badly behaved woman can be fully embraced by audiences of all genders. 

This societal shift is "liberating" for women and offering "new opportunities for actresses to occupy the villain position is, paradoxically, more humane," Freudian cinephile and pop psychoanalyst Mary Wild tells Mashable. "It brings a certain freedom to express complexity and depth – I think audiences are captivated by this." And so are stars like Ella Purnell, Melissa Barrera, and Alice Lowe who share with Mashable how essential these badly behaved protagonists are to cinema today in disrupting established female narratives.

'Sweetpea,' the female serial killer

As the lead star and producer of Sky Atlantic serial killer comedy series Sweetpea, Ella Purnell  (Yellowjackets, Arcane, Fallout) found the challenge of getting audiences to relate to a woman who kills especially appealing. Based on CJ Skuse's book of the same name, Purnell plays introvert Rihannon, a receptionist at a regional newspaper who was bullied throughout her adolescence and is overlooked by everyone in her adult life. Following the death of her father and a series of misogynistic encounters, Rhiannon embarks on a murder spree. "What they wanted to do was 'female Dexter' but a woman has to do hardly anything to mess up and you lose the audience. People naturally have a subconscious bias where they're going to judge women more harshly than men."

This gendered prejudice is part of the reason why Sweetpea writer Kirstie Swain felt it appropriate to adapt the show as a prequel to the first book's events where Rhiannon is already an established serial killer. "The book gave us quite a lot of reasons for why she [kills] like a head injury, a massacre and bullying, so we pared it back a bit and then [sought out] how she got there," she tells Mashable. "It's almost like the audience needs an emotional reason for why a woman will kill. Men kill on screen but we need something else that will help us be at peace watching a woman being violent on screen."

The first episode of Sweetpea piles on the slights with Rhiannon being dismissed and ignored by her boss, sister, colleagues, and lover before a misogynistic confrontation with a stranger triggers her murderous rage. As her body count gets longer, so does her confidence and self-assuredness get higher. "The fact that she is the last person that someone will see when she extinguishes their life unlocked, for me, her reason for doing it – she's unseen, she kills, she is seen," Swain says. "It's a metaphor for finding your power and making people see you."

SEE ALSO: 20 of the best British horror films

"By actually being comfortable with herself, looking in the mirror and being okay with what she sees, with being messy and breaking the rules, that allows her the confidence that she's been looking for," adds Purnell. "No one over here is endorsing murder [but] watching a woman learn how to stand up for herself especially when she's gone through so much and been treated so badly, it feels good." 

Rhiannon is certainly expanding the meaning of the "femme fatale," a trope made famous by films like Double Indemnity, Basic Instinct and To Die For whereby a woman's bad behaviour and predatory nature are wrapped up in her sexual allure and ability to seduce her, mostly, male victims. Instead, Purnell "wanted to be the ugliest version of myself without being 'tropey'," she explains. "All girls know how to make themselves look hot and not hot. I wanted to have almost that Jennifer's Body thing that when she starts killing, she becomes more vibrant." 

Rhiannon doesn't use sex to lure her murder victims but she certainly becomes more sexually empowered when she begins standing up for herself. In a world where female sexuality is still wrapped up in shame and sexually autonomous women continue to be villainised, subversive characters like Rhiannon play an important role in challenging our still very patriarchal society.

'Your Monster' and revenge plots

Caroline Lindy's Your Monster similarly offers a "coming-of-rage" story of a Rhiannon-like, "unsexy" female protagonist as she processes the horror of a breakup. After being dumped by her musical director boyfriend, while getting her cancer treatment, soft-spoken actress Laura (Melissa Barrera) spends several scenes going through an emotional breakdown. From Scream to Abigail, the actor is known for playing badass survivors in the horror genre and admits that she had to confront her own biases when redefining her idea of a "strong female character" in the context of Laura's journey. 

"Laura is completely a doormat who's been letting people walk all over her for her entire life," Barrera tells Mashable. "At the beginning, I was ashamed of that and I didn't want people to judge that Laura was pathetic but that's the point." Thus, Barrera had to counter her own "internalised misogyny of not allowing a woman to hit rock bottom and to be vulnerable and express all out so that she can build herself back up."

