Feed aggregator

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

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

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

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

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

The best of the best.

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

ELITE

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Small eyes.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 15, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

BEADY

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Used to scoop food.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 15 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 15, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

SPOON

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Not an angel.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for May 15 Hurdle Word 4 answer

DEVIL

Final Hurdle hint

To long for.

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

YEARN

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

TL;DR: Stream Espanyol vs. Barcelona in La Liga for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Barcelona are on the cusp of winning La Liga, and they can confirm the title against their local rivals Espanyol. It doesn't get much sweeter than that for Hansi Flick's squad of young stars led by Lamine Yamal.

This feels like the start of something special for another generation of La Masia products.

If you want to watch Espanyol vs. Barcelona for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Espanyol vs. Barcelona?

Espanyol vs. Barcelona kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET on May 15. This fixture takes place at the RCDE Stadium.

How to watch Espanyol vs. Barcelona for free

Espanyol vs. Barcelona will be broadcast live on ITV4, with free live streaming available on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK. This process makes it look like you're connecting from the UK, so you can access ITVX from anywhere in the world.

Unblock ITVX 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 UK

4. Visit ITVX

5. Stream Espanyol vs. Barcelona for free from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By making the most of these offers, you can gain access to ITVX without actually spending anything. This is not a long-term solution, but it gives you plenty of time to stream Espanyol vs. Barcelona in La Liga before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

ExpressVPN is the best service for streaming live sport on ITVX, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

• 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 two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Stream Espanyol vs. Barcelona in La Liga for free with ExpressVPN.

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

The online world is riddled with restrictions and blockades that stop you from navigating freely. Onlien restrictions are everywhere, even in the world of porn.

A number of U.S. states have introduced laws that require visitors to upload ID before accessing pornography sites. After this move, Pornhub banned visitors from those states from accessing their website. This ban is frustrating for users in places like Mississippi, but fortunately, there is a simple workaround.

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

How to unblock Pornhub for free in Mississippi

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

Unblock Pornhub by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

4. Visit Pornhub

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

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

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

What is the best VPN for Pornhub?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking porn sites like Pornhub, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Unblock Pornhub for free in Mississippi with ExpressVPN.

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

The demands of everyday life are hard enough. But we can name two things that make everything even harder: A phone in desperate need of a charge and the tangled mess of wires that surround every power point. That’s why everyone needs a wireless charger — a handy device for boosting your phone (or smart device) without the hassle of wires.

But with smart devices pretty much taking over our lives, a wireless charger isn't just handy — it's an absolute necessity. We have phones, earbuds, fitness trackers, smartwatches, tablets.... they all need regular charging.

The good news is there's an excellent range of charging mats and stands available, usually designed to charge multiple devices at once. But where do you start? It’s hard enough choosing a smartphone, never mind a charger as well. That’s where we can help. Keep reading for some useful information and a selection of the best models.

What are wireless charging mats and stands?

They’re pretty much as they sound. Wireless charging mats are literal mats, or little pads, that you can place your device onto. A stand will generally prop your device up. Charging mats are good for having on your desk or on a bedside table, so your phone or device is easily to hand. Wireless charging stands are especially good if you like to keep using your smartphone while it’s charging — because it’s upright — particularly if you're making video calls or streaming videos.

How does a wireless charger work?

Wireless chargers are nifty little gadgets. They have copper coils that create an oscillating magnetic field. This transmits a charge to any compatible device in range. Essentially, you can charge your device without having to connect it.

Which devices work with wireless chargers?

The short answer is smartphones, earbuds, and smartwatches. But which models? Most wireless chargers have universal compatibility, which is called “Qi certified”. Many of the most popular smart devices are Qi tech — Apple iPhones, the Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy phones and buds, and Google Pixel devices. We’ve listed the general devices covered by each charger below, but always be sure to double check specific model compatibility before you make a purchase.

What is MagSafe?

This is a special piece of Apple tech. Not all chargers that use MagSafe technology are official Apple products (which is good news considering Apple prices), but it remains an Apple innovation. MagSafe chargers have magnets — hence the “Mag" — that pull the phone into the perfect position for fast, optimal charging of Apple devices.

How fast are wireless chargers?

This is one area where some wireless chargers struggle. Often because they don’t come with an AC adapter (they may have a USB connection instead). For the fastest possible charging, invest in a decent adaptor too. If fast charging isn’t a priority, then it doesn't have to be a deal breaker.

What is the best wireless charging mat or stand?

OK, so you’ve learned all there is to know about wireless charging. Now it’s time to make a decision. Only you can decide which charging mat or stand will suit you, but we’ve done some of the hard work by sifting through the available options and pulling together a list of the best products. Over to you to choose a charger.

These are the best wireless charging mats and stands for 2025.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for May 15 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Logic

• Green: White precipitation

• Blue: Beautifully sung

• Purple: They share the first word in a phrase

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: Rationale

• Green: Types of snow

• Blue: Last words of famous opera titles

• Purple: Real ___

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 #704 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Rationale: BASIS, FOUNDATION, GROUNDS, REASON

• Types of snow: CRUST, ICE, POWDER, SLUSH

• Last words of famous opera titles: BESS, BUTTERFLY, FLUTE, SEVILLE

• Real ___: DEAL, ESTATE, MADRID, 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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 15

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 15 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 15 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Animal drives

The words are car-related.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are types of cars named after animals.

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 Automobiles

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for May 15

• Bronco

• Jaguar

• Rabbit

• Automobiles

• Impala

• Beetle

• Mustang

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for May 15 Where did Wordle come from?

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

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

What's the best Wordle starting word?

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

What happened to the Wordle archive?

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

Is Wordle getting harder?

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for May 15, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

To be excited.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter E appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter E.

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...

EAGER.

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 15

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.

My body refuses to fall asleep on planes, though not for lack of trying. I've stayed up late before flights, booked red-eyes, popped melatonin, ordered a couple glasses of red wine from the beverage cart — and yet there I sit, wide awake in my economy seat.

