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Every year's edition of The Game Awards, which seems to be a lot more about trailers than awards, gives us at least one really striking-looking original game to look forward to. It's usually buried in between trailers for updates to mobile games, but it's always there.

This year, that game might be Split Fiction. Developed by Hazelight Studios and headed up by Josef Fares (known for using colorful language at previous Game Awards shows) Split Fiction is the spiritual follow-up to 2021 Game of the Year recipient It Takes Two. That means it's a really wacky and inventive adventure about rival fiction novelists meant specifically to be played by two people together cooperatively. I didn't get the impression that single-player is even an option, nor would it make sense for it to be one.

Anyway, I got to sit down and play about 45 minutes of Split Fiction with Fares himself before the big reveal at The Game Awards. While it remains to be seen if any of its big ideas will work when the game releases in early March, I can at least confirm that Split Fiction makes a hell of a first impression.

SEE ALSO: The 10 best video games you may have missed in 2024 Split Fiction hands-on preview: You got sci-fi in my fantasy Regardless of which aesthetic it's using at any given time, 'Split Fiction' looks very nice. Credit: Hazelight/EA

To understand what, exactly, Split Fiction is, you need to understand the premise. The problem is that I didn't fully grasp it in my brief time with the game, but I'll do my best to explain.

Two female novelists named Zoe and Mio (Fares was quick to mention these are his daughter's names) have, through seemingly nefarious means, been trapped inside a virtual simulation of their work together by an evil publishing company that wants to steal their stories. One of them is a sci-fi writer and the other is a fantasy novelist. The bulk of the gameplay seems like it will take place in either a fantasy or sci-fi world, depending on the level, with the idea being that these two women who don't like each other (or each other's work) very much need to work together creatively to get out of the simulation.

The name of the game in Split Fiction is variety. Every single level appears to have some kind of unique, bespoke co-op mechanic that probably only lasts for 10 to 15 minutes, and that you won't see anywhere else in the game. Here are just a few examples that Fares showed me in the very quick demo I got to play:

• A level where Zoe and Mio do competitive snowboarding down a mountain, complete with a reasonably deep trick and scoring system

• A level where Zoe and Mio hatch, raise, and ultimately ride on two dragons who grow as the level progresses

• A level where Zoe and Mio play as two pigs, one of whom can extend vertically like a Slinky toy, while the other farts rainbows in order to clear horizontal gaps

Oh yeah, there's a level where you shapeshift into weird monsters, too. Credit: Hazelight/EA

The most important part is that everything I got to play was fun. Split Fiction's base third-person platforming mechanics are solid and snappy on their own, but once the more goofy mechanics come into play, things get pretty neat. The snowboarding level was a decent enough approximation of SSX, while the pig level was a neat little optional distraction that Fares assured me lasts like 10 minutes. Speaking of optional distractions, Split Fiction seems like it will be full of hidden levels that are set in other stories these two characters have written. The pig level was one of these, but another one turned the game into a hand-drawn-in-pencil side-scroller for a while.

Hazelight's previous work in making unique co-op games shone through in the short demo I played, as well. It's not just that these mechanics are fun and two players get to do them together; in many cases, each player is given a different ability or role, so coordination is key. Sometimes one player will have to alter gravity to walk along the ceiling, cutting down platforms for the other. You know, stuff like that.

I can't say whether or not Split Fiction will live up to the excellent first impression it makes when the full game launches on March 5. But between a bunch of really fun co-op shenanigans I saw in just a brief demo, and the fact that there isn't a very annoying, omnipresent narrator like It Takes Two, Split Fiction is lining up to be one of the more interesting games of early 2025.

Hey folks, they're making a new The Witcher game. Yes, you play as Ciri. Remain calm.

CD Projekt Red announced its first new game since Cyberpunk 2077 at The Game Awards 2024. The lengthy trailer for The Witcher IV doesn't show any gameplay, but it does confirm something incredibly important: Ciri, not Geralt of Rivia, is the protagonist this time around. Geralt's voice is heard briefly at the end of the trailer, but he is not seen at any point. This is a Ciri adventure, which is what lots of folks (me) wanted after The Witcher 3.

Hopefully it launches in a better state than Cyberpunk.

One of the first reveals at the 2024 Game Awards will probably wind up sucking thousands of hours out of countless players.

At least, that's what Slay the Spire has done over the last few years, so it's reasonable to expect Slay the Spire 2 to do the same. It looks to add to the already-versatile card-based gameplay of the original with new cards, items, and other wild variables to consider as you try to, well, slay the spire.

The best part is you don't have to wait long. Slay the Spire 2 will launch in early access in 2025.

Still aiming to become a global leader in AI, the United States announced it will be moving forward on initiatives to incorporate generative AI into the inner workings of the Department of Defense (DoD)— just as AI's creators pitch their offerings to major defense contractors.

Announced today, the office will be moving ahead with a new $100 million AI Rapid Capabilities Cell "focused on accelerating DoD adoption of next-generation artificial intelligence," including generative AI. It will be led by the department's Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) and Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). The announcement comes as a result of Task Force Lima, a Department of Defense generative AI task force established in 2023 to "assess, synchronize, and employ generative AI capabilities" in the DoD.

