Feed aggregator

Bluesky is already facing its first major AI scrape, despite the stance of its owners that it will never train generative AI on user data.

Reported by 404Media on Nov. 26, one million public Bluesky posts — complete with identifying user information — were crawled and then uploaded to AI company Hugging Face. The dataset was created by machine learning librarian Daniel van Strien, intended to be used in the development of language models and natural language processing, as well as general analysis of social media trends, content moderation, and posting patterns. It contains users' decentralized identifiers (DIDs) and even has a search function to find content from specific users.

According to the dataset's description, the set "contains 1 million public posts collected from Bluesky Social's firehose API (Application Programming Interface), intended for machine learning research and experimentation with social media data. Each post contains text content, metadata, and information about media attachments and reply relationships."

SEE ALSO: Leaving X for bluer pastures? What to know about Bluesky's owners and policies.

Bluesky users didn't opt-in to such uses of their content, but neither is it expressly prohibited by Bluesky. The platform's firehose API is an "aggregated, chronological stream of all the public data updates as they happen in the network, including posts, likes, follows, handle changes, and more." Bluesky's API — coupled with the public and decentralized Authenticated Transfer (AT) Protocol the site is built on — means Bluesky content is open and available to the third party developers the platform is trying to court, 404Media explains.

This could be a major warning sign to many of the site's millions of new users, many of whom left competitor X in the wake of an alarming new AI training policy. A Bluesky representative responded to 404Media's requests for comment: "Bluesky is an open and public social network, much like websites on the Internet itself. Just as robots.txt files don't always prevent outside companies from crawling those sites, the same applies here. We'd like to find a way for Bluesky users to communicate to outside orgs/developers whether they consent to this and that outside orgs respect user consent, and we're actively discussing how to achieve this."

Shortly after the article's publication, the dataset was removed from Hugging Face. "I've removed the Bluesky data from the repo. While I wanted to support tool development for the platform, I recognize this approach violated principles of transparency and consent in data collection. I apologize for this mistake," van Strien wrote in a follow-up Bluesky post.

SAVE $96: Through Dec. 2, the Disney+ and Hulu bundle (both with ads) is just $2.99 per month instead of the usual $10.99 per month for an entire year. That's 72% in savings and easily one of the best Black Friday streaming deals this season.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu / Disney+ Disney+ (with ads) and Hulu (with ads) $2.99/month for one year (save $96) Get Deal

This year, everything got more expensive — including streaming services. Once just $7.99 per month, the costs for both Disney+ and Hulu jumped up to $9.99 a piece last month. The coveted Disney Duo Basic bundle deal, which includes both Hulu with ads and Disney+ with ads, even jumped up from $9.99 to $10.99 per month. So, needless to say, we've been curious what Black Friday would bring as far as streaming deals go. Now that they've arrived, we're highly impressed, to say the least.

That same Disney bundle that jumped in price — Disney+ with ads and Hulu with ads — is only $2.99 per month for an entire year from Nov. 27 through Dec. 2 (Cyber Monday). That's $8 per month in savings, or $96 total that you get to keep in your pocket. Aside from Hulu's insane 99 cents per month deal, this is easily the best Black Friday streaming deal we've seen so far.

SEE ALSO: The best Black Friday streaming deals so far: Hulu, Peacock, Max, and more

If you recently got kicked off your friend or family member's account due to the password sharing crackdown, now's a great chance to get accounts of your own. Just make note that the offer is only valid for new and eligible returning Hulu and Disney+ subscribers (basically anyone who hasn't been a Hulu or Disney+ subscriber in the past month).

While you'll have to sit through ads, access to both Hulu's and Disney+'s expansive catalogs for just $3 each month is beyond worth it.

SAVE $180: As of Nov. 27, Best Buy has the Hisense 55-inch QD5 QLED 4K TV on sale for $219.99 for Black Friday, which is a savings of 45%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 55-inch QD5 QLED 4K Google TV $219.99 at Best Buy
$399.99 Save $180.00 Get Deal

Best Buy is beating Walmart at one of its own games this Black Friday, and that game is "having the cheapest possible *insert size here* TV of the season." My current favorite example is the Hisense 55-inch QLED TV chilling at $219.99 at Best Buy — not too far off from Walmart's cheapest non-QLED 55-inch 4K TV deal at $178.

And this competitiveness is exactly why Black Friday is one of the best times (if not the best time) of year to buy a TV.

SEE ALSO: Another Black Friday streaming deal is here: Get 2 months of Paramount+ with Showtime for $2.99 per month

But unless you're a seasoned shopping reporter who keeps track of product prices for a living, these numbers may not mean anything to you without context. Here, the context simply lies in comparison to other existing TV deals, as well as prices from Black Friday TV deals last year.

Plopping Best Buy's deal next to Walmart's cheapest 55-inch QLED going into Thanksgiving, a $288 Hisense model, quickly proves just how much of a steal it is to find the same size and backlight situation for $219.99. Then, throwing it back to Black Friday 2023, the cheapest 55-inch QLED TV then was going for $348. Alternatively, our favorite Fire TV deal from 2023 was a 50-inch regular LED model also going for... wait for it... $219.99.