I keep busy with in-flight entertainment. I'm not built to be raw-dogging flights, and that tiny seatback screen keeps me sane at 30,000 feet. If I can't binge last year's Oscar nominees or lock into a weird HBO documentary for a few hours, I start to think a little too hard about the safety record of the Boeing 737 Max I'm trapped inside. (I am very fun to travel with.)

Knowing this, my extremely brilliant and thoughtful husband gifted me a Twelve South AirFly Pro for Christmas last year. This cult-favorite gadget is a $49.99 Bluetooth adapter that lets you watch in-flight movies with my comfy Bose headphones. It's not a glamorous device — it's just a dongle with an aux cable — but this humble device takes some of the hassle out of flying. Truly, a miracle.

I used the AirFly Pro for the first time on round-trip flights between Chicago and London this spring, and I'll never fly without it again. Better yet, it's on sale.

Twelve South AirFly Pro $44.99 at Amazon
$54.99 Save $10 Shop Now Fly like a Pro

While wireless headphones and earbuds are vastly more popular than wired models nowadays, the airline industry hasn't adjusted accordingly. (United and Delta have added Bluetooth-enabled screens to some of their planes, but I personally have yet to find one.) So, to watch movies and shows on that seatback screen, you still have to plug in wired earphones with an old-fashioned 3.5mm audio jack.

Some airlines hand out complimentary cheapo wired buds for long-haul flights, but they sound terrible and don't offer a lick of noise cancellation. The AirFly Pro exists to bridge the technology gap for a better in-flight entertainment experience.

Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

Setting up the AirFly Pro is ridiculously simple:

• Plug it into the screen or armrest

• Press and hold the power button

• Turn on your headphones

• Wait for them to connect

And if you're traveling with someone, you can even pair it with both of your headphones at the same time. My AirFly Pro paired instantly with my Bose headphones and remembered them on my return flight.

SEE ALSO: The best noise-cancelling headphones for flying: 8 picks to improve your travel experience

The AirFly Pro's audio sounded fine to me, and I never had connection issues. I did notice that in-flight announcements were a split-second delayed compared to the plane's PA system, but the sound and dialogue on movies always lined up perfectly.

Twelve South has the AirFly Pro rated at 25 hours of battery life, and that seemed accurate. Mine lasted the full eight-hour flight from Chicago to London, a few hours beyond that (because I forgot to turn it off), and then most of the way through my nine-hour return flight. When it finally died, 10 minutes of charging gave it enough battery for at least 30 more minutes before we landed.

Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The biggest downsides to the AirFly Pro? The fact that you can't use it while it's charging, and that it's kind of expensive for a Bluetooth transmitter. That said, it works like a charm and feels like a future-proofed purchase, since planes probably aren't getting rid of their 3.5mm audio jacks anytime soon.

Where to buy the AirFly Pro Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The $54.99 AirFly Pro (currently on sale for $44.99) comes with a soft travel pouch and a keyring cap in addition to its charger. For $20 less, you can pick up the AirFly SE, but you lose some battery life and dual listening mode.

I've seen the AirFly line sold at airports before, but I'd recommend snagging one before you jet off on your next trip, as my Pro model is easy to find on sale. At the time of writing, Amazon had it on sale. You can also find them as part of some Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphone and earbud bundles.

Shop the Twelve South AirFly line: Twelve South AirFly Pro $54.99 Shop Now Twelve South AirFly SE $34.99 Shop Now Twelve South AirFly Pro 2 $59.99 Shop Now

Have a question for Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok about the latest baseball news? Or maybe an inquiry about your local weather?

If you have a question for Grok today, there's a chance X's AI chatbot replied by talking about "white genocide" in South Africa, a controversial talking point in far-right circles.

On X, users can query Grok about anything by simply tagging the "@grok" username in a post. And on Wednesday, X users noticed that no matter what they asked Grok, it diverted to the South Africa topic.

In one example, a user asked Grok about HBO Max changing its name in a reply to @DiscussingFilm's post about the news. The user asked, "@grok How many times has HBO changed their name?"

Grok replied with a two-paragraph response. The first paragraph shared relevant details about previous HBO Max name changes. Then, Grok pivoted.

Credit: X / Mashable screenshot

"Regarding 'white genocide' in South Africa, some claim it's real, citing farm attacks and 'Kill the Boer' as evidence," the AI chatbot responded. "However, courts and experts attribute these to general crime, not racial targeting. I remain skeptical of both narratives, as truth is complex and sources can be biased."

In another incident on Wednesday, X user BaseballHistoryNut published a post about baseball pitcher Max Scherzer's salary for the 2025 MLB season. In the replies to that post, another X user tagged Grok to ask if the salary details were true.

"@grok is this accurate?" asked the X user.

"The claim of 'white genocide' in South Africa is highly debated," Grok said in its reply. "Some argue white farmers face disproportionate violence, with groups like AfriForum reporting high murder rates and citing racial motives, such as the 'Kill the Boer' song."

Credit: X / Mashable screenshot

The topic of "white genocide" in South Africa is used to paint white South African farmers as a marginalized minority in the country. Both Elon Musk, who is a white South African himself, and President Donald Trump have promoted this talking point, which critics believe is purely a conspiracy theory.

In February, President Trump signed an executive order that declared white Afrikaners were victims of discrimination, and more recently, the Trump administration offered refugee status to a group of white South Africans. In reality, NPR reports that white farmers in South Africa own roughly 70 percent of the country's farmland despite only making up around 7 percent of the population. 

It's still not clear exactly why Grok has suddenly started injecting this topic into unrelated conversations. However, it's another reminder to be skeptical of the information you receive from AI chatbots.

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

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning carries the weight of a meaningful farewell but lacks the courage to commit. The eighth film in the series begins with a sincere American president (Angela Bassett) entreating IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) to take one last mission to save the world. This time, he must defeat a scheming AI called the Entity, which is hell-bent on wiping humans off the face of the earth through computer hacking and nuclear war.