SEE ALSO: Rising use of generative AI by police is a threat to Americans' civil liberties, ACLU warns

"DIU's role is bringing the very best commercial tech to bear to meet critical warfighter problems with the focus, speed, and scale required to meet the strategic imperative," said DIU Director Doug Beck. "The result will help us scale the tech faster and more reliably, and will also help change the way the Department thinks about software development and delivery tempo for the future." The department's AI applications will include "decision support, operational planning, logistics, weapons development and testing, uncrewed and autonomous systems, intelligence activities, information operations, and cyber operations," as well as administrative purposes.  

Under the Biden Administration, the U.S. endorsed the international Political Declaration on Responsible Military Use of Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy, a best practices initiative to explore the development of AI's military capabilities — despite already using the technology in warfare applications. In a Nov. 2023 statement, the Department of Defense announced its intention to explore "the responsible military use of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems." AI watchdogs have warned of the accelerated use of AI in warfare and its global repercussions.

One month prior, the White House announced an extensive regulatory executive order outlining risk and safety standards for AI, cybersecurity provisions, and various guidelines that spanned the Department of Commerce, Homeland Security, and Energy. The administration announced even more AI initiatives soon after, including the creation of a United States AI Safety Institute (US AISI). This was later followed by a warning to Big Tech to curb the spread of synthetic, AI-generated content.

While it's uncertain whether President-elect Donald Trump will uphold the Biden administration's national and international AI commitments, the soon-to-be sworn in leader has already announced his pick for a position he's calling the "White House AI Czar." As for his picks for the country's defense leaders, Trump is rumored to be eyeing Palantir chief technology officer Shyam Shankir for a top spot in the Pentagon — Shankir is a proponent of the Department of Defense's rapid adoption of commercial tech, including AI.

"The DoD has an imperative to responsibly pursue the adoption of generative AI models while identifying proper protective measures and mitigating national security risks that may result from issues such as poorly managed training data," said DoD Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer Dr. Radha Plumb. "We must also consider the extent to which our adversaries will employ this technology and seek to disrupt our own use of AI-based solutions."

The increase is the latest for the streaming service, which debuted in 2017 at $35 a month. The company blamed “rising content costs.”

Since Nick Fury first broke into Tony Stark's cliffside mansion, comic books fans have been primed to expect bonus goods once the credits roll on the superhero movies. The MCU has unleashed jaw-dropping cameos, bizarre callbacks, and teases for future adventures, and Sony Pictures followed super suit.

At the end of Morbius, a cameo of Michael Keaton as Adrian "The Vulture" Toomes seemingly tied this movie to the MCU's Spider-Man: Homecoming, in which he was the Big Bad. More recently, the post-credits scene in Venom: The Last Dance revealed the fate of a character caught in the military-versus-symbiote crossfire — and set up a path to a could-be sequel.

However, what path forward might Kraven the Hunter tease when The Wrap is reporting Sony's closing up shop on Spider-Man spinoffs for now?

Does Kraven the Hunter have a post-credit scene?

Nope. At the film's New York premiere, critics, cast, and crew who stayed through the credits saw the long list of names of all the people who worked on J.C. Chandor's curious action movie. But there was not a post-credit scene with bonus goodies.

However, seeing the incredible amount of people power that went into Kraven the Hunter is its own reward, right?

Kraven the Hunter opens only in theaters Dec. 13.

Some 2.6 million Stanley mugs have been recalled after customers reported dangerous issues with the cup's construction.

If you're worried about your trendy, TikTok-must-have Stanley cup, however, you're likely OK. The recall is for the Stanley Switchback and Trigger Action travel mugs and not the big ol' Quencher tumblers you've likely seen all over social media.

SEE ALSO: What's so special about a Stanley? A guide to conspicuous consumption on TikTok.

The Switchback and Trigger Action mugs have an issue where the "lid threads can shrink when exposed to heat and torque, causing the lid to detach during use, posing a burn hazard," wrote the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in its recall announcement.

The CPSC said Stanley has received 91 reports worldwide of the lid detaching, which resulted in 38 burn injuries and 11 people requiring medical attention. The company is offering a free replacement lid to the affected consumers. You can see if your Stanley is part of the recall and request a replacement lid at the company's website.

Stanley previously had a PR kerfuffle when it was noted that some of its mugs contain small amounts of lead, but experts said it posed no threat at all to users — the lead was a part of insulation that's not exposed to consumers.

The new recall isn't ideal, but if you're affected it should be simple enough to get a new, better-working lid. And your Quencher is still fine to use on your next Target run.

ChatGPT's Santa Mode is restricted to age groups that might already be questioning Santa Claus's existence.

The Santa voice is for ages 13 and up according to a disclaimer. OpenAI debuted the seasonal Santa Mode as part of Thursday's livestream, which also announced vision capabilities for ChatGPT. For ChatGPT Plus and Pro users, when using Advanced Voice Mode, they can select Santa's jolly, booming baritone among the voice options to interact with.

OpenAI won't let kids use Santa Mode. Credit: Screenshot: Mashable / OpenAI

But OpenAI has thumbed its nose at the joy of little children everywhere by restricting Santa Mode to teens and adults. How Grinch-y. Jokes aside, there is a reason for this. The 13-and-up age restriction applies to all of ChatGPT, a spokesperson told Mashable. According to OpenAI's terms of use, "You must be at least 13 years old or the minimum age required in your country to consent to use the Services. If you are under 18 you must have your parent or legal guardian’s permission to use the Services."

