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If you're in the market for a new pair of earbuds, we have good news: You have a lot of options. The bad news? You have a lot of options, and your decision can get overwhelming fast. Wasn't life easier when our iPhones came with a free pair of earbuds?

Prices on earbuds range anywhere from under $10 to in the thousands (if you're going for professional-grade studio earbuds), but even in the narrower range most consumers occupy, you can easily spend up to $300. While we stand by the value of everything on this list, we know that spending $300 on a pair of headphones is a lot to stomach. Major shopping events like Black Friday and Prime Day, are usually the best time to shop these gadgets, however, leading up to the holidays you might find a surprise good deal still hanging around.

So whether you need a pair of earbuds stat or are getting your holiday shopping list together, these are the best earbuds of 2024.

SEE ALSO: I tested the best headphones and earbuds for working out during my daily run Are wired or wireless earbuds better?

Though most earbuds are now wireless, this ultimately comes down to preference. If you have a tighter budget or don't want to worry about the battery running low all the time, wired earbuds are a great option. With that said, it is significantly harder to find wired earbuds with active noise cancellation (we're working on tracking down and testing a few pairs like this). So, if ANC is a priority for you, you'll be better off with a pair of wireless earbuds.

To help you decide, we put a range of wired and wireless earbuds to the test to determine which are worth your money. Whether you're simply looking for earbuds to get you through the work day, a pair to take with you on a flight, or a pair that you can live in 24/7, we have a set of buds for you. And if nothing on this list stands out too much, you can always expand your search to headphones as well.

NASA's Mars helicopter proved so successful, the space agency plans to build a larger, more advanced chopper.

After over 70 flights, the Ingenuity helicopter — the first craft to ever make a powered, controlled flight on another planet— crashed in the Martian dunes in January 2024. But its unexpected achievement (engineers hoped it might make five flights) has prompted the conceptual design and planning for what the agency calls its "Mars Chopper."

"In addition to scouting, such a helicopter could carry science instruments to study terrain rovers can’t reach," NASA said.

SEE ALSO: NASA scientist viewed first Voyager images. What he saw gave him chills.

The short video below shows a helicopter with six main rotors, compared with Ingenuity's two. Such a design could allow the craft to have more lift efficiency, and travel greater distances.

Flying on Mars is daunting. The Martian atmosphere is quite thin, with a volume about one percent of Earth's. This makes it difficult to generate the lift needed for flight. To take to the air, Ingenuity spun its four-foot rotor blades at a blazing 2,400 revolutions every minute. But the relatively light design not only succeeded — it's been hugely informative

"Ingenuity has given us the confidence and data to envision the future of flight at Mars," Teddy Tzanetos, Ingenuity’s project manager, said in a NASA statement.

"Ingenuity has given us the confidence and data to envision the future of flight at Mars."

The futuristic chopper's design is still in its infancy, and some things will almost certainly evolve. But the current concept is 20 pounds heavier than Ingenuity and would be able to travel some two miles a day, NASA explained. For reference, Ingenuity's longest flight was 2,310 feet (704 meters).

For its future exploration of the Red Planet, the space agency is also investigating a Mars plane, which would be capable of taking off and landing vertically, like a helicopter. Both choppers and aircraft would be a great boon for Martian exploration, a world that once teemed with water, may harbor great subterranean lakes today, and could hide secrets in caves.

On an extraterrestrial world with no runways, these craft may become invaluable pioneers.

Anyone who grew up in a Christian household knows two truths: One, you can learn a lot about biblical themes from a talking cucumber. And two, no holiday season is complete without an Advent calendar.

A religious custom that stems from 19th-century Lutherans in Germany, Advent calendars traditionally mark each day of (you guessed it) Advent — the hopeful season that spans four Sundays leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ, celebrated on Dec. 25. They typically contain compartments or pockets that can be filled with tiny trinkets for kids, which are designed to be opened one at a time as a fun way of counting down the days until Christmas.

SEE ALSO: 60+ of the absolute best stocking stuffers for 2024

In a moderately blasphemous twist, recent adaptations by big-name brands have given Advent calendars secular appeal as a seasonal holiday indulgence for people (and even pets) of all ages. After hitting a mainstream stride in the mid-2010s, Google search interest has peaked several times — folks are anticipating them so hard, in fact, that search interest for the phrase "advent calendar" in June 2024 had already beat out the number from December 2022 (the previous all-time high). It's popping off in a similar fashion in the midst of the 2024 holiday season.