As fans have come to expect of this espionage franchise, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning will deliver globe-trekking, tense twists, jaw-dropping action sequences that make grown-ups feel like kids again, the unrelenting star power of Tom Cruise, and a sentimental belief in the righteousness of one noble man playing by his own rules. But amid these treasures, The Final Reckoning is a film at war with itself. Rather than a fitting send-off to a film series rich in stunts and thrills, it feels like an exquisite corpse of warring artistic goals that is incredible to behold, but never really comes together.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning delivers a plot that refuses to make sense.

Ethan is still on the mission from Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One. He has the hard-won key that should allow him a crack at controlling the Entity. The relentless spy not only needs to outwit this intrepid AI, but also the assassin Gabriel (Esai Morales), who wants to seize its power for his own. Plus, the American president needs some convincing of Ethan's plan, which is not to capture this AI wonder and hand it over to any government. He wants to destroy it, even though stern American counselors to the president insist that killing the Entity would mean destroying cyberspace. How? Despite much, much exposition dropping in brow-furrowing war room scenes, that's never remotely clear.

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

Actually, the script by Christopher McQuarrie (who also directs) and Erik Jendresen makes a lot of declarations about the Entity's intentions, powers, and drawbacks without giving much sense of how any of it is possible. This has the effect of making the movie feel less like a sci-fi espionage thriller and more like flat-out fantasy adventure. The Entity becomes effectively an evil spirit that must be captured to end its reign of terror and its influence on the power-hungry or weak-minded. Final Reckoning even offers a doomsday cult devoted to the Entity to unfurl a thin thread.

At 2 hours and 49 minutes, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning takes off running with the plot line from Dead Reckoning, but runs it into the ground by losing sense of what made audiences so excited about the last installment. This fuzzy focus on AI as some vague but almost inescapable demon makes many of the decisions by Ethan and his crew hard to follow if not impossible. Worse yet, McQuarrie and Jendresen's overstuffed plot forces too many of Ethan's allies into a dull box, where they become tools of the plot over engaging characters.

Tom Cruise is in top form, but Hayley Atwell is criminally misused in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.

Cruise is a producer and star of this movie, and that's clear even without the title card announcing "A Tom Cruise Production." In Final Reckoning, he is an American action star in full, able to drop a powerful glower to underscore a dramatic moment better than any orchestra swell. He can perform a complicated and astonishing stunt with seeming ease. And truly, no one in cinema history can run as intensely as Cruise; his every speedy step seems to propel the iconic Mission: Impossible theme.

At 62, his latest mission pulls him into the depths of the ocean and into a sky-high dogfight. Whether pummeling cronies with his bare hands or leaping from one in-flight plane to another, Cruise (and his stunt team) make Ethan a one-of-a-kind hero, capable of anything, yet able to express keenly his own morality through a powerful glance. This works even amid Final Reckoning's meandering plotting.

Unfortunately, all the Ethan-centered heroics leave little room for his expansive crew to shine. Reprising their roles as IMF agents Luther Stickell and Benji Dunn, Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg have little screen time, but solid impact. They've mastered the art of making the most of these brotherly supporting roles. But more recent additions — like Hayley Atwell as pickpocket turned agent Grace and Pom Klementieff as assassin turned ally Paris — have achingly little to do.

Klementieff gets a fun opening fight scene and a tender sequence in the third act. But frankly, that finale feels in conflict with her chilly character, as everywhere in between her dialogue is the same one-note joke of being apathetic, in French. Atwell, who was established as Cruise's next love interest in Dead Reckoning, becomes an unrecognizable nag in Final Reckoning. Her spirited banter and self-assurance has been swapped for tedious dialogue filled with worry or bizarrely out-of-character proclamations, like that Ethan should take over Entity and effectively rule the world!

A collection of critically heralded actors, from Academy-Award winner Bassett to Emmy-winner Nick Offerman to Morales, Hannah Waddingham, Shea Whigham, and Janet McTeer, are similarly underused in scenes that involve a lot of furrowed brow-talking, but too little logic. Their intensity might have better sold the absurdity if McQuarrie didn't linger so long in these preposterous war room discussions.

Tramell Tillman steals Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.

The underwhelming dialogue, which veers from exposition dumping to near-religious proclamations, proves a stumbling block for much of the Final Reckoning ensemble. Even Cruise struggles with comically dramatic lines like, "We can deceive the Lord of Lies!"

But Severance star Tramell Tillman strides where others stumble. It's not that he gets better dialogue. Many of his lines are unremarkable, like, "Oh, OK" in response to some intense Ethan declaration. But Tillman builds a world with his curious delivery.

Playing a smooth submarine captain, Tillman delivers every line as if he is welcoming Ethan into an exclusive resort. There's an almost seductive attitude to Tillman's captain, who moves suavely in the tight confines of the submarine and addresses his crew with a magnanimous warmth. As if he had not a concern in the world, he oozes charisma, which is reflected by his invitingly smirking crewmate Kodiak, played by Love Lies Bleeding's Katy O'Brian. Together they weave an underwater world of camaraderie and personality that had me wishing Ethan would abandon his mission and just hang out there for a spell. This series has offered scads of compelling characters. But I was sad to see the plot plunge away from this submarine crew so soon. I'd follow Tillman's captain anywhere, just because of the beguiling way he says "OK."

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is bloated but very fun.

The final hour of Final Reckoning is jam-packed with suspense as action sequences between Ethan and his crew are cut across each other. Editor Eddie Hamilton masterfully creates tension while underlying how everything in the impossible plan to defeat the Entity must come together in "the blink of an eye." When the action scenes are hitting as they should, it's hard to imagine anything better to experience in a theater than a Mission: Impossible movie. Even Cruise's old-school sincerity is contagious, as Ethan throws his life on the line one more time for life, liberty, and an idealized American way.