The arrival of a Beauty and the Beast-looking Monster (Tommy Dewey) forces Laura to find her fury, demand a place in her ex's stage show and ultimately claim bloody vengeance against him in a Broadway show finale. It's a cathartic moment that taps into both Lindy and many people's feelings towards an ex who treats you badly. 

"[They're] such an asshole, you want to murder them – that's how [Caroline] felt when she was broken up with," Barrera says. "She was like, 'I wanted to kill him. He hurt me so much.' She didn't in real life but then that's why we have movies – you get to live out the fantasy."

Horror offers fertile ground for filmmakers to embark on "subversive exploration of taboo subjects in a way that feels thrilling rather than punishing," says Wild. By using serial killer and monster tropes, as well as revenge plots and murder as a metaphor for women fighting back against patriarchy and misogyny, films and series like Sweetpea and Your Monster continue the work of Emerald Fennell's Promising Young Woman and Coraline Fargeat's Revenge to "provide a platform for women to break societal rules without incurring the harsh scrutiny they might face in a more grounded, gritty narrative."

'Strange Darling' and challenging gendered expectations

However "badly behaved women" don't always need to exact revenge to earn the label. Nor do audiences need to see their emotional journey into violence. JT Mollner had that in mind when approaching his twisted love story Strange Darling, charting the escalation of a one-night stand between The Lady (Willa Fitzgerald) and The Demon (Kyle Gallner) into a frantic killing spree. 

SEE ALSO: 25 of the best Christmas horror movies to haunt your holiday

"Female behaviour is expected to have explanations, backstory, and reasons," Mollner tells Mashable. "We wanted to stay away from over-explaining as much as possible, something that seems more commonly reserved for male characters." 

Strange Darling uses a non-linear narrative to subvert expectations of who the real serial killer is, throwing "viewers into this pressure cooker and taking them on a ride," the director explains. "No distractions, no exposition or backstory, just immediacy. Everything you need to know about these characters emotionally should be available through their behaviours, choices, and actions within this one day."

Mollner is a prime example of a male filmmaker disrupting patriarchal expectations of female characters. So too is Karan Khandari whose debut Sister Midnight is a nonconformist feminist fable set in Mumbai. Led by the frenetic Radhika Apte, Khandari's twisted comedy follows her acerbic bride Uma as she embraces newly developed vampiric tastes and rebels against domesticity. But it is mostly "female directors and more female creators" who are demanding space for badly behaved women, says Barrera. "We're just telling the stories that we're feeling and it just so happens that in the communal cloud of emotion in the world we're all very angry."

'Timestalker' and the (un)likeability factor

Still, many creators are fed up with receiving studio notes and executive feedback about making their villainous female protagonists more 'likeable.' Alice Lowe understood that when she wrote, directed and led 2016's black horror comedy Prevenge. Lowe played a widowed mum-to-be who begins killing the men involved in her husband's death under her unborn baby's instruction. 

"Executives and commissioners get worried if the female character isn't 'likeable' and that's a keyword you don't hear used about male characters," Lowe tells Mashable during promotion for her new film Timestalker. "You don't watch Taxi Driver, look at Travis Bickle and think, 'what a nice man.' You're just watching this very screwed-up character on a journey, and he's fascinating and complex and damaged as a person. Why can't we watch a woman have a similar personality?"

This recent run of badly behaved women on screen is an encouraging trend and suggests that audiences will get to enjoy watching even more antiheroines break free from the shackles of likeability and gender conformity. And you don't have to be a female-identifying person to connect with the social and cultural themes these characters and stories tackle. 

"I've seen men come out and be like, 'I loved the movie,'" says Barrera. "This isn't just a movie for women because it's about female rage. Everybody gets something out of it, everybody can see themselves in Laura and everybody wants a monster."

Bluesky Is Turning Into a Strong X Alternative

NYT Technology - Fri, 11/22/2024 - 11:30
Bluesky has a hint of the old Twitter magic, but the feeling of freedom it offers might be even better.

PS5 vs. PS5 Slim: What are the differences?

Mashable - Fri, 11/22/2024 - 11:28

In this PS5 vs. PS5 Slim face off, we'll be helping you decide which console is best for you.