Much of Advent calendars' modern popularity can be credited to TikTok, where they've starred in myriad unboxing videos that are suspenseful and addictive to watch (in a similar vein as fashion hauls). But it's also because they're easy ways for retailers to tempt cagey, inflation-weary consumers into sampling products they may not have purchased otherwise: everything from fancy French jams to Lego sets. Advent calendars are a prime example of "needing a little treat" culture (treatcore? being treat-pilled?) at work.

Some Advent calendars have sold out already at this point in the season. (This is your reminder for next year to shop by Black Friday if you want your picking of all of the Lego ones, or Sephora's big box for the year.) But if you hurry, you can still order one before carolers start lining up on your doorstep. Keep reading for our curated list of the best Advent calendars for 2024.

You can now buy a new car on Amazon. The retail giant has launched Amazon Autos, enabling people across the U.S. to purchase their next vehicle via the online shopping platform like ordering groceries.

Announced on Tuesday, Amazon Autos allows customers to browse vehicles which are available at local participating dealers. Users can also filter results according to model, trim, colour, fuel type, and other features. Though Amazon Autos only offers Hyundai vehicles at launch, Amazon plans to add more automotive brands next year, allowing people to browse by make as well.

SEE ALSO: Hyundai's new Ioniq 5 has bigger battery, native Tesla Supercharging

Amazon states that Autos customers can choose a vehicle, secure financing, electronically sign the relevant paperwork, and place their order "with a few clicks," "streamlining" the process of buying a car. The company's famous delivery service doesn't apply to Amazon Autos, though. Once a purchase is finalised, shoppers will be directed to choose a date and time to pick up their new car from a local dealership themselves.

“We’re partnering with dealers and brands to redesign car shopping — making it more transparent, convenient, and customer-friendly," said global head of Amazon Autos Fan Jin. "With Amazon Autos, we’re bringing the simplicity and ease customers expect from Amazon to car shopping, one of their largest purchases, while offering dealers a new channel to connect with a broad audience."

Credit: Mashable screenshot: Amazon

Of course, the nature of online shopping does mean Amazon Autos eliminates a few previously ubiquitous elements of purchasing a new car, for better or for worse. 

Amazon Autos offers no opportunity to haggle, with set prices keeping costs "transparent" but preventing customers from attempting to negotiate a better deal. There also seems to be no option to test drive vehicles to see if you like how they feel, or any sales associates to consult about whether a different car might better fit your transportation needs. Some may miss that human interaction, however others will no doubt consider the lack of salespeople to be a point in Amazon Autos' favour.

Customers can trade in their current car by answering questions about its condition to have it valued, then dropping it off when they pick up their new one. New functionality such as leasing and additional financing options will also be added next year.

Amazon initially announced that it had partnered with Hyundai to sell its cars online in the U.S. last November. The retail giant's move into the auto market has been predicted since at least 2017, when it struck deals with several auto parts vendors. 

Where is Amazon Autos available? Credit: Amazon

Amazon Autos is only available across 48 U.S. cities at launch, with plans to expand to more locations next year. As of Dec. 2024, Amazon Autos is available in:

• Atlanta

• Austin

• Baltimore

• Beaumont-Port Arthur

• Birmingham

• Boston

• Champaign/Springfield

• Charlotte

• Chicago

• Cincinnati

• Cleveland

• Columbia

• Columbus

• Dallas

• Denver

• El Paso

• Fond Du Lac

• Ft. Myers/Naples

• Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York

• Harrisonburg

• Hartford

• Houston

• Indianapolis

• Jacksonville

• Los Angeles

• Miami

• Milwaukee

• Minneapolis-St. Paul

• Nashville

• New York

• Orlando

• Philadelphia

• Phoenix

• Pittsburgh

• Portland

• Providence

• Raleigh-Durham

• Salt Lake City

• San Antonio

• San Diego

• San Francisco

• Seattle

• Sheboygan

• Springfield

• St. Louis

• Tampa

• W. Palm Beach

• Washington D.C.

The move follows a visit that Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s chief executive, made last month to Mar-a-Lago to meet with President-elect Donald Trump.