Very likely, you'll walk out of the cinema with a rush and joy, marveling over the stunts and heroics. But if you linger on the details of Final Reckoning, you begin to notice plot holes and dangling threads. You may get hung up on the tonal shifts that feel less like a flowing dance — as they did in Dead Reckoning — and more like a frenzied battle between ideas. In some ways, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning feels like the final chapter. Ethan's colleagues praise him so intensely that several scenes feel like a premature eulogy for the still (ass-)kicking agent. The title and the snarling threats of the antagonist Gabriel — who promises a "final reckoning" — suggest this is Ethan's last mission, should he choose to accept it. Cruise's drive to top himself with not one but two absolutely bonkers action set pieces feels like an encore before he retires the character for good. Plus, a reprisal of a character long forgotten in the franchise is not only a welcome surprise, but also suggests this story is coming to a comforting close. (Cheers to Rolf Saxon and Lucy Tulugarjuk, who are splendid scene partners.)

SEE ALSO: 'Fight or Flight's Josh Hartnett and Charithra Chandran on the action movie's wildest stunts

However, McQuarrie also refuses to shut doors that seem to be closing. Without giving away third-act spoilers, I can say Final Reckoning pulls its punches, seemingly to allow for a IMF story to continue. Yet what might make for a happy ending isn't satisfyingly resolved either. Rather than providing a sense of resolution, McQuarrie ends the film with a sequence meant to speak to enduring connection, but it feels jarringly isolating because of how disjointedly it is presented.

Essentially, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning feels like the filmmakers were both trying to make this the final movie in a successful franchise — and also leaving the door open for more. In waffling over that, they deliver a final chapter that is in turns thrilling and frustrating. Rather than going out with a bang, Mission: Impossible may go out with the fizzled whimper of a message self-destructing in a tape deck.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning opens exclusively in theaters on May 23.

Despite its global prominence, and years of investment from the tech industry's loudest voices and biggest pocketbooks, AI still has a diversity problem.

Filling an increasingly worrisome gap created by the tech's creators and evangelists, diversity-based organizations have been trying to tackle that issue on their own. Black Girls Code for example — which offers tech skill building for Black girls and other marginalized groups — has been leaning more heavily into AI as part of its tech preparedness and training curriculum, including creating the brand new position of AI Expert-in-Residence to oversee a more thoughtful approach to teaching about AI.

"Most AI is built in environments that prioritize profit over people, which means bias gets baked in and the same communities left out of past tech waves are now at risk of being harmed again. It’s not enough to teach people to use AI, we have to teach them to be thoughtful about the tools that they use," Black Girls Code CEO Cristina Mancini tells Mashable. "Who built it? What data shaped it? What values does it reflect? Especially in community spaces, AI education must encourage people to think, not just click."

SEE ALSO: Character.AI opens a back door to free speech rights for chatbots

The first to fill the newly created position is Dr. Avril Epps, a computational social scientist and co-founder of AI4Abolition, a community organizer dedicated to building AI literacy and open source tools for Black and Indigenous women, queer, and youth leaders. She is also the author of A Kids Book About AI Bias, a tool for teaching young people about the complex, sometimes problematic, nature of artificial intelligence.

Mashable spoke to Mancini in February about the need for more diverse technologists and the growing interest in AI. "As AI and other emerging technologies reshape our world, we are constantly evolving and expanding our curriculum to position our girls to be not just participants, but leaders in this technological revolution," Mancini told Mashable. "What happens when entire demographics are missing from rooms where these technologies are being funded, legislated, and created?"

A month prior, the organization announced a new collaboration with Latimer.AI, billed as the first inclusive Large Language Model (LLM) designed with "deep inclusion" datasets. Black Girls Code students have unlimited access to the Latimer.AI model in an effort to get more hands-on AI training for underrepresented communities and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) students.

Looking forward, Mancini said that the organization will be exploring more ways to integrate AI into its work, including centering AI preparedness in its nationwide Summer Camp curriculum and finding partnerships with tech companies committed to inclusive and ethical innovation standards.

Video games are an expensive hobby, and we're already seeing higher prices from Nintendo and Xbox. Now, we have bad news for PlayStation gamers.

In its latest earnings call, Sony CFO Lin Tao confirmed that the company is exploring raising prices as a result of the Trump administration's new tariffs. And while Tao didn't name the PS5 directly, the gaming division is Sony's most profitable, and the company just raised prices on PS5 hardware in several regions outside the U.S. a month ago. Sony already sells a variant of the PS5 for $700 in the U.S., so the company is no stranger to high prices for gaming hardware.

Just how big of a hit will Sony take because of tariffs? The company revealed in an earnings report that it's facing a $700 million impact from tariffs, according to Bloomberg. Fellow Japanese company Toyota is facing a $1.2-billion tariff bill.

However, the news isn't all bad for Sony. The company expects to sell 15 million PS5 consoles in the next year, almost exactly the same number of Switch 2 units that Nintendo forecasts it will sell in the same time.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo forecasts a huge first year for Switch 2 sales

While a potential price hike for the PS5 could be coming in the near future, the extremely fluid tariff situation also makes the situation very unpredictable.

As part of the earnings call, Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki also said the PS5 could theoretically be manufactured in the U.S. to circumvent tariffs, per The Verge. That's probably a lot easier said than done, though. Most PS5s are manufactured in China, which, at the time of publication, is currently subject to at least a 30 percent tariff.

Trump's tariffs have only been in effect for about a month, and the console gaming space is already reeling. Xbox games and consoles just got across-the-board price hikes for U.S. gamers, a very surprising move considering that we're five years into that console generation. Nintendo recently delayed preorders for its upcoming Switch 2 console in the U.S. for a couple of weeks, as Trump's tariffs were announced on the same day that Nintendo announced the $450 price point for the Switch 2. Nintendo eventually reopened preorders without changing the console's price, though some hardware accessories got price hikes.