With the recent launch of the upgraded PS5 Pro console, now might be the perfect opportunity to snag a slightly older yet still incredibly powerful PS5.

With potential sweet deals or even permanent price drops on the horizon, it’s essential to know exactly what you’re getting (and not getting) with the PS5 and PS5 Slim.

Let's get right into it.

SEE ALSO: The price of Sony's PS5 Pro is 'brutal' and the internet hates it PS5 vs. PS5 Slim: price

For context, the original, non-slim PS5 has two versions: a digital one (without a disc drive) and one with a disc drive. The same can be said for the PS5 Slim; it's got a digital version and a disc one.

For whatever reason, Sony decided to not drop the prices of the new PS5 Slim models. The PS5 Slim with a disc drive is still $499, while the PS5 Slim without a disc drive is $449 — or a $50 increase over the original PS5 digital-only console.

  • PS5 Slim (no disc drive) - $449

  • PS5 Slim (with disc drive) - $499

  • Original PS5 (no disc drive) - $399

  • Original PS5 (disc drive) - $499

PS5 Slim (no disc drive) $449.00 at Amazon
Shop Now Sony PlayStation 5 $555.00 at Amazon
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With that in mind, yes, the digital-only PS5 Slim is a money-saver in comparison to the one with a disc drive, but not in comparison to the digital-only model that launched in 2020.

The new price also means that buying a digital model before purchasing the additional disc drive would cost more than just snagging the version with a built-in drive. I don't really have a good explanation for that.

My only advice is this: If you want a PS5 that only costs $399, you better get one now. This is an important note: Once the existing stock of both original models sells out, the new slim models will replace them on store shelves.

PS5 vs. PS5 Slim: size

Obviously, size is what many gamers are most concerned about here, so let's get right to it. Looking at Sony's stated dimensions, you can see that the new PS5 is indeed smaller than the original:

  • Original PS5 (disc version): 104mm (height) x 390mm (width) x 260mm (depth)

  • PS5 Slim (disc version): 96mm (height) x 358mm (width) x 216mm (depth)

  • Original PS5 (digital version): 92mm x 390mm x 260mm

  • PS5 Slim (digital version): 80mm x 358mm x 216mm

Credit: Sony

In other words, per Sony's announcement blog post, that's about a 30 percent reduction in total volume. That's definitely an improvement, but there's some important context missing in just those raw numbers. The Verge ran a digital size comparison and discovered that both new models are still substantially larger than the Xbox Series X.

In other words, this "slim" console is still pretty dang big.

For a visual comparison, check out this awesome PS5 Slim vs. Regular Reddit post.

PS5 vs. PS5 Slim: performance and storage

Another important aspect of the new PS5 models to get out of the way is that they have the exact same internal capabilities as the originals. This isn't a PS4 vs. PS4 Pro situation. Games will run exactly the same across the spectrum of PS5 consoles.

Credit: Sony

One little internal bonus that owners of the new PS5s get, however, comes in the form of expanded storage. For some reason, the original PS5 only had 825GB of onboard storage, with the option to expand via external SSDs. The new ones have a full 1TB of built-in space, so you can install a few extra games depending on how big they are.

PS5 vs. PS5 Slim: disc drive

Just like at the PS5's launch in late 2020, there are two PS5 Slim models. One of them has a built-in disc drive and the other one is digital-only.

Credit: Sony

Well, sort of, anyway. There's an optional detachable disc drive you can buy for $79.99. It's a little goofy looking, but it should do exactly what you think it does. For physical media collectors, the disc drive is a must-buy.

It's worth noting, however, that the PS5 Slim, unlike the OG PS5, does not come with a vertical stand in the box. However, seasoned gamers will tell you that you should keep your PS5 to be stationed horizontally anyway.

I found my celebrity look-a-like with ChatGPT – here’s how

Mashable - Fri, 11/22/2024 - 11:08

Did you know ChatGPT can help you find your celebrity look-alike? With just a few selfies, this AI tool can pinpoint your famous doppelgänger in seconds.