Collecting all your favourite snacks and drinks, surrounding yourself with comfortable cushions and blankets, and then spending hours in front of a screen can be a truly therapeutic experience. Unfortunately, there is one big problem with this hobby: There is a limited amount of content out there to keep you entertained.

We're a greedy bunch, and regular streamers can easily get to a point where it feels like there's nothing left to watch. What are you supposed to do then? Don't panic, because there is a simple solution to this frustrating issue.

If you've reached this point of streaming shortage, you should consider investing in a VPN. It will likely unlock a lot of shows and movies on services to which you're already subscribed.

What is a VPN?

VPNs are security tools that provide protection for your information by creating a private network that hides your real IP address (digital location). All of your activity is untraceable and secure, because all of your online traffic passes through an encrypted tunnel. Nobody can see into the tunnel, and everything inside the tunnel is protected against online threats like hackers, viruses, and malware.

SEE ALSO: 30 best movies on Netflix to stream right now

The act of hiding your real IP address is what can trick leading streaming sites into thinking you are based in another country.

Do you need a VPN?

VPNs are used to provide protection for your sensitive information, which is obviously super important. This isn't the only reason VPNs are so popular though, because these tools can be also be used to watch content that is normally blocked in your location.

By hiding your real IP address and connecting you to a server in another country, you can watch all your favourite content from that location. For example, you could watch all the extra films and shows on American Netflix that are not usually accessible outside of the U.S. There is so much content out there that can be accessed with the help of a VPN.

Everyone is in need of something that can bypass geo-restrictions to access all of this blocked entertainment, and that something is a VPN. These services are keys to the online world, granting you access to more of the shows and films you love.

How to unblock U.S. Netflix

If you think accessing American Netflix is going to be difficult with a VPN, think again. It's actually a really simple process that absolutely everyone can understand:

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

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

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

4. Visit Netflix to watch movies and shows from the U.S. content library

If you're worried that this whole thing sounds a bit illegal, then maybe we can reassure you. It's currently legal to watch Netflix while using a VPN, although we should point out that Netflix states in its terms of service that it may restrict your account without compensation or notice if you are engaged in "improper" use. We're not entirely sure what that means, but consider yourself warned.

We should make it very clear that you still need to be subscribed to Netflix for this trick to work. A VPN is not going to grant access to the streaming site for free. A VPN provides access to more libraries from around the world, once you're subscribed.

Should you use free VPNs?

There are plenty of free versions and free trials of VPNs, so why would you ever consider paying for a service? As with most things in life, you get what you pay for with VPNs.

There is always a catch with free versions, and it's normally in the form of limited data usage. These plans will be just fine if you're just an occasional user, but if you're going to be streaming or downloading anything, this isn't going to work. Free trials are different as come with everything you get in a paid plan, but obviously they don't tend to last very long. Trials are great for testing out a service before committing, but this isn't a long-term solution.

To gain access to advanced security features without limitations on usage, you generally need to pay up. That being said, services like ProtonVPN offer an impressive set of features for free. However, you might have trouble streaming Netflix with this free version.

What is the best VPN for Netflix?

There are a lot of VPN services out there that can effectively unblock American Netflix, but which is the best? There are plenty of strong options for you to consider, but we wouldn't want you wasting your time checking everything out. To save you time, we've handpicked your best options. Each service has a different set of features that will suit some users better than others, and it's all about finding something that works for you.

ExpressVPN is at the top of this list because it combines essential features with impressive results, but it isn’t the only option available to you. We have lined up all the best VPNs for unblocking Netflix, with something for everyone on this list. We've highlighted the best deals on the likes of Surfshark, PureVPN, CyberGhost VPN, and NordVPN.

These are the best VPNs for Netflix in 2024.

This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.

If you've got the money to spend, a robot vacuum is always a good purchase. Here are some basic questions to help you decide whether you should buy or not: do you like cleaning the house? No, we thought not. Do you like relaxing and putting your feet up? Yes, of course you do. In that case, you absolutely need a robot vacuum in your life.

Unless you're tech-savvy, choosing a robot vacuum cleaner to whizz around your home can be easier said that done. There are dozens of models out there, all offering variations on the same thing. And there are other questions that need answering: Is a robot vacuum worth the money? How do they work? And which is the best brand?

If all that's got your head spinning, don't worry: We're here to help. We're looked around and done some research on your behalf, which means even more time to put your feet up. Here's a quick guide on robot vacuums — and our pick for the best models you can buy right now.