Needless to say, these price increases probably won't end until the tariffs do.

UPDATE: May. 14, 2025, 3:23 p.m. EDT This article has been updated with additional information from Sony's earnings call.

The best deals to watch 'Snow White' at a glance: WATCH NOW Rent or buy 'Snow White' on Prime Video $24.99 or $29.99 Get Deal WATCH NOW Rent or buy 'Snow White' on Apple TV $24.99 or $29.99 Get Deal WATCH LATER Disney+ Premium annual subscription (no ads) $159.99 per year (save $31.89 per year) Get Deal WATCH LATER Disney Bundle Duo Basic (Hulu and Disney+ with ads) $10.99 per month (save $8.99 per month) Get Deal WATCH LATER Disney+ Premium (no ads) Free for 6 or 12 months with eligible Fios internet accounts (save up to $159.99) Learn More WATCH LATER Disney Bundle: Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN (with ads) $10 per month for Verizon customers with myPlan (save $6.99 per month) Get Deal WATCH LATER Disney+ Premium (no ads) Free with the Total by Verizon $60 plan (save $15.99 per month) Get Deal

Snow White, the latest live-action reimagining of a classic Disney animated movie, is now available to watch at home after a theatrical flop. If you didn't catch it in theaters, but are curious what all the squabble surrounding it is about, now's your chance to catch up from your couch.

The live-action Disney princess tale stars Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) in the titular role and Gal Gadot (Heart of Stone, Wonder Woman 1984) as the Evil Queen. And beyond simply replacing animated characters with real actors, Screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson also went back to the drawing board to modernize the storyline.

"Wilson's take on Snow White is surprisingly winsome. It delivers a familiar story with a fresh perspective and some unexpected sources of nostalgia," Mashable Film Editor Kristy Puchko writes.

Here's everything you need to know about how to watch Disney's Snow White at home.

Is Snow White worth watching?

The live-action reimagining of Snow White has been riddled with controversy since its cast was announced. Not to mention Peter Dinklage's criticism of the portrayal of dwarves in the film, which resulted in a switch from actual actors to CGI monstrosities. Despite all of this, Mashable's film editor writes that it is "both surprising and entertaining" and "a magical cinematic experience."

Audiences didn't exactly flock to the theater, which is unsurprising given the controversy, but Snow White currently holds a 72 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of the digital release. Unfortunately, most critics did not find it as enjoyable, giving the film a less-than-stellar 40 percent rating.

Still, we recommend you make up your own mind on the adaptation of 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and see it yourself.

Read our full review of Snow White.

How to watch Snow White at home Credit: Disney

Although it's still in select theaters across the nation, Snow White has officially made its at-home debut on digital. It will also be available to stream at a later date. That means you'll eventually have three different options for watching the live-action remake at home.

Buy or rent it on digital

Disney's Snow White became available to watch at home via video-on-demand on May 14, 2025, two months shy of its theatrical release. You can now purchase the film for your digital library on apps like Prime Video and Apple TV or rent it for 30 days. Just keep in mind that when you rent the film, you'll only have 48 hours to finish watching once you begin.

You can rent or purchase the film at the following retailers:

• Prime Video — buy for $29.99, rent for $24.99

• Apple TV — buy for $29.99, rent for $24.99

• Fandango at Home (Vudu) — buy for $29.99, rent for $24.99

• Google Play — buy for $29.99, rent for $24.99

Stream it on Disney+

Disney+ is the streaming home of all Disney films. Thus, the live-action Snow White will certainly be making its streaming debut on the service. The question is when. Based on the digital-to-streaming trajectory of other recent Disney theatrical releases — Moana 2, Mufasa: The Lion King, Inside Out 2 — we can predict that Snow White will hit Disney+ in mid-to-late June. Keep your eyes peeled and we'll update you when the official streaming debut date is announced.

Not yet a Disney+ subscriber? Subscriptions start at $9.99 after a price hike last year, but we've rounded up a few of the best ways you can save some money on the streamer below.

The best Disney+ streaming dealsBest Disney+ deal: save 17% on an annual subscription Opens in a new window Credit: Disney+ Disney+ Premium annual subscription (no ads) $159.99/year (save 17%) Get Deal

You can save some money on a Disney+ subscription on its own by signing up for an annual plan upfront. The yearly plan without ads will cost you $159.99 per year, which breaks down to just $13.33 per month instead of the usual $15.99 per month. That's 17% or a total of $31.89 in savings. When you check out, be sure to select Disney+ Premium, then "annual" to secure the discount for the year.

Best Disney+ bundle deal: save 44% on Hulu and Disney+ Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu / Disney+ Disney Bundle Duo Basic (Hulu and Disney+ with ads) $10.99 per month (save 44%) Get Deal

Want more bang for your buck? Disney's bundle deals are hard to beat. You can bundle Disney+ and Hulu for just $10.99 per month with ads, which basically gets you Disney+ for $1 per month (44% in savings). Or you could add Max (with ads) or ESPN+ into the mix for a three-part bundle that'll cost you $16.99 per month. Despite dealing with ads, you'll save a ton. To watch without ads, you'll have to pay an extra $9 per month for the Disney+ and Hulu bundle and an extra $13 per month for the trio bundle.

Best Disney+ trial: get 6 or 12 months free with eligible Fios accounts Opens in a new window Credit: Verizon Disney+ Premium (no ads) Free for 6 or 12 months with eligible Fios internet accounts (save up to $159.99) Get Deal

Verizon Fios home internet users on the 2 Gig Streaming or 2 Gig Complete package can score a free year of Disney+ Premium (no ads), while those on the 1 Gig Streaming or 1 Gig Complete package can get six free months. Check the eligibility terms on the Verizon website to learn more and activate the offer. Either way, your trial will give you plenty of time to watch Snow White and other Disney favorites.