But here’s the catch: ChatGPT’s default interface doesn’t support celebrity look-alike detection. Believe me, I’ve tried. When I attempted to uncover my A-list twin through the standard ChatGPT window, I was met with this disappointing response: “I cannot determine your celebrity look-a-like from the photo.”

Fortunately, there is a workaround, allowing you to use ChatGPT as your own personal celebrity look-a-like matching tool.

SEE ALSO: 17 of the best ChatGPT courses you can take online for free How to use ChatGPT to find your celebrity look-a-like

These step-by-step instructions are based on the ChatGPT desktop app, but they should work for the mobile platform as well.

Total Time
  • 5 min
What You Need
  • ChatGPT

Step 1: Open ChatGPT

Step 2: Click on ChatGPT 4o

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Step 3: Click on "Explore GPTs"

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Step 4: Type in "celebrity" into the search bar.

Click on the "Find My Celebrity Look Alike" GPT by habitcreatures.com.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Step 5: Click on "Start Chat"

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Step 6: Type in "Who is my celebrity look-a-like?" as your prompt.

Upload your photos; three should be sufficient.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Step 7: Wait for the results

ChatGPT should populate your best celebrity look-a-like match in just seconds. My celebrity look-a-like is Janelle Monáe. It's something I've never heard of in real life, but I'll take it.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

If you’ve given this a try, drop a comment below and share who your celebrity look-alike is.

Amazon deal of the day: Snag the AirPods Pro 2 for their lowest price ever a week before Black Friday

Mashable - Fri, 11/22/2024 - 11:05
Check out the best Amazon deals of the day as of Nov. 22: OUR TOP PICK Apple AirPods Pro 2 $159.99 (save $89.01) Get Deal BEST OUTDOOR DEAL Yeti Roadie 24 cooler $200 (save $50) Get Deal BEST KIDS DEAL Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro $109.99 (save $80) Get Deal BEST TABLET DEAL Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE (256GB, WiFi) $299.99 (save $220) Get Deal

Amazon's official Black Friday deals are in full swing. The sale kicked off Thursday, Nov. 21 and runs through Cyber Monday on Dec. 2. If you've been hoping to snag some high-quality tech you've had your eye on or check off your holiday shopping list, now's the time to do it. On Friday, Nov. 22, we've highlighted a few standout deals we think you should check out, including top brands like Apple, Yeti, and Samsung.

Here are our top picks for the best Amazon deals of the day. If you missed out on our picks from Nov. 20 and Nov. 21, be sure to check those out as well. Most (if not all) of those are still live — including all-time lows on the Sonos Era 300 and Kindle Paperwhite.

Our top pick Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Pro 2 $169.99 at Amazon
$249.00 Save $79.01 Get Deal

In case it wasn't obvious from our multiple headphone buying guides, we're big fans of the AirPods Pro 2. They produce rich and well-balanced sound, offer excellent noise cancellation (some of the best in class for earbuds), work seamlessly within the Apple ecosystem, and offer decent enough battery life. We've seen these earbuds regularly drop to $199 and even $189 throughout the year, and $169 is even better.

Opens in a new window Credit: Yeti Yeti Roadie 24 cooler $200.00 at Amazon
$250.00 Save $50.00 Get Deal

Whether tailgating or camping this season, the Yeti Roadie is a stellar companion. It can fit 18 cans with a 2:1 ice-to-can ratio or 24 pounds of just ice, all in a slim and tall build (tall enough to fit a wine bottle) that can be stashed behind the driver's or passenger's seat of a car. Of course, like every other Yeti, it can also keep ice for days and is virtually indestructible. I own this exact cooler (albeit in a different color) and couldn't recommend it enough. My only complaint is that it's quite heavy to tote around when it's stuffed to capacity. Usually $250, it's on sale for $200 at Amazon in the bright orange shade. That's a rare 20% in savings.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro $109.99 at Amazon
$189.99 Save $80.00 Get Deal

Designed for 6- to 12-year-olds, the latest Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro tablet packs a 25% faster processor over the previous generation, a bump in RAM, an increase in battery life (from 12 to 13 hours), and an upgraded front-facing camera (5MP versus 2MP). It still features the durable case and built-in kickstand, so it can stand up to all kinds of kid-friendly adventures. Plus, it comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, which gives kids access to thousands of ad-free books, games, videos, apps, and more. It's regularly $189.99, but you can save 42% ahead of Black Friday and get it for only $109.99. That matches its all-time low price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE (256GB, WiFi) $299.99 at Amazon
$519.99 Save $220.00 Get Deal