SEE ALSO: OpenAI's Sora is officially here

Some kind of age restriction makes sense for use of a technology that might share harmful or inaccurate information. But it also raises the question of what kind of raunchy adult content Santa Mode could get up to. That said, OpenAI has trained ChatGPT to restrict certain adult content and prevent misuse. But the real trick would have been creating a truly kid-safe version of Santa Mode.

Of course parents can always use Santa Mode with their kids or a tech-savvy pre-teen could get their parent's permission to chat with Santa. But it kind of takes away from the festive fun, knowing that Santa Mode is almost exclusively a gimmick for adults that are already in on the world's greatest conspiracy.

Meanwhile we'll be pushing the limits of Santa Mode to see how "adult" it can be.

Our sun regularly shoots out solar flares — explosions of light and radiation from its surface — into space. But how about superflares?

These stellar events are thousands of times more powerful than typical solar flares, which can wreak havoc on our power and communication systems. To better understand the superflare risk from the sun, astronomers sought to find how often sun-like stars blast out such potent radiation, and to find an answer they surveyed a whopping 56,000 stars.

The results astonished them.

"Stars that are similar to our sun generate superflares once per century, which is 30 to 60 times more frequent than previously thought," Valeriy Vasilyev, a stellar activity researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany, told Mashable.

"We were shocked by the high frequency," he said. Vasilyev is a co-author on the research published in the journal Science.

SEE ALSO: Aliens haven't contacted us. Scientists found a compelling reason why.

Previous research, for example, found that sun-like stars emit powerful superflares every 3,000 to 6,000 years.

To better understand the behavior of sun-like stars, which are relatively stable stars, astronomers used observations captured by NASA's now-retired Kepler Space Telescope. Kepler was designed to expertly measure stellar brightness as it searched for new planets transiting in front of their distant stars. The astronomers identified 56,450 stars that have sun-like characteristics, and over a four-year period spotted superflares — which show telltale signs of immediate light increases followed by a long tail of decaying light — on 2,527 sun-like stars. From this large number of superflares over a relatively brief time range, they inferred the frequency of how often these stars are blasting out superflares.

"We were shocked by the high frequency."

The distant stars emitted energies of some 10³⁴ to 10³⁶ erg ("erg" is a unit of energy measurement), which is greater than any flare ever observed from the sun. Such a superflare packs the energy of roughly 1 trillion hydrogen bombs, Vasilyev said.

"We found crazy flaring stars," he marveled.

An illustration of a superflare on a distant star. Credit: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio Tweet may have been deleted

Solar flares explode from our star's surface when potent and changing magnetic fields naturally become tangled. "Like a rubber band that snaps when it is twisted too far, the tangled magnetic fields release energy when they snap," explains the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. "The energy emitted by a solar flare is more than a million times greater than the energy from a volcanic eruption on Earth!"

And when solar flares shoot out on the side of the sun facing Earth, it can have consequences — particularly if it's a strong solar flare. Such mighty solar flares are often accompanied with events called "coronal mass ejections," or CMEs, which are massive ejections of super hot gas (like throwing a chunk of the sun into space).

Infamously, in 1989 a potent solar flare-associated CME knocked out power to millions in Québec, Canada. The CME hit Earth's magnetic field on March 12 of that year, and then, wrote NASA astronomer Sten Odenwald, "Just after 2:44 a.m. on March 13, the currents found a weakness in the electrical power grid of Quebec. In less than two minutes, the entire Quebec power grid lost power. During the 12-hour blackout that followed, millions of people suddenly found themselves in dark office buildings and underground pedestrian tunnels, and in stalled elevators." The same solar event fried a $10 million transformer at Salem Nuclear Power Plant in New Jersey.

Fortunately, Earth's protective magnetic field and atmosphere shield people from such harmful radiation. But this new research suggests we should be aware of the potential technological impacts from a superflare, which would be significantly more potent than the 1989 event. It remains unknown, however, if the sun has all the requisite properties of these distant sun-like stars that would stoke such relatively frequent solar flares.

Superflares don't just pose threats to Earth. They could impact the many planets orbiting other stars, called exoplanets. For instance, Vasilyev wonders what impacts radiation-heavy superflares might have on worlds with protective atmospheres thinner than Earth's.

But superflares aren't inherently bad. Conversely, superflares might provide the energetic kick molecules need to form the building blocks of life. Perhaps a lifeless Earth, in its distant past, even benefited from a superflare, or two.

ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode now has video and screenshare capabilities.

The feature was last May with the release of GPT-4o, but only the audio modality has been live. Now users can chat with ChatGPT using a phone camera and the model will "see" what you see.

SEE ALSO: OpenAI's Sora is officially here

In the livestream, CPO Kevin Weil and other OpenAI team members demoed ChatGPT assisting with how to make pour-over coffee. By pointing the camera at the action, AVM demonstrated that it understood the principle of the coffee maker and walked the team through the brewing of their beverage. The team also showed how ChatGPT supports screensharing by understanding an open message on a phone with Weil wearing a Santa beard.

The long-awaited announcement comes a day after Google unveiled the next generation of its flagship model, Gemini 2.0. The new Gemini 2.0 can also process visual and audio inputs and has more agentic capabilities, meaning it can perform multi-step tasks on the user's behalf. Gemini 2.0's agent features currently exist as a research prototype under three different names: Project Astra for a universal AI assistant, Project Mariner for specific AI tasks, and Project Jules for developers.