Are robot vacuums worth buying?

The crisp control of a regular, upright vacuum is its own particular pleasure. But if you're someone who finds cleaning stressful, a robot vacuum could cut a major task off your to-do list. Whether robot vacuums are worth it or not comes with a caveat: It can't be just any robot vacuum. A cheap robovac that acts drunk — scattering dust rather than sucking, bumping into walls, getting stuck on rugs — defies the point. Robot vacuums are made to be convenient — so get one that makes life easier.

What are the most important robot vacuum features?

Here's a rundown of essential features to consider when buying a robot vacuum:

• App control — WiFi-enabled robot vacuums can be synced with a smartphone app to control scheduling and other features. If you're used to asking Alexa or Google to turn off the lights or tell you the weather, a model with voice integration will blend in nicely.

• Battery life — Larger spaces require more time to clean, which means you'll want a battery that lasts. Run times for the list below range between 115 and 240 minutes.

• Docking station — Many robot vacuums have a multipurpose docking station. The robovac will return to the dock automatically and self-empty its bin while also charging the battery. The docking station may double up as a bin that can hold debris.

• Floor types & mopping — Depending on the floors you have at home, look out for models that have features for both carpet and hard floors. This may include the ability to climb up on higher pile rugs. There are also hybrid models that mop hard floors. 

• Low-profile cleaning — No one should have to be scared about what's accumulated under their sofa over the past year. A robot vacuum measuring three inches or less in height should be able to scoot under most low-hanging sofas and beds.

• Navigation & mapping — Every robot vacuum is equipped with sensors and drop detection. But if your home has lots of rooms, lots of turns, or lots of close-together furniture, you'll have fewer navigation issues with an advanced model that uses intelligent mapping to remember exactly how your home is laid out.

• Pet hair cleaning — Pet owners should consider a model with an anti-tangling roller brush, which will make it easier to pick up cat and dog hair and will prevent the robot vacuum from clogging up.

• Suction power — A vacuum is the one purchase that you hope sucks a lot. Suction power is typically measured in Pascals (Pa), ranging between 2,500 and 8,000 Pa in the ones on this list. Stronger sucking will be needed to pick up heavier pieces of debris and to pull patted-down pet hair from rugs.

Keep these features in mind when shopping around for a robot vacuum.

What is the best robot vacuum?

It's not a one-size-fits-all situation. "Best" to someone with four dogs and lots of carpet may not mean "best" to someone with a huge house filled with wooden floors. To help make sense of this confusing situation, we have highlighted a selection of the very best robot vacuums for everyone.

These are the best robot vacuums in 2024.

TL;DR: Give the gift of digital organisation and pay just £62.72 (reg. £366.26) for lifetime access to FileJump's 2TB cloud storage plan.

Opens in a new window Credit: FileJump FileJump 2TB Cloud Storage: Lifetime Subscription £62.72
£366.26 Save £303.54 Get Deal

Looking to make an impression with your gifts? During this winter sale, you can give the gift of peace of mind with the FileJump 2TB Cloud Storage lifetime subscription for just £62.72 (reg. £366.26).

FileJump offers an easy, secure, and affordable way to store files across devices, ideal for students, professionals, or anyone who hates running out of storage space.

Whether backing up family photos, collaborating on projects, or simply saving space on their devices, FileJump is the perfect solution. With 2TB of storage, end-to-end encryption, and no recurring fees, this gift will keep on giving— no subscription needed.

With FileJump's drag-and-drop interface, you don’t need to be a tech wizard to upload files, while the built-in media preview makes viewing photos, videos, and documents a breeze.

Sharing and collaborating are seamless, too. Share files via custom links or create free accounts for clients and team members to access shared folders. With AES 256-bit encryption, your files are not only accessible but also secure.

What really sets FileJump apart? There are no limits on download speeds or transfer rates, meaning you’ll never wait longer than necessary to access your data. 

At £62.72 (reg. £366.26) for lifetime access to 2TB of storage, an 82% discount for the holidays, FileJump delivers premium features at an incredible value. Competitors charge monthly fees for similar services, but with FileJump, you pay once and own it forever. This offer isn’t just practical and useful — it’s economical, too.

For a limited time, you'll pay just £62.72 (reg. £366.26) for lifetime access to 2TB of FileJump storage.