Essentially a lite version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9, the FE boasts the same tough IP68 dust- and water-resistant rating, a slightly smaller battery capacity (8,000 vs 8,400 mAh), and the same included S Pen. It's tech specs aren't quite as impressive overall, but for the price, it's hard to complain. Where the S9 with 256GB would run you $619.99 on sale, the S9 FE is down to just $299.99 ahead of Black Friday. That's 42% in savings and its lowest price to date. If you want a larger screen and a slight boost in RAM, the FE+ is a solid in-between option and is on sale for $498.03.

None of these deals catching your eye? Check out Amazon's daily deals for even more savings.

What Elon Musk Needs From China

NYT Technology - Fri, 11/22/2024 - 10:53
From electric cars to solar panels, Mr. Musk has built businesses in high-tech manufacturing sectors now targeted by Beijing for Chinese dominance.

Click the magic coupon to get a $250 iPad 10th Gen with this Amazon deal

Mashable - Fri, 11/22/2024 - 10:50

GET $99 OFF: As of Nov. 22, you can get an Apple iPad (10th Generation) for just $249.99. That's 29% off the original price or $99 off.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad (10th Generation) $249.99 at Amazon
$349.00 Save $99.01 Get Deal

An iPad for $250? Yes. When you shop today, an on-page coupon drops the already discounted price of the Apple iPad (10th Generation) to $249.99.

This iPad isn’t just affordable, it’s also loaded. An A14 Bionic chip runs things under the hood, while the action happens on a 10.9-inch liquid retina display. Whether you’re buying for a grandkid who wants to play Minecraft, a parent who loves to surf the internet, or to pursue your own digital illustration craft, this display will impress.

Amazon is crazy for this one — order now and get the Apple iPad (10th Generation) for $250 with an on-page coupon that combines with the 20% price drop.

SEE ALSO: The latest deals from Best Buy's Black Friday sale: Huge QLED TVs, Oura Rings, a GoPro bundle, and laptops galore

12MP front and rear cameras keep your life documented in brilliant HD. With 64GB of storage, it holds a whole trove of data and programs.

With touch unlock, the iPad is a secure portal for navigating the internet and paying for the items and apps you want.

Amazon Invests $4 Billion in Anthropic, Deepening Its A.I. Ties

NYT Technology - Fri, 11/22/2024 - 10:45
Since last September, the tech giant has pumped $8 billion into the artificial intelligence start-up, a sign of intense competition in developing tools that are reshaping the tech sector.

Don’t let this GoPro Hero13 Black Friday deal sail past

Mashable - Fri, 11/22/2024 - 10:40

GET $100 OFF: As of Nov. 22, you can get a GoPro Hero13 Bundle for $349.99 and Best Buy will throw a $25 gift card in too. That's 22% off the original price of $449.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: GoPro GoPro HERO13 Black Action Camera Bundle $349.99 at Best Buy
$449.99 Save $100.00 Get Deal

Adventure season is all year ‘round when you’re sporting a GoPro. Thick snow banks, crystal lagoons, and dusty mountain bike rides in the American West are all fair game. The GoPro Hero 13 bundle comes with a mount, battery, mounting buckle, and USB-C cable so that you can get started adventuring immediately.

The GoPro Hero13 packs enough resolution to capture any adventure with 5K standard resolution and 27 megapixels. Its HDR capabilities impressed us with rich dynamics and tones. Digital stabilization keeps the image looking fresh even when you’re skidding down a scree field or white water rafting.

SEE ALSO: Finally live: Amazon's official Black Friday sale, and a ton of new deals are here

Today, Nov. 22, the GoPro Hero13 Bundle is $100 off, for a price of $349.99 — plus, Best Buy will throw in a $25 gift card when you order today.

Native slow motion recording captures drama as it happens even in low light. While it’s not fully waterproof, the Hero13 is water resistant down to 33 feet — deep enough for most divers.