Not to be outdone, OpenAI's demo showcased how ChatGPT's vision modality accurately identified objects — and was even interruptible. And yes, part of this included a Santa voice option in Voice Mode, complete with a deep, jolly voice and lots of "ho-ho-hos." You can chat with OpenAI's version of Santa by tapping the snowflake icon in ChatGPT. No word yet on whether the real Santa Claus contributed his voice for AI training or OpenAI used his voice without prior consent.

Oddly, when selecting the Santa voice in the ChatGPT app, the user is warned that the voice is only for people 13 and older.

Tweet may have been deleted

Starting today, video and screenshare are available to ChatGPT Plus and Pro users, with Enterprise and Edu availability coming in Jan.

SAVE: $50+: Now, through Jan. 4, 2025, you can use the code SHIPTGIFT to get 50% off a Shipt annual membership.

Opens in a new window Credit: Shipt Shipt Annual Membership $49.00 at Shipt
$99.00 Save $50.00 Get hald-off with code SHIPTGIFT Get Deal

With the holiday season in full swing, we could all use a little extra time to tackle our endless to-do lists, from grocery shopping and holiday meal planning to gift wrapping and sending out those last-minute cards.

To help you save time and money, Shipt (the same-day grocery pick-up and delivery service) is offering 50% off annual memberships now through Jan. 4, 2025, with the code SHIPTGIFT.

SEE ALSO: Save up to 20% on gift cards from Hulu, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, and more

Usually, annual memberships are $99, but with this special offer, you’ll get an entire year of unlimited grocery and other essential deliveries for just $49.

With an annual membership, you can get unlimited same-day deliveries on orders of $35+ and tons of other member-only perks. Plus, Shipt partners with major retailers like Target, Petco, CVS, and more, so you can get everything you need in as little as an hour.

Other December deals include:

• Get $15 off any order of $60 or more with the code HOLIDAYS now through Jan. 1, 2025.

• Get 25% off orders of $40 or more from Ulta Beauty at Target, CVS, Walgreens, PetSmart, Petco, Lowes, Carters, Office Depot, and Office Max through Dec. 14.

• Get 20% off top gifting categories at Target and Meijer through Dec. 24.

If you’d like to gift a membership to a friend or family member, Shipt is offering the same deal on annual membership gift cards (you’ll just need to apply the SHIPTGIFT promo code when you check out).

SAVE UP TO 90% OFF: Stock your Kindle library with e-books up to 90% off. Find some of the best books of the year, like Dolly Alderton's Good Material, for just $2.99, saving you $25.01 for 89% off.

Best Kindle Book deals Best book deal 'Good Material' by Dolly Alderton $2.99 at Amazon (Save $25.01) Get Deal Best non-fiction book deal 'The Wide Wide Sea' by Hampton Side $14.99 at Amazon (Save $20.01) Get Deal Best Kindle Deal Amazon Kindle Paperwhite $134.99 at Amazon (Save $25) Get Deal

Honestly, no matter what time of year it is, being curled up with a good book is pure bliss. However, with the cold weather of winter setting in, you have to admit that it's the ideal season to be hunkered down under a blanket (or two) with a warm beverage in hand and a good read in the other.

The cozy holiday season kicked off with spectacular deals on Amazon's 2024 Kindle models during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. And if you got your hands on one of these sleek e-readers, you're probably thinking it's time to stock your library full of the year's best books. Luckily, you can find Kindle e-books marked down up to 90% off, running as low as $1.99.

If you're ready to read, here are the best Kindle book deals to shop this week.

PS: If you missed out on the Kindle deals, you can still find the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite marked down to $134.99, saving $25 on the e-reader.

Best book deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon 'Good Material' by Dolly Alderton $2.99 at Amazon
$28.00 Save $25.01 Get Deal Why we like it

Named one of The New York Times's best books of the year, Dolly Alderton's Good Material details the breakup of Andy and Jen. As Andy is set adrift in the haze of heartbreak, he's left to pick himself up, navigate his career, and try to piece together how the breakup came to be. Alderton's wit is sharp, providing moments of riotous laughter, and pangs of tenderness that run deep.

You can find the Kindle e-book of Good Material on sale now for $2.99, saving you $25.01 on one of the top reads of 2024.

More Kindle book deals

• Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton — $2.99 $19 (save $16.01)

• Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here by Jonathan Blitzer — $13.99 $32 (save $18.01)

• Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver — $2.99 $19.99 (save $17)

• I Heard Her Call My Name by Lucy Sante — $13.99 $27 (save $13.01)

• The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri — $2.99 $9.99 (save $7)

• Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner — $1.99 $13.99 (save $12)

• The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett — $1.99 $19 (save $17)

• The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley — $14.99 $28.99 (save $14)

• The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon — $8.48 $15.99 (save $7.51)

• The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan (The Kane Chronicles book one) — $1.99 $15.99 (save $14)

• Swordcrossed by Freya Marske — $14.99 $28.99 (save $14)

• The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan (The Kane Chronicles book two) — $1.99 $15.99 (save $14)

• West with Giraffes by Lydia Rutledge — $2.99 $4.99 (save $2.50)

• The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Side —$14.99 $35 (save $20.01)

SAVE $200: As of Dec. 12, get the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ for $399.99 at Samsung, down from its usual price of $599.99. That's a discount of 37%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ $399.99 at Samsung
$599.99 Save $200.00 Get Deal

If you've been on the hunt for a new tablet, an iPad is always a good choice. But if you don't want to go the iOS route, Samsung has a great selection to choose from as well, especially as part of its Galaxy tablet lineup. You can snag a great one right now, despite the fact that the biggest holiday sales of the year have come and gone, by shopping directly from the retailer.