FileJump 2TB Cloud Storage: Lifetime Subscription - £62.72 | Get It Here

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Get Microsoft Office 2021 and Windows 11 Pro together for £43.11 (reg. £343.52) at the Mashable Shop.

Did your PC or laptop struggle to get through the semester? Then it’s time to get serious about those grades. Whether you’re hitting the books for revision or looking to help your student, check out this ultimate productivity bundle: Microsoft Office and Windows 11 Pro together for just £43.11.

Separately, this office suite and OS cost hundreds, but they’re on sale for a limited time at the Mashable Shop. Best of all, these device licenses never expire, so they'll last as long as the device they're installed on.

Microsoft Office 2021 apps

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

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

Windows 11 Pro + Copilot AI

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

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

• Have it explain complex class concepts in simpler terms

• Make custom flashcards for revision

• Create practice questions

• Simulate conversations in a new language you’re learning

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

Take advantage of this Microsoft app bundle with Office 2021 and Windows 11 Pro at £43.11 (reg. £343.52). No coupon is needed for this discount.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Retail King The Ultimate Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License + Windows 11 Pro Bundle £43.11 at the Mashable Shop
£343.52 Save £300.41 Get Deal

TL;DR: A wide range of ChatGPT courses are available to take for free on Udemy.

Udemy is a popular hub for online courses, covering everything from Python programming to Microsoft Excel. And some of these courses are available to take for free, including some highly-rated lessons on ChatGPT.

We've checked out everything on offer from Udemy and lined up a selection of standout ChatGPT courses to get you started. These are the best online ChatGPT courses you can take for free this month on Udemy:

• AI For Beginners: Learn The Basics of ChatGPT

• Become an AI Accelerated Engineer Using ChatGPT

• Become an AI-Powered Engineer: ChatGPT, Github Copilot

• ChatGPT 101: The Complete Beginner's Guide and Masterclass

• ChatGPT and Durable Masterclass: Make Money with AI

• ChatGPT in 30 Minutes: New Prompt Engineering and AI Skills

• ChatGPT, Midjourney, Firefly, Bard, DALL-E, AI Crash Course

• ChatGPT Quick Guide: Prompt Engineering, Plugins, and More

• ChatGPT Security: Privacy Risks and Data Protection Basics

• Generative AI and Prompt Engineering

• Intro to Manual and Automation Software Testing with ChatGPT

• Mastering ChatGPT 4.0: From Setup to Advanced Interactions

• Midjourney and ChatGPT: Unleash AI for Unique Image Generation

• Personalized Coaching with ChatGPT and Generative AI

• Practical Introduction to ChatGPT

• Prompt Engineering Principles: ChatGPT and DALL-E

• Smart ChatGPT Productivity Hacks for Business Professionals

• The Introduction into ChatGPT Content Creation for Beginners

These free online courses do not offer certificates of completion or direct instructor messaging, but that's the only catch. You still get unrestricted access to all the video content, so you can learn at a pace that suits you.

Find the best free ChatGPT courses on Udemy.

Opens in a new window Credit: Udemy AI Courses Free at Udemy Get Deal

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

The frustrating thing is that your access to porn sites is not always guaranteed. Sure, online restrictions are probably a good idea. But your right to online freedom is important.

Fortunately, there is a simple hack that can bypass geo-restrictions to unblock porn sites like Xnxx from anywhere in the world. If you're looking for the best way to unblock sites like Xnxx for free, we have all the information you need.

How to unblock Xnxx for free

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

Unblock porn sites like Xnxx by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

4. Access Xnxx from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for bypassing content restrictions are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites like Xnxx without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can retain access to porn sites when temporarily away from home.

What is the best VPN for porn?

ExpressVPN is the best service for fast and reliable unblocking of porn sites like Xnxx, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

• Strict no-logging policy

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Unblock Xnxx for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers for free with a 30-day free trial of Prime Video.

Thursday Night Football returns with Week 15 action, which kicks off with an NFC West showdown between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers. The Rams are 7-6 overall, looking to overtake the Seattle Seahawks (8-5) in the division. The 49ers are technically at the bottom of the division with a 6-7 record. The NFC West is the closest division race in either conference and with three weeks left to go, it really could be anyone.