With a built-in 2.27 inch LCD touch screen this hardy camera will accompany you into the backcountry while producing studio-quality video.

How director Jon M. Chu made Wicked with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo

Mashable - Fri, 11/22/2024 - 10:30

Jeff Goldblum and Jonathan Bailey join Jon M. Chu in laying out how the filmmaker was able to bring the story of Wicked to life in film.

Wicked is now in theaters.

Get $1,400 off a 100-inch Hisense TV at Best Buy

Mashable - Fri, 11/22/2024 - 10:17

SAVE $1,400: As of Nov. 22, you can snag a 100-inch Hisense TV at Best Buy for $1,599.99. That's $1,400 off the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 100-inch Class QD7 Series QLED 4K UHD Smart Google TV (2024) $1,599.99 at Best Buy
$2,999.99 Save $1,400.00 Get Deal

If you’ve been dying to set up a home theatre but couldn’t stomach the price tag, Best Buy has a crazy deal on a 100-inch Hisense that could make your dream a reality.

As of Nov. 22, you can get your hands on a Hisense 100-inch Class QD7 Series QLED 4K UHD Smart Google TV (2024) for $1,599.99. That’s $1,400 off the list price and the cheapest you’ll find this model at any retailer, including Walmart (where it’s currently out of stock).

SEE ALSO: The latest deals from Best Buy's Black Friday sale: Huge QLED TVs, Oura Rings, a GoPro bundle, and laptops galore

Sure, $1,599.99 sounds like a lot, but this is a steal compared to other 100-inch TVs. Most 100-inch TVs cost between $3,500 and $5,000, so this Hisense model is a relative bargain.

The Hisense 100-inch Class QD7 Series QLED 4K UHD Smart Google TV (2024) has a 144Hz refresh rate, offers HDR10, HDR10+, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG), and Dolby Vision, and runs Google TV, so you can watch all your favorite streaming apps. You can also connect it to voice assistants like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa for hands-free control.

With four HDMI inputs and special gaming features like Game Mode Pro, Game Buster 240, Motion Rate 240, and MEMC frame insertion, this TV is a great pick for gamers, sports fans, and movie buffs.

All We Imagine As Light review: A resplendent portrait of womanhood

Mashable - Fri, 11/22/2024 - 07:29

Amid the heady haze, unrelenting traffic, and humidity of the city of Mumbai, three complex women sit at the core of Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine As Light. Written and directed by the Mumbai-based A Night of Knowing Nothing filmmaker in her first fiction feature, the film is as much an ode to modern womanhood as it is to the bustling city itself.

With exquisite, vulnerable, and dynamic performances from Kani Kusruti (Girls Will Be Girls), Divya Prabha (Ariyippu), and Chhaya Kadam (Sister Midnight), the Cannes Grand Prix-winning film explores varying experiences of living within India's most populated city — where women are challenging the status quo. Emboldened by a pulsating synth-fuelled score by Dhritiman Das and superb cinematography by his brother Ranabir, the film renders this energetic city as a living, breathing character itself, an organic being in a state of constant flux.

SEE ALSO: 'Girls Will Be Girls' review: A sublime coming-of-age tale that deeply understands girlhood What is All We Imagine As Light about? Kani Kusruti as Prabha. Credit: BFI

Tracing the interweaving lives of three women working together in a multi-speciality hospital in Mumbai, the film presents a nuanced, multifaceted portrait of both its protagonists and the metropolis itself.

Prabha (Kusruti), one of the hospital's senior nurses, is managing her guilt over feelings for a coworker while concealing the pain caused by her long-distance marriage. Anu (Prabha), her younger roommate, has a secret romance with Shiaz (Crash Course's Hridhu Haroon), which they hide for religious and social reasons. And Parvaty (Kadam), the eldest of the three, is facing eviction by Mumbai's wealthy developers due to her lack of written claim to her home; her proof of identity quite literally does not exist on paper.

As their lives take different turns, the three find their way to Parvaty's home town in a coastal village in the district of Ratnagiri for a breath of fresh air, new perspectives, and the unlocking of their suppressed passions, desires, and memories.