As of Dec. 12, you can get the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ for just $399.99, down from its original price of $599.99. That's $200 off and a 37% discount. Just scroll to the bottom of the page where you see "Samsung Trade-In" and select "No, get $200 Samsung Instant Savings" to take advantage of this deal, no trade-in required.

SEE ALSO: The best tablets in 2024

Mashable's RJ Andersen appreciated this tablet for its "impressive 12.4-inch LCD display" and called it a "well-made, beautiful tablet that's even dust- and water-resistant." It boasts a 20-hour battery life, an S Pen included in the package, and it's great for just about any purpose you want to assign it, whether that's taking notes, checking out your favorite shows and movies, or getting some work done on the go.

Andersen appreciated how "natural" the S Pen felt in comparison to using an Apple Pencil, as well as its powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip that made it appropriately zippy. And it was great when put through the paces with several different use cases, so if you're not into iPads anymore or just want to try something else, you can scoop up this alternative for a great price.

Way back in Aug. 2020, music superstar Billie Eilish performed a two-song set for NPR's Tiny Desk (Home) Concert series. Then, she and her brother Finneas couldn't be at NPR's actual offices due to COVID-19 safety concerns, but a printed background of the Tiny Desk set served as a surprisingly solid substitute.

Revisit that moving mini-concert below:

In 2024, Eilish finally got to perform at the real Tiny Desk, complete with Finneas, a band, and a live audience. Tune in to hear Eilish perform songs from her Grammy–nominated album Hit Me Hard and Soft.

Mozilla has removed the "Do Not Track" option from Firefox, but it's not because the company has abruptly abandoned all of its privacy principles. The setting was practically useless.

According to Windows Report which first spotted the change, Firefox browser settings with the latest Version 135 no longer have the ability to send websites a Do Not Track request. Instead there's a note saying Firefox no longer supports the option. Mozilla explained the change on the feature's help center page, saying "many sites do not respect this indication of a person's privacy preferences, and, in some cases, it can reduce privacy."

SEE ALSO: New service from Mozilla wants to protect you from data brokers

But this doesn't mean Firefox users are suddenly exposed to tracking from websites and third parties. Instead, Mozilla recommends an alternative signal called Global Privacy Control. GPC is an initiative founded by privacy-minded browsers including Mozilla, Brave, DuckDuckGo, and organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "GPC is respected by increasing numbers of sites and enforced with legislation in some regions," said the help center page. In some jurisdictions like California with the CCPA act, data privacy rights are legally protected.

In place of the Do Not Track setting with the latest version of Firefox, users can select the option that says, "Tell websites not to sell or share my data." This setting will turn on the GPC signal.

An intense struggle has unfolded in Washington between companies and officials over where to draw the line on selling technology to China.

Happy endings are nice and all, but even the most idealistic among us know they don't always last. Sometimes, the happy ending is just the start of a larger story that ends with someone weeping into a pint of ice cream alone on the couch, flipping channels in search of something to mend a broken heart, or at least distract from the pain for a bit.

In other words, sometimes what you need is not a love story but a breakup movie. We've compiled 31 of the best breakup movies to help you process your sadness, exorcise your rage, or encourage you to dust yourself back up and move the hell on.

Here are the 31 best breakup movies streaming and where to watch them. 

1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

They say it's better to have loved and lost, but try telling that to someone still smarting from a breakup. This trippy love story follows Joel (Jim Carrey) as he tries to wipe his ex (Kate Winslet) from his mind, only to wonder if some of those memories may be worth keeping after all.

How to watch: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is streaming on Netflix and Peacock and available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

2. Marriage Story Credit: Netflix

A clean break may be ideal, but it isn't always an option. In Marriage Story, Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) suffer through an ugly custody battle — and come out the other side with a new sort of relationship, one based not on sex and romance but shared parenthood.

How to watch: Marriage Story is streaming on Netflix.

3. High Fidelity

High Fidelity is the breakup movie you turn to when you've just had your heart crushed, and you've got a sneaking suspicion that at least some of it might have been your fault. But if Rob (John Cusack) can learn to grow up a little, maybe you can, too.

How to watch: High Fidelity is streaming on Disney+ and Hulu and available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

4. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

This film is nothing if not a promise that it'll get better. Sure, it sucks to lose your S.O., especially when she's a famous TV star whose face is plastered all over the place. But who's to say you can't rebound with an even cooler girlfriend to love, like Forgetting Sarah Marshall's Mila Kunis?

How to watch: Forgetting Sarah Marshall is streaming on Hulu and Max and available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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5. Midsommar

Because some breakups call for something a bit more dramatic than the usual sobfest. Some breakups come at the end of a relationship so grandly shitty, you need to travel to rural Sweden for a once-in-a-lifetime festival put on by an obscure death cult in order to really get your point across.

How to watch: Midsommar is streaming on Hulu and Max and available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

6. Waiting to Exhale Credit: Randee St Nicholas / 20th Century Fox / Kobal / Shutterstock

Waiting to Exhale combines the visceral satisfaction of setting a cheating ex's car on fire with the comforting reassurance of close-knit friendship, and serves as a gentle reminder that better things lie ahead after all the pain and suffering.