The Rams have won three of their last five games and head to San Francisco with back-to-back wins under their belt. The 49ers have won only two of their last five games, but are coming off a decisive win over the Chicago Bears last week. With a 4-3 record at home, and the Rams having a .500 record on the road, the 49ers are the betting favorite.

When is Rams vs. 49ers?

Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers takes place at 8:15 p.m. ET on Dec. 12. The two teams will face off at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Al Michaels is expected to do the play-by-play, Kirk Herbstreit will join him in the booth as the analyst. Kaylee Hartung will report from the sidelines.

How to stream Rams vs. 49ers for free

Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers is available to live stream on Prime Video in the U.S., but anyone can watch this game for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime (not to mention other Thursday Night Football fixtures).

If you're already a member, or have already used the 30-day trial, Prime Video subscriptions start at $8.99 per month.

Best streaming services for Rams vs. 49ers

Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers will be aired locally in both Los Angeles and San Francisco. It may be available in some other markets, but NFL games are subject to local blackouts.

If you do not have a cable package in those markets, you have options. We've found some of the best streaming services to consider for the Rams vs. 49ers on local networks.

Most affordable: Sling TV Opens in a new window Credit: Sling Sling TV Sports Plan Get Deal

Sling TV offers its Orange & Blue package of 48 channels at $55 per month that would serve your needs for locally available NFL games. Sign up to enjoy a first-month discounted rate of $27.50.

Sling TV’s sports channels feature ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, FOX, FS1, FS2, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network.

For in-market games: FuboTV Opens in a new window Credit: FuboTV FuboTV Pro plan Get Deal

FuboTV offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and the option to watch on 10 screens at once. You can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period. 

FuboTV’s sports channel offerings include ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, FOX, FS1, FS2, Golf Network, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network. 

Again, Rams vs. 49ers is subject to local blackouts. It is available nationally on Prime Video.

How to watch Rams vs. 49ers from anywhere in the world

If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of the NFL from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Rams vs. 49ers from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Sign in to your favorite streaming service

5. Watch Rams vs. 49ers from anywhere in the world

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

• Servers in 105 countries including the U.S.

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

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

TL;DR: Unblock your favorite porn sites with a VPN. The best service for unblocking free porn sites is ExpressVPN.

Your access to porn sites is not always guaranteed. There are many locations that will restrict your access to certain sites, and that's probably a good thing. But online freedom is also nice. And when the time is right, you should be able to access all your favorite sites without a hassle.

Want to bypass online restrictions and access everything the online world has to offer? We have all the information you need to unblock porn sites for free from anywhere in the world.

How to unblock porn for free

VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other locations. This quick and easy process means you can bypass geo-restrictions to access your favorite porn sites from anywhere in the world. It sounds complicated, but it's really not.

Follow these simple steps to unblock porn sites:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

4. Watch porn from anywhere in the world

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If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

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

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for December 12 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 12 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Shape and bake

These words are what you might form dough into

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

Words are shapes you might put into the oven.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is CookieCutter.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for December 12

• Bell

• Star

• Flower

• Bunny

• Diamond

• Heart

• Angel

• CookieCutter

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

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

Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

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

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

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for December 12 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Phonetic similarity to the letter T

• Green: Resembles teeth

• Blue: Inoffensive expressions of frustration

• Purple: Make up the structure or flow of a river

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

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

• Yellow: Things That Sound Like T

• Green: Objects with Teeth

• Blue: Mild Oaths

• Purple: Parts of a River

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

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

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #550 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Things That Sound Like T: TEA, TEE (GOLF), TI (MUSICAL NOTE)

• Objects with Teeth: COMB, GEAR, SAW, ZIPPER

• Mild Oaths: FUDGE, GEEZ, NUTS, RATS

• Parts of a River: BANK, BED, DELTA, MOUTH

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 12

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

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

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

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for December 12 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for December 12 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Striving to outperform one another.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no reoccurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter V.

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

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

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

VYING.