Best Disney+ deal for Verizon Wireless customers: save $6.99/month on the Disney Bundle Opens in a new window Credit: Verizon / Disney+ Disney Bundle: Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN (with ads) $10 per month for Verizon customers with myPlan (save $6.99 per month) Get Deal

Verizon Wireless customers can save $6.99/month on the Disney Bundle through Verizon myPlan. Just add a Disney Bundle to your account through myPlan, which includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ (all with ads). The trio bundle would regularly cost you $16.99 per month, but by signing up through this myPlan deal, you'll only pay $10 per month. That's practically unheard of in the streaming world.

Best way to get Disney+ for free: get the Total Wireless $60 plan Opens in a new window Credit: Total by Verizon Disney+ Premium (no ads) Free with the Total Wireless $60 plan (save $15.99 per month) Get Deal

Total Wireless customers on the $60 per month prepaid unlimited plan are eligible to get Disney+ Premium (no ads) for free. No terms or trial periods. That's a $15.99 per month value. Just keep your account in good standing, and your Disney+ account will remain active. If you're on the $50 per month plan, you're also eligible for six free months of Disney+. You can extend your trial by upgrading to the $60 per month plan.

TL;DR: Through June 1, Koofr’s lifetime cloud storage deal is at an all-time low price with code KOOFR at checkout: A$187 (reg. A$250).

You know that quiet dread when the monthly cloud storage fee hits your card — again? It’s not huge, but it adds up. And for what? A few PDFs, some photos you forgot to organize, and maybe that video project you swear you’ll finish someday. 

If you're tired of renting space in the digital void, here’s your chance to escape. Rather than paying each month, Koofr will give you 1TB of cloud storage for a one-time fee. You also caught this deal at just the right time, because you can use code KOOFR at checkout to take the price from A$250 to A$187 for a limited time.

Here’s why we love this deal

Koofr takes your privacy seriously with top-notch encryption for your files, both when they're being transferred and while they're stored. They also don’t track your activity, so you can rest easy knowing your data is secure and private.

What really stands out about Koofr’s cloud storage is how flexible and user-friendly it is. Whether you're on your smartphone, desktop, or using WebDAV, you can easily access and manage your files from anywhere. The interface is straightforward, so even if you're new to cloud storage, you’ll find it easy to use.

Plus, if you’re already using other cloud services like Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon, or OneDrive, Koofr integrates smoothly, letting you handle everything from one place.

And for keeping your digital space in order, Koofr has some neat features. The duplicate file finder helps you eliminate unnecessary repeats, while advanced renaming options let you customize file links. This way, you can keep your files organized and your digital space clutter-free.

Keep your files safe and sound with a Koofr 1TB Cloud Storage lifetime subscription for A$187 with promo code KOOFR until June 1 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Koofr Koofr Cloud Storage: Lifetime Subscription (1TB) AU$187
AU$250 Save AU$63 Get Deal

Did Elon Musk try, and fail, to take over the Library of Congress so he could feed the nation's intellectual property into training fuel for his AI company?

That's what some U.S. Congress members — and even some fierce supporters of President Donald Trump — are saying.

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

Over the weekend, President Donald Trump fired the head of the U.S. Copyright Office, Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter. The timing of the firing was notable as the office had just released a report on AI, and under some unusual circumstances. The Copyright Office's report concluded that training AI models on copyrighted material may not be protected by the fair use legal doctrine — a major blow to AI companies.

Big Tech companies and their executives have gone out of their way to curry favor with Trump since the 2024 election, and none more so than Elon Musk, who donated hundreds of millions of dollars to help elect President Trump and other Republicans.

So, when Trump fired the heads of the Library of Congress and the U.S. Copyright Office, some copyright lawyers grew concerned. The fear: That Elon Musk was committing an end-run around copyright law and getting the motherlode of AI training material directly from the source.

“Donald Trump’s termination of Register of Copyrights, Shira Perlmutter, is a brazen, unprecedented power grab with no legal basis," said Democratic Rep. Joe Morelle (NY-25) in a statement. "It is surely no coincidence he acted less than a day after she refused to rubber-stamp Elon Musk’s efforts to mine troves of copyrighted works to train AI models."

It seems, however, that this concern was well-founded. 

According to a new report from The Verge, the Big Tech critics within Trump's own circles are "convinced" that Musk and White House AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks were behind the firings. Specifically, they believed Musk and Sacks were attempting a copyright takeover for Big Tech.

“We're not going to let every copyright work in America, every creator's hard-earned work get stolen by the tech bros so they can make billions of dollars off of other people's work," said Mike Davis, founder of the Internet Accountability Project and an antitrust advisor to Trump, in a recent interview with right-wing podcast host Steve Bannon.

So, when Trump officials showed up at the Copyright Office this week with a letter from the president, critics feared Musk had sent members of his special project DOGE to take over. However, The Verge reports the men are actually anti-Big Tech officials from within Trump's orbit.

The White House has reportedly named Paul Perkins as the acting Register of Copyrights and Brian Nieves as the acting deputy librarian, although it's not clear if he has the authority to make these appointments. (The Librarian of Congress is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.) Todd Blanche is now working as their boss in the role of Acting Librarian of Congress after President Trump fired his predecessor, Dr. Carla Hayden, last week. All three men are staunch Big Tech critics. In fact, one source told The Verge that Blanche is there specifically to "stick it to tech.”

A few weeks ago, I said the Google Pixel 9a is one of the budget phones to buy this year. Now, a popular tech YouTuber is recommending the opposite, and I see his point.

JerryRigEverything, a tech YouTube account with more than 9 million followers, posted a new video this week where the host stress tests the new mid-range Pixel phone and performs a teardown to look at its internal components. The host finds some minor things to dislike about the external materials as well as the water and dust resistance, but for home repair enthusiasts, there's one major, major problem: The battery is nearly impossible to remove.