How to watch: Waiting to Exhale is streaming on Disney+ and Hulu and and available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

7. Celeste and Jesse Forever

It's a sad truth that two people can like each other very much, and still not be meant to love each other. Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg play a pair of high-school sweethearts who remain best friends after seven years of marriage, but feel the need to move on from each other romantically.

How to watch: Celeste and Jesse Forever is streaming on Disney+, Hulu, and Prime Video and available to buy or rent on Apple TV.

SEE ALSO: 10 Netflix movies that will make you cry 8. The Holiday

Remember, the only reason Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz get to stay in fabulous homes and flirt with Jack Black and Jude Law in this very charming movie is because they previously broke up with two other dudes who totally sucked.

How to watch: The Holiday is available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

9. The Souvenir

The Souvenir is an exquisite portrait of the doomed relationship between naive Julie (Honor Swinton Byrne) and the mysterious Anthony (Tom Burke), acknowledging both how difficult it can be to disentangle from a toxic relationship, and the bruises it can leave behind.

How to watch: The Souvenir is streaming on Hulu and Max and available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

10. Blue Valentine

Watching Blue Valentine while in the throes of heartbreak is like pressing down on a bruise — the pain is what makes it so satisfying. The film cuts between the tender start of Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy's (Michelle Williams) romance and its jagged end, to tearjerking effect.

How to watch: Blue Valentine is streaming on Tubi and available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video

11. Casablanca

Few of us get goodbyes to love as epically romantic as the one between Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman). But wouldn't it be nice to imagine we did? They'll always have Paris, and we'll always have Casablanca to weep over when we're at our most tragically brokenhearted.

How to watch: Casablanca is streaming on Hulu and Max and available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

12. Gone Girl Credit: Merrick Morton / 20th Century Fox / Regency / Kobal / Shutterstock

Gone Girl is about a disappearance, not a breakup — but it does have plenty to say about the hazards of modern marriage. Watch how Nick (Ben Affleck) and Amy (Rosamund Pike) went from meet-cute to fairy-tale courtship to ... well, you'll see ... and you may decide you're better off single.

How to watch: Gone Girl is available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

13. (500) Days of Summer

Let Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) serve as a warning against looking back at past relationships with rose-colored glasses. It's only when he starts to see Summer (Zooey Deschanel) with clearer eyes that he's able to understand what went wrong, and move on to the next stage of his life.

How to watch: (500) Days of Summer is available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

14. Crazy, Stupid, Love

Crazy, Stupid, Love puts more than one of its characters through heartbreak, but its star-studded cast reminds you through swoonworthy smooches, grand romantic gestures, and one hilarious brawl that the right one is worth fighting for. (Just try to ignore the outdated gender roles.)

How to watch: Crazy, Stupid, Love is available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

15. Appropriate Behavior

Anyone who's tried to remedy a broken heart with petty confrontations and ill-advised hookups will recognize themselves in Shirin (Desiree Akhavan, who also wrote and directed) and her halfhearted attempts to get her life back together after she's dumped by her girlfriend (Rebecca Henderson).

How to watch: Appropriate Behavior is streaming on Tubi and available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

16. Swingers

Swingers knows that what every freshly dumped person needs is a friend who'll take you out on the town, look at you in your sorry state, and remind us that you're so money and you don't even know it. If that friend has the charisma of a young Vince Vaughn, all the better.

How to watch: Swingers is available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

17. Closer

Here's a movie for those dark days when you find yourself wondering if love even exists, or if it's just a cruel joke designed to destroy peoples' lives. Clive Owen, Julia Roberts, Jude Law, and Natalie Portman play four people who can't stop cheating on each other, with bitter results.

How to watch: Closer is streaming on Netflix and available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

18. Legally Blonde Credit: Tracy Bennett / MGM / Kobal / Shutterstock

Reese Witherspoon's Elle Woods is a role model for anyone smarting over an unappreciative ex. Just do what she does: Work your butt off to win him back, discover exactly how awesome you are in the process, and realize you never needed him in the first place. What, like it's hard?

How to watch: Legally Blonde is available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

19. The Wedding Singer

Breakups are never fun, but it can be a consolation to remember that sometimes, they're for the best. Just ask Robbie (Adam Sandler) and Julia (Drew Barrymore), both engaged to the wrong people at the start of The Wedding Singer, and both about to find out that their true loves are each other.

How to watch: The Wedding Singer is available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

SEE ALSO: 20 best romantic comedies to fall in love with on Netflix 20. La La Land

Er, spoilers: Breakup movie king Ryan Gosling makes his third appearance on this list as Sebastian, whose passionate relationship with Mia (Emma Stone, also in Crazy, Stupid, Love) falls apart over their divergent dreams, but leaves both of them changed for the better in the end.

How to watch: La La Land is streaming on Disney+ and Hulu and available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video. 

21. Call Me by Your Name Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock

Most of the movie is about Elio (Timothée Chalamet) and Oliver (Armie Hammer) getting together, not splitting apart, but hanging over their entire romance is the poignant knowledge that it can't last forever. Put this one on when you're reflecting back on a brief but passionate affair.

How to watch: Call Me by Your Name is streaming on Netflix and available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

22. The Break-Up

An exaggerated battle of the sexes between two exes (Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston) gives way to a bittersweet dramedy about damage that can't be undone, even between two people who loved each other once and might still.