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 12

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

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

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

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

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

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

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

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for December 12 Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: NFL teams

• Green: Football conferences in college

• Blue: ___________ Jones

• Purple: Trophies won in different sports competitions and rivalries

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

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

• Yellow: NFL teams in singular form

• Green: College conferences

• Blue: Famous Joneses

• Purple: ____ Cup

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

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

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #80 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• NFL teams in singular form - RAM, RAVEN, SAINT, TITAN

• College conferences - AMERICAN, IVY, PATRIOT, SEC

• Famous Joneses - CHIPPER, DANIEL, JONQUEL, MAC

• _____ Cup - APPLE, DAVIS, STANLEY, WORLD

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

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

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

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

Your small children being on YouTube is inevitable at this point. From experience, I know kids master how to swipe and scroll on touchscreens at just months old. This is why YouTube launched a YouTube Kids app for iPhone and Android devices back in 2015.

Now, for the first time since that launch, YouTube Kids has received a complete redesign. With that update, YouTube Kids looks a lot more like YouTube.

"As part of YouTube's design modernization efforts, we’re happy to announce that we’re bringing a new look and feel to the YouTube Kids mobile app!" reads a new update posted by YouTube earlier this week on the official YouTube Kids community site.

Here's what's new in the YouTube Kids app

The biggest update to the YouTube Kids app is obvious: The redesign.

Previously, YouTube Kids (as seen above) looked like an app for children. It barely resembled the current YouTube design at all. 

The old YouTube Kids app design Credit: YouTube

The new YouTube Kids (as seen below) looks like YouTube, but with a kids-oriented twist. The design is more colorful and visual, but it still distinctly like YouTube. The previous design was geared toward toddler-aged children, whereas this one looks like it's meant to be enjoyed throughout childhood.

The new YouTube Kids app design Credit: YouTube

The redesign also brings a more YouTube-like user interface to YouTube Kids as well. YouTube Kids now displays video categories at the top of the homescreen just like YouTube does. The new navigation bar at the bottom of the page is basically straight from the main YouTube app as well.

Another big change is that YouTube Kids can now be used both horizontally and vertically just like the main YouTube app. Previously, YouTube Kids had to be used in landscape mode. But, now that shortform video is popular on the platform thanks to YouTube Shorts, that no longer makes sense.

The new update to the YouTube Kids app allows users to view content vertically for the first time. Credit: YouTube

Aside from the redesign, everything else in YouTube Kids is basically the same. The app remains the best way for kids to safely watch age-appropriate YouTube content. YouTube has greatly improved the content moderation issues that plagued the app years ago.

A few comments on YouTube's update announcement have generated a negative response to the redesign. However, like it or not, the redesigned app should be preferable to what YouTube did to its smart TV kids app. Earlier this year, YouTube completely shut down its standalone kids app for TVs and integrated it into the main YouTube app for smart TVs.

There's a story from the earliest days of cinema that seems applicable to Sora, the text-to-video creation tool launched by OpenAI this week. And given that Sora's servers are struggling with demand, with many OpenAI subscribers still waiting to try it out, we've got time for stories.

You probably know of Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station (1896) by the Lumiere brothers, even if you've never seen it. Like Sora, the Lumieres created very short movies that showcased the latest tech. We're talking cinematograph rather than AI rendering, and a luxurious 50 seconds of film rather than the maximum 20 seconds allowed in Sora videos.

Still, it's the same principle: This was an early peek at a shockingly new form of entertainment. According to legend — a legend cemented in Martin Scorcese's charming movie about a boy in the Lumiere era, Hugo (2011) — Arrival of a Train audiences ran in terror from a steam engine that appeared to be heading straight for them.

A similar sense of panic clings to Sora — specifically, panic about what AI videos might do to further crack up our "post-truth" media landscape. The average viewer is already having a hard time judging what is real and what isn't, and the problem is worse if they're depressed. We're living in a golden age of conspiracy theories. The world's richest man already shared an AI deepfake video in order to help swing an election.

SEE ALSO: Could an AI chatbot talk you out of believing a conspiracy theory?

What happens when Sora can make any prompt look as real as something you might see on the evening news — ready-made to spread on social media?

OpenAI seems to think its watermarks, both visible and invisible, would prevent any shenanigans. But having downloaded dozens of Sora videos now, I can attest that the visible watermark is tiny, illegible, and fades into the background more often than not. It would be child's play for video editing software to clip it out altogether.

So a world of deliberate disinformation, either from bad political actors or influencers trying to gin up their engagement, is barreling down on us like a train. Right?

Wrong. Because as the actual story of the Lumiere movie tells us, humans are actually a lot smarter about new video entertainment than we give them credit for.