The three leads of All We Imagine As Light are sublime Divya Prabha as Anu. Credit: BFI

Embodying very different experiences of womanhood within the bustling city of Mumbai, the three leads of All We Imagine As Light are the true heart of the film. Despite their bond, there's a deep sense of isolation in each of the characters, some benefitting from the anonymity such a large city provides (Anu's secret love affair), others being crushed by it (Parvaty's eviction), and the three leads crystallise Kapadia's beautiful script of powerfully cinematic everyday moments.

As the stoic, acquiescent Prabha, Girls Will Be Girls star Kusruti expertly conveys internalised heartbreak and suppressed frustration as she endures a communication-less marriage with her husband living abroad. Prabha constantly supports others financially or emotionally, dismissing her own desires, and Kusruti infuses her performance with intense longing and concealed loneliness.

Kani Kusruti as Prabha. Credit: BFI

The youngest of the three, Ariyippu actor Prabha, brings a dynamic, naive, passionate energy to Anu. Forced to keep her relationship a secret, she's frustrated by her lack of agency, and motivated by intense emotion, which triggers her roommate's internalised patriarchal judgment. This sense of projected insecurity and decorum becomes a major hurdle for Anu and Prabha, with the tension between social scandal and suppressed passion, obedience and empowerment forming the core arc for them.

As the eldest, Parvaty is facing serious challenges with her home about to be swallowed up by the city's wealthy development, and forms the embodiment of Kapadia's exploration of Mumbai's sense of impermanence. Kadam is measured, frank, and meticulous in the character. While Parvaty's sense of financial autonomy disappears in Mumbai, it thrives in her home town, a contrast that brings up significant inner conflict for all three women. This sense of place, in the film, is more than mere setting.

The city of Mumbai is a character itself in All We Imagine As Light Divya Prabha as Anu and Hridhu Haroon as Shiaz. Credit: BFI

A humming, energetic metropolis holding over 21 million people, Mumbai is as much a character in All We Imagine As Light as its leads. Filmed across the neighbourhoods of Lower Parel and Dadar, the "city of lights" is also deemed a "city of illusions" in the movie; it's a place of expectation and disappointment, of isolation and spontaneity, of nightlife and hard work, of wealthy developers swallowing up affordable housing — as Parvaty observes, "You could just vanish into thin air and no one would know."

With Dhritiman Das' hypnotic, minimal electronic score framing intimate cinematography by Ranabir Das, the city hums throughout the film's first two acts. The omnipresent sounds of trains, construction noise, and traffic rumble through every scene, as director Kapadia collides the city's exterior din with hushed interior scenes. Within these populated streets, Kapadia finds poignant, human moments, both with the three protagonists and supporting characters. Here, the film almost feels like a documentary at times. Each resident, the director urges, has their own Mumbai story, and we're allowed to hear a great number of these in voiceover — tales of how each person arrived in the city, learned to forget things, escape things, and find new beginnings there. 

Credit: BFI

Each tale is paired with sweeping city shots, glimpses of shop owners, apartment dwellers, and night footballers, and predominantly, intimate, personal connections on public transport. DOP Das' long shots along Mumbai's streets make you feel like you're simply on the ride through the hubbub, and the characters have major life conversations on their commutes. With assured editing from Clément Pinteaux (So Long Sadness), the film presents Mumbai as a landscape of impermanence, a city in constant motion. Notably, Kapadia sets the the film during the monsoon season, visually imbuing a sense of humidity, dampness, and discomfort, but also using the weather to its romantic advantage; several scenes in the torrential rain are stunning moments of relief.

It's this detailed attention paid to Mumbai that makes the film's third act shift to the beach village in Ratnagiri so impactful, as Prabha, Anu, and Parvaty find individual moments of peace, empowerment, and contentment here that they can't access in Mumbai. The film's final act allows the three to reclaim themselves beyond the anonymity of the city, and see beyond the towering skyscrapers to alternative possibilities.

By the end of All We Imagine as Light, these women are able to see from one another's perspective in a way that broadens their appreciation for each other as women, and in turn, our understanding of their turmoil. It's a boldly intimate film that feels so real it could be non-fiction, with some of the best performances you'll see all year.

All We Imagine As Light is out now in select U.S. cinemas, and in UK and Irish cinemas on Nov. 29.

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