How to watch: The Break-Up is streaming on Hulu and available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

23. Birds of Prey Credit: C Barius / DC / Warner Bros / Kobal / Shutterstock

It's not easy striking out alone after an explosive breakup — but Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) serves as a reminder that all things are possible with a can-do attitude, some rad new friends, and a really, really good egg sandwich.

How to watch: Birds of Prey is streaming on Hulu and Max and available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

24. The War of the Roses

Oliver (Michael Douglas) and Barbara (Kathleen Turner) duke it out for the house in this acerbically funny divorce comedy, and along the way serve up a cautionary tale about taking that understandable impulse to "win" the breakup way, way, way too far.

How to watch: The War of the Roses is available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

25. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

The thing about relationships is that even once they're over, they're still a part of the history you bring to your next romance, for better or for worse. That idea becomes literal for Scott (Michael Cera), who must battle his girlfriend's seven evil exes while dealing with a couple exes of his own.

How to watch: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is streaming on Hulu and Max and available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

26. Kill Bill Credit: A Band Apart / Miramax / Kobal / Shutterstock

Kill Bill is for when you're in a post-breakup rage so potent, nothing but (cinematic) violence and bloodshed will do. Vol. 1 is the more action-packed of the two, to help you work out that anger, while Vol. 2 goes deeper into the feels — albeit still with plenty of super cool kills.

How to watch: Kill Bill, Vol. 1 is available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video. Kill Bill, Vol. 2 is also available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

27. Force Majeure

Being single can suck, but being coupled isn't always what it's cracked up to be, either. In Force Majeure, awkward fissures form in a marriage after a man makes a questionable decision in a moment of crisis. (If you hate subtitles, Downhill is the less-good English-language remake.)

How to watch: Force Majeure is streaming on Hulu and available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

28. The First Wives Club

Perhaps the only thing more gratifying than watching a shitty ex get what's coming to him is watching three shitty exes get what's coming to them, served up with a smirk by the powerhouse trio of Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, and Diane Keaton.

How to watch: The First Wives Club is streaming on Hulu and available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video. 

29. Magic Mike XXL Credit: Warner Bros / Kobal / Shutterstock

Magic Mike XXL is only kind of a breakup movie (Mike gets dumped very early in the film), but it does do a great job of celebrating one of the upsides of a breakup: the freedom to join your bros on an epic road trip of sexual pleasure and self-discovery.

How to watch: Magic Mike XXL is available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

30. Her

Spike Jonze's Her is probably best saved for that post-heartbreak period of self-reflection. Joaquin Phoenix plays an about-to-be-divorced man who starts dating what is essentially a more advanced Siri (Scarlett Johansson), but finds that his new relationship has complications, too.

How to watch: Her is streaming on Hulu and available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

31. The Breaker Upperers

Need someone to dump your partner so you can avoid a messy confrontation? Call on Jen and Mel (co-writers/co-directors/co-leads Jackie van Beek and Madeleine Sami). For a reasonable fee, these fearless Breaker Upperers will impersonate police officers, play pregnant, or even fake your death to help you ghost an ex. Whatever the shenanigans, van Beek and Sami sparkle. Booming with wild humor and big heart, this New Zealand comedy is guaranteed to leave you cackling.* — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

How to watch: The Breaker Upperers is streaming on Netflix. 

(*) indicates the blurb appeared in a previous Mashable list.

UPDATE: Dec. 11, 2024, 5:00 p.m. EST This post was originally published on Feb. 9, 2023. It has been updated to reflect the current streaming options.

Folks who made unwanted purchases in Fortnite can still cash in.

Epic Games reached a $520 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over allegations that parents, gamers, and others were tricked into making purchases. Around half of that sum, $245 million, was set aside to refund customers affected by the in-game purchase allegations.

The deadline for applying for a settlement, however, is quickly approaching. You have to file by Jan. 10, 2025, which you can do on the FTC's website.

There are some stipulations to getting a refund. The FTC said, in a statement, that you could apply for a refund if any of these things are true:

• You were charged in-game currency for items you didn’t want between January 2017 and September 2022

• Your child made charges to your credit card without your knowledge between January 2017 and November 2018

• Your account was locked between January 2017 and September 2022 after you complained to your credit card company about wrongful charges

SEE ALSO: Fortnite is being forced to give out refunds, and you might qualify for one

You have to be at least 18 years old to file a refund claim. You can file that claim at www.fortniterefund.com/file-a-claim. To make the claim, you'll need a claim number or your Epic Account ID. Those who have a claim number should've received an email with the information. Again, the deadline to file a claim is Jan. 10, 2025.

The FTC said in a statement this month that it was sending out 629,344 payments totaling more than $72 million to folks who filed a valid claim by Oct. 8, 2024. The FTC is still reviewing claims made after Oct. 8 and onward.

The FTC had alleged that Epic Games made it easy for users to make unexpected charges, including by letting underage players rack up in-game purchases.

Check out the best Amazon deals of the day as of Dec. 12: OUR TOP PICK Fire TV Stick 4K Max + Luna Controller Cloud Gaming Bundle $79.98 (save $50) Get Deal BEST HEADPHONES DEAL Sonos Ace $349 (save $100) Get Deal BEST OUTDOOR DEAL Yeti Hopper M15 Soft Cooler $210 (save $90) Get Deal BEST SMARTHOME DEAL Amazon Echo Hub $124.99 (save $55) Get Deal BEST SPEAKER DEAL Bose SoundLink Revolve+ (Series II) $229 (save $100 + get $10 Amazon credit) Get Deal

The countdown is progressing — there's less than two weeks of shopping left before Santa graces us with his presence. But just because we're closing in on the big day doesn't mean you have to overspend. There's plenty of deals at Amazon to help you stick to your budget and we've rounded up some of our top picks to add to your cart on Dec. 12.