Here's the thing about Arrival of a Train: the legend is almost certainly wrong. We have zero first-hand evidence that audiences fled the cinema, or even flinched when they saw a train approaching in a 50-second clip.

Media studies professor Martin Loiperdinger calls the panic tale "cinema's founding myth," and notes it can be traced back to books written in the second half of the 20th century. It's possible that authors conflated it with the Lumieres' later experimental 3-D version of Arrival of a Train, which screened a handful of times in 1934 and was — like a lot of 3-D movies to come — a novelty, and a commercial failure.

So no, early audiences likely did not confuse a moving image of a train with a real train. Rather, they seem to have adapted to the whole concept of movies very quickly. Contemporary accounts of the Lumiere shorts (of which there were dozens; Arrival of a Train was not seen as a stand-out) are filled with excitement at the possibilities now unlocked.

"Why, if this continues," wrote one newspaper, Le Courier de Paris, in 1896, "we could almost overcome memory loss, almost put an end to separation, almost abolish death itself." (Spoiler alert: we did not, although that sounds like a great premise for a 19th century Black Mirror episode.)

Another periodical, La Science Francais, enthused about the "most unbelievably wonderful sorcery" that had created the cinematograph's "hallucinatory phantasmagoria." Even today's most tech-happy AI boosters would have a hard time endorsing Sora in the same terms.

Because like most AI, Sora is often "hallucinatory" — and not in a good way.

SEE ALSO: 7 wild Sora videos blowing up social media after its launch

As I discovered in the moments that OpenAI servers weren't slammed, almost every Sora-generated video has some detail that looks wrong to human eyes. I typed a prompt for "journalist slams desk in frustration at not being able to access AI videos," then noticed a pen that appears and disappears in the journalist's hand.

The mistakes went on and on. The novelty factor diminished fast. Friends were amused and a little freaked out by the realness of the swag in "hip-hop artist models a cozy Christmas sweater" — until we spotted that the rapper's gold chain had become a gold pony tail at the back, and the reindeer on the sweater had eight legs.

Sora's response to "a funeral mass with circus clowns" pretty much nailed the prompt ... except that the colorful-wigged, red-nosed figure in the casket was missing his body.

That's not to say Sora won't have an immediate impact on the moving image industry. Given less outlandish prompts, it could certainly replace a lot of the generic B-roll often seen in YouTube explainers and corporate training videos. (That's assuming OpenAI isn't going to be forced to cease and desist training Sora on internet video footage without the makers' permission.)

It is to say that there's a significant barrier to entry when it comes to creating videos featuring anything unusual, anything you're trying to lie about, anything that Sora hasn't been specifically trained on. Rooting out all those mistakes, to the point where we won't immediately notice, can be an exercise in frustration.

And perhaps these early mistake-filled AI videos will serve as a kind of mass inoculation — a small dose of the post-truth disease, one that effectively gives our brains AI-resistant antibodies that can better prepare us for a future epidemic of visual fakes.

AI video needs to board the clue train

I'm certainly less impressed with AI after I prompted Sora for a new take on the Lumieres' Arrival of a Train. I asked for a video where a locomotive does actually break through the projection screen at the end, crushing the cinematograph audience.

But Sora couldn't even access the original 50-second short, which is way out of copyright and widely available online (including a version already upscaled by AI). It hallucinated a movie called "Arrival of a tal [sic] train," apparently released in the year "18965."

As for breaking a literal fourth wall, forget about it: despite multiple prompt-rewording attempts, Sora simply couldn't grok what I was asking. The projection screen remained intact.

Still, this version of Sora may still be a harbinger of some terrifying visual fakery to come — perhaps when more robust AI video tech falls into the hands of a future D.W. Griffith.

Two decades passed between Arrival of a Train and Griffith's infamous movieThe Birth of a Nation (1915)— the first real blockbuster, a landmark in the history of cinema, which also happened to be a skewed take on recent American history stuffed with racist lies.

Griffith's movie, protested at the time by the NAACP, was hugely influential in perpetuating segregation and reviving the Ku Klux Klan.

So yes, perhaps Sora's release is slowly nudging us further in the direction of a fragmented post-truth world. But even in an AI-dominated future, bad actors are going to have to work overtime if they want to do more damage to society than the cinematograph's most dangerous prompts.

Luigi Mangione’s social media accounts attracted swift attention after he was arrested in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive. When do companies scrub a digital trail?