SEE ALSO: Google's AI Mode reportedly replacing iconic 'I'm feeling lucky' button

It seems Google has glued the Pixel 9a's 5,100mAh battery (which performed very well for us in testing) such that home removal is extremely difficult, at best. According to JerryRigEverything, most other major smartphone manufacturers, including Apple and Samsung, have stopped doing this, but Google persists.

In general, the Big Tech companies have become much more repair-friendly in the past five or six years, and there are even manufacturers like Framework who make devices with the express purpose of being repair-friendly, so it feels a bit like Google is out of step with the rest of the industry here. Clearly, Google hasn't gotten the Right To Repair memo yet.

Overall, the Pixel 9a has gotten good-to-great reviews for a budget smartphone (including from me).

And let's be honest: This is hardly a dealbreaker for a typical mobile customer. The average person wouldn't even know how to disassemble their phone in the first place. But if you want to maintain the possibility of one day replacing your Pixel's battery, this development is worth knowing about.

TikTok is making it a lot easier for its creators to use AI.

TikTok AI Alive, a feature the app launched on Tuesday, helps users turn static photos into "captivating, short-form videos enhanced with movement, atmospheric and creative effects" when they use the TikTok Story Camera.

"We all know a photo can say a thousand words, and TikTok aims to take this new form of visual storytelling even further," TikTok said in a blog post. "With AI Alive, creators can now easily animate their photos and tell richer, more visually engaging stories for their communities."

How to use AI Alive on TikTok

To use the tool, users must first navigate to the Story Camera by tapping the blue plus sign on their profile image at the top left of the Inbox page and in the center of their profile.

Turn "Alive" on by clicking the button on the top right of your screen, and then choose a single photo and type in how you want the photo to change. You can also choose a photo first, and then click the AI Alive icon on the right sidebar and type in how you want the photo to change.

For instance, if it's a static photo of yourself, you can prompt AI Alive to make your photo dance, wink, or lean in. The tool will count down how long it will take for the effect to work, and once you're done waiting, you have an AI version of your photo.

It looks pretty darn realistic for AI, and might be difficult for people to catch. TikTok said in its blog post that "moderation technology reviews the uploaded photo and written AI generation prompt as well as the AI Alive video before it's shown to the creator."

SEE ALSO: Trump says he may delay TikTok ban once again

"A final safety check happens once a creator decides to post to their Story," TikTok's blog post reads. "Just like other content, people can report videos they think may break our rules. In addition, AI Alive stories will have an AI-generated label to bring transparency to how the content was created, and have C2PA metadata embedded — a kind of technology that helps others identify that it’s AI-generated, even if it’s downloaded and shared off platform."

While this is one of the first in-app image-to-video generators using AI, this isn't the first time TikTok — or any social media platform, for that matter — has introduced AI. You can use AI on Instagram and Snapchat to turn text into images, and Snapchat says it's working on what sounds like a similar AI tool to generate videos from images.

All the while, TikTok is allegedly working on a feature that would allow users to send photos and voice messages via direct messages, according to The Information. Most new features like this are aimed at keeping users on a platform for longer and increasing engagement. Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook already allow users to share photos over DM, but TikTok users can only share videos, stickers, and text over DM, and they have to be over 16 years old.

NASA's Perseverance rover has captured an aurora in the night sky for the first time from the Martian ground. 

Scientists have known for two decades that Mars' skies have auroras, too, but these curtains of undulating light had only been detected in ultraviolet — light that is invisible to the naked eye — until now. All previous Martian auroras were observed from orbiters in space. 

The result is a grainy portrait, shown farther down in this story, reminiscent of the snow one might remember seeing on an old television when it lost a signal. But it represents a monumental achievement, said Elise Wright Knutsen, first author of the research from the University of Oslo in Norway. A paper on the unprecedented observation was published in the journal Science Advances on May 14. 

"The photo was taken with an instrument not necessarily optimized for nighttime imagery, and so it isn't like the spectacular aurora images we have from Earth," Knutsen told Mashable. "But hopefully people will appreciate the softly glowing green sky, regardless of the image being rather pixelated." 

SEE ALSO: Watch how an old Venus spacecraft tumbled before crashing to Earth The actual images taken by Perseverance, whose instruments are not optimized for nighttime viewing, were not as glamorous as this artist's depiction, but the detection was a monumental achievement, researchers said. Credit: Alex McDougall-Page illustration

When the sun releases radiation during a solar storm, charged particles travel along a planet's invisible magnetic field lines. When these particles strike gases in the atmosphere, they heat up and glow. The side effects are colorful light displays known as auroras.

On Earth, the colors differ depending on the type of atmospheric gas and its altitude. Oxygen glows red or blue, while nitrogen can create green, blue, or pink. The recent strong solar storm conditions — a by-product of the sun being at solar maximum — are causing auroras around the North Pole, known as the Northern Lights, to sprawl, allowing people who live farther south to see them. 

Mars' magnetic field is different from Earth’s, and so the auroras are quite exotic. They aren't tethered to the polar regions of the planet. Instead, the Red Planet's auroras can be found in a hodgepodge of places and come in at least four varieties: localized discreet auroras, global diffuse auroras, proton auroras on the side facing the sun, and a large wormlike aurora stretching to the nightside of the planet. Some of the auroras sprout from the ground, thought to form around what's left of the ancient magnetic field in the planet's crust. 

Perseverance, which is exploring Jezero crater, where a river once emptied into a delta, spotted the aurora on March 18, 2024. The sun had blasted a torrent of energy expected to reach Mars, said UC Berkeley's Rob Lillis, who isn't an author on the new paper, in a 2024 Mashable interview. 

NASA's Perseverance rover took the first image of an aurora, left, from the surface of Mars on March 18, 2024. The image, right, is the sky without an aurora for comparison. Credit: Knutsen et al. / Sci. Adv. 11 / eads1563 (2025)

But no one was sure of what exactly the rover would see, given there were so many variables, including timing and weather: Getting one of these night sky displays would be like catching lightning in a bottle.