Here are our top picks for the best Amazon deals of the day. If none of these are your cup of tea, be sure to check out our picks from Dec. 10 and Dec. 11 as well. Many of those are still live, including a $100 Lyft gift card for only $85 and the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 at its best price ever.

Our top pick: Fire TV Stick 4K Max + Luna Controller Cloud Gaming Bundle Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max + Luna Controller Cloud Gaming Bundle $79.98 at Amazon
$129.98 Save $50.00 Get Deal

You don't need to buy a $500 gaming console to enjoy a high-end gaming experience. This Amazon gaming bundle gives you the essentials to get started with Amazon's game streaming service, Luna, for just $79.98. That's 38% off its usual price. The bundle includes the Fire TV Stick 4K Max and a Luna controller, which our friends at PCMag (also owned by Ziff Davis) called "an excellent gamepad that provides the optimal Luna game-streaming experience." The real standout is its separate WiFi connection, which helps reduce input lag as you play. While technically an optional add-on for the Luna gaming experience, they called it a "must-have." The Fire TV Stick 4K Max allows you to access popular games — all you'll need to get started is the Luna app and a Prime or Luna subscription.

Sonos Ace Opens in a new window Credit: Sonos Sonos Ace $349.00 at Amazon
$449.00 Save $100.00 Get Deal

The first Sonos headphones dropped earlier this year and they're a force to be reckoned with. It's unsurprising, given that the brand makes some of our favorite audio equipment. They're aesthetically a 10, boast exceptional sound quality and spatial audio, and have a stellar 30-hour battery life with ANC. While we wish the ear cup seal was tighter to improve noise cancellation, Mashable's Deputy Reviews Editor Miller Kern still said she would recommend the Sonos Ace to "true audiophiles who value incredible sound quality above all else." The price is a bit steep at $449, but they're back down to their Black Friday price of $349 as of Dec. 12. That's 22% in savings.

Check out Mashable's full review of the Sonos Ace.

Yeti Hopper M15 Soft Cooler Opens in a new window Credit: Yeti Yeti Hopper M15 Soft Cooler $210.00 at Amazon
$300.00 Save $90.00 Get Deal

If you've ever tried to haul a full-size hard cooler across a parking lot for a tailgate or worse, a beach, then you know how much of a struggle it can be. That's where the Yeti Hopper M15 Soft Cooler takes the cake. Ideal for everything from overnight camping trips to beach picnics to tailgates, this soft cooler is easy to tote around, even when it's packed to the brim. Speaking of which, it can hold up to 32 cans or 15 pounds of ice in its leak-resistant, puncture-resistant, closed-cell rubber-insulated shell. It's usually $300, but you can save $90 and pick it up for only $210 as of Dec. 12. That's $15 cheaper than it was on Black Friday.

Amazon Echo Hub Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Hub $124.99 at Amazon
$179.99 Save $55.00 Get Deal

Instead of keeping smart device control locked inside of someone's phone in your household, Amazon created the Echo Hub. Think of it as our smart home's brain. It offers a full-featured control panel with instant access to all of your gadgets — smart lighting, cameras, switches, doorbells, thermostat, etc. Everyone can play music, stream videos, ask Alexa questions, dim the lights, adjust the temperature, or see who's on the other side of the door in one central spot in your home. As of Dec. 12, it's on sale for $124.99 — that's 31% off its usual cost of $179.99.

Bose SoundLink Revolve+ Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose SoundLink Revolve+ (Series II) $229.00 at Amazon
$329.00 Save $100.00 + get $10 in Amazon credit Get Deal

Bose is a powerhouse in the audio world and its SoundLink Revolve+ II is further proof. It's one of our favorite portable Bluetooth speakers because of its true 360-degree surround sound experience. The second-generation speaker bumps up the battery life from 12 to 17 hours, is a bit louder, has improved bass levels, and features a convenient handle on top for portability. It's usually $329, but as of Dec. 12, you can pick it up at Amazon for only $229 and get a $10 Amazon credit to spend on a future purchase.

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

SAVE $35.97: New to Spotify Premium? Sign up now and enjoy three months free. Experience ad-free music, offline playback, and more.

Opens in a new window Credit: Spotify Spotify Premium (3 Months Free) $0.03 at Spotify
$35.97 Save $35.94 Get Deal

If you’ve yet to sign out of your ex's Spotify account, now's the time.

As of Dec. 12, Spotify’s offering a limited-time deal where you can score three months of Spotify Premium for free. That’s a savings of $11.99/month, or $35.97 total. Once the three months are up, you’ll need to decide whether to continue your subscription or revert to the free plan.

SEE ALSO: When does Spotify Wrapped start tracking for 2025? What we know.

With an Individual Premium account, you can listen to music ad-free whenever and wherever you want. You’ll also get up to 15 hours of audiobook listening per month.

This deal is only available to new Premium subscribers, so if you've had a Premium account before, you'll need to use a different email address to take advantage of the offer.

Other Spotify Premium plans include Student ($5.99/month), Duo ($16.99/month), and Family ($19.99/month). The Duo plan is for two account holders living at the same address, while the Family plan covers up to six Premium accounts for people living together.