"We actually told the rover team to point their camera upwards and see if they could see an aurora," he said, "and they got the word just barely in time to send the command to go and look up."

Perseverance used a special camera, called Mastcam-Z, and a laser tool, known as SuperCam, to observe the faint green haze. Though the glow was dim, the detection suggests that, under better viewing conditions, astronauts could one day see such a light display with their own eyes. 

In fact, that's one crucial reason why scientists bother studying these extraterrestrial auroras. In order for astronauts to land on Mars and explore one day, they'll need navigation and communication systems that pass signals through the planet's upper atmosphere. The more accurate scientists' models are of Mars' ionosphere, the layer of charged particles surrounding the planet, the better those technologies will work. 

Twin orbiters built for the Escapade mission will attempt to take the first global images of Martian auroras in visible light. Credit: Rocket Lab

Scientists are planning more ways to capture Martian auroras. A NASA-funded robotic mission, called Escapade, will seek to get to the bottom of how solar radiation strips away the tattered Martian atmosphere. The mission will involve two orbiters built by Rocket Lab, said Lillis, the principal investigator. Though the United Arab Emirates' orbiter Hope has already obtained global images in ultraviolet light, with any luck, the Escapade probes will take the first global snapshots of Martian auroras in visible light.

After several previous failed attempts, the rover's detection last year was a boon, said Knutsen, who personally longs to explore space. She even applied to the European Space Agency's astronaut program a few years ago. 

"I would give my left foot to have been there to see it myself," she said, "but I hope one day I can retire under a softly glowing green Martian sky."

SAVE $200: As of May 14, Best Buy has the Acer Chromebook 516 GE (Intel Core 5 120U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) on sale for just $449. That's 31% off its $649 MSRP, its biggest discount ever.

Opens in a new window Credit: Acer Acer Chromebook 516 GE (Intel Core 5 120U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $449 at Best Buy
$649 Save $200 Get Deal

Chromebooks aren't the sort of laptops most people associate with great PC gaming experiences, but for cash-strapped shoppers, we consider the 16-inch Acer Chromebook 516 GE a fantastic pick. Mashable's Alex Perry called it "an incredible value" at $649, commending its long battery life, comfortable RGB keyboard, ample port selection, and "excellent" 120Hz display.

That $649 number is the Chromebook 516 GE's usual going rate, by the way — right now, it's on sale for way less at Best Buy. A 31% discount from the electronics retailer brings it down to a mere $449, which is its best price to date.

The best laptop and tablet deals to shop this week

• Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet — $89.99 (List Price $139.99)

• Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ Android Tablet — $199.99 (List Price $269.99)

• Amazon Kindle Colorsoft — $224.99 (List Price $279.99)

• Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $999.00

• Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (2025, M4) — $1,049.00 (List Price $1199.00)

The Chromebook 516 GE comes with an Intel Core 5 120U processor, 8GB of memory, and 256GB of storage. Those probably sound like underwhelming specs, but they're perfectly fine for a machine that's meant to stream titles from kitted-out servers instead of playing them locally. If you mainly play games through cloud services like Xbox Game Pass and Nvidia GeForce Now, the Chromebook 516 GE is a stellar alternative to other entry-level gaming laptops.

Perry noticed some input latency when he played certain games on the Chromebook 516 GE, but was otherwise "fairly impressed" with its overall gaming performance: "I started a new game in Control, jacked the settings up all the way, turned on ray tracing, and was a little blown away," he said. In our Geekbench 6 benchmark, it earned the highest multi-core score out of all the Chromebooks we've tested by a wide margin. It's zippy for what it is.

Finally, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the Chromebook 516 GE's battery life: It held out for more than 10 hours on a single charge. That makes it the longest-lasting Chromebook we've tried and the longest-lasting gaming laptop in our database. (In testing standard gaming laptops, we're content if we can get over an hour of use per charging cycle.) To quote Perry again: "That’s just good stuff, folks."

SAVE $300: The Hisense C2 TriChroma Laser portable projector is on sale for $1,699.99 at Amazon as of May 14, which is a 15% discount and drops it down to its best price ever.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense C2 TriChroma Laser portable projector $1,699.99 at Amazon
$1,999.99 Save $300 Get Deal

Projectors have come a long way in recent years — to the point where some rival big screen 4K TVs. The Hisense C2 TriChroma Laser series, released last fall, is one of those rivals. Of course, that groundbreaking cinematic experience doesn't come cheap.

The C2 TriChroma Laser series includes three models, with the most affordable of the trio costing $1,999.99. As of May 14, however, the standard Hisense C2 portable projector is on sale for $1,699.99. That's 15% off and its lowest price on record. Sure, that's still pretty steep, but it's $300 less than you'd spend at full retail price.

All three models — including the standard C2 projector — are equipped with Hisense's Tri-Chroma triple color laser, which ensures color accuracy with a massive color spectrum. They also support 3D viewing, adding another dimension to your viewing experience. Projection size ranges from 65 to 300 inches and thanks to 360-degree horizontal rotation and 135-degree vertical adjustment, you'll have unparalleled viewing flexibility. You can watch movies on the ceiling, set up a massive outdoor screen, or stream workout videos on the wall of your home gym. Each model also offers auto keystone correction and auto focus, smart wall color adaptation, and obstacle avoidance, ensuring a top-notch viewing experience instantly.

The standard C2 model, as a relatively budget-friendly option, only boasts 2,000 lumens of brightness (versus the 3,000 lumens of the C2 Ultra). That's still plenty bright, though, unless you're in an extremely sunny atmosphere. Just dim the lights and close the curtains and you should be fine. It also lacks some of the higher-end features, like a built-in subwoofer and IMAX Enhanced certification. However, it still offers key technologies like Dolby Vision and HDR10+, as well as JBL 2.0 channel audio.

If you prefer a portable and flexible TV experience, it's hard to beat the cinematic capabilities of the Hisense C2 TriChroma Laser projector — particularly when it's on sale.