SEE ALSO: Basically all of the best robot vacuums out there are at new record-low pricing for Black Friday

In 2024, that same wad of cash gets you five more diagonal inches of screen and a layer of quantum dots on top of the traditional LED backlight for visibly brighter, more saturated colors. If you're a sports person, upgrading to a QLED TV is crucial, as the enhanced brightness makes small movements on the screen much easier to follow, especially in the daytime. (As one of the more basic QLEDs out there, no one's saying this is the brightest QLED with the smoothest motion on the market. But if you're a casual watcher rather than an avid gamer, you probably won't care.)

Best early Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals 2024 Best Nintendo Switch console deal Nintendo Switch OLED 'Mario Kart 8 Deluxe' Bundle $299 (save $50) Get Deal Best Nintendo Switch game deal 'The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom' $30 (save $39) Get Deal Best Nintendo Switch accessory deal CRKD Nitro Deck $49.99 (save $20) Get Deal

Good Nintendo Switch deals are pretty hard to come by. For some reason, Nintendo just generally doesn't like to list their consoles, games, or accessories at steep discounts, even during big sales events. But thankfully, ahead of Black Friday 2024, it seems like the iconic gaming company is changing course and actually offering up some competitive, worthwhile deals this time around.

SEE ALSO: The PS5 Slim just got its biggest-ever discount in Amazon's Black Friday event

Below, find our favorite Nintendo Switch-centric deals, including big price cuts on Switch console bundles, individual games, and accessories like controllers, cases, microSD cards, and more. Keep checking back with us throughout Black Friday, too — we'll be updating this page regularly as new offers pop up.

Best Nintendo Switch console deal Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo Nintendo Switch OLED 'Mario Kart 8 Deluxe' Bundle $299.00 at Walmart
$349.00 Save $50.00 Get Deal Why we like it

The Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Switch bundle is pretty much a Black Friday staple at this point, and 2024 is no different. You can snag the Nintendo Switch OLED model for $50 off at Walmart ahead of Black Friday. That's just $299 for the best version of the Switch yet, plus one of the very best Nintendo Switch games of all time.

More Nintendo Switch console deals

• Nintendo Switch Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Bundle — $249 $299 (save $50)

Best Nintendo Switch game deal Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo 'The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom' $30.00 at Walmart
$69.00 Save $39.00 Get Deal Why we like it

There's a large group of people who would say that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom isn't just one of the best Nintendo Switch games ever made, but one of the best games ever made in general. And you know what? We'd have a hard time making a case against that. In other words, it's a must-play, and now is the best time to buy a copy if you haven't experienced it yet — for Black Friday, Walmart has Tears of the Kingdom listed at just $30, down from $69. That's the best deal we've seen on this game yet, so don't hesitate to lock in your purchase.

More Nintendo Switch game deals

• Powerwash Simulator — $14.99 $24.99 (save $10)

• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown — $17.97 $49.99 (save $32.02)

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed — $19.99 $39.99 (save $20)

• Cuphead — $21.99 $39.88 (save $17.89)

• Sonic Frontiers — $24.99 $39.99 (save $15)

• Bioshock: The Collection — $25.64 $49.99 (save $24.35)

• Super Mario Odyssey — $29.99 $59.99 (save $30)

• Just Dance 2025 Edition — $29.99 $49.99 (save $20)

• Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed — $30 $59.99 (save $29.99)

• Sonic X Shadow Generations — $30 $49.94 (save $19.94)

• NBA 2K25 — $30 $59 (save $29)

• Super Mario Maker 2 — $30 $59.88 (save $29.88)

• Nintendo Switch Sports — $39.99 $49.99 (save $10)

• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — $39.99 $46.99 (save $7)

• Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury — $39.99 $59.99 (save $20)

• Pikmin 4 — $39.99 $59.99 (save $20)

• Star Wars: Heritage Pack — $39.99 $59.99 (save $20)

• The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom — $41.99 $53.19 (save $11.20)

• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD — $44.99 $59.99 (save $15)

Best Nintendo Switch accessory deal Opens in a new window Credit: CRKD CRKD Nitro Deck $49.99 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $20.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Look, we aren't Joy-Con haters around these parts, but it's no secret that they aren't perfect. The CRKD Nitro Deck may be the controller upgrade you've been craving, and it's $20 off ahead of Black Friday at Amazon, just $49.99. The Switch fits seamlessly within the handheld device, and the whole thing can be docked for TV gaming sessions.

More Nintendo Switch accessory deals

• PowerA Joy-Con Comfort Grips for Nintendo Switch — $9.88 $14.99 (save $5.11)

• PowerA Joy-Con Charging Dock for Nintendo Switch — $14.99 $22.99 (save $8)

• SanDisk 128GB microSDXC Card — $14.99 $34.99 (save $20)

• PowerA Wireless Nintendo Switch Controller (Legend of Zelda Sworn Protector) — $24.99 $44.99 (save $20)

• RDS Industries Nintendo Switch Case — $34.99 $39.99 (save $5)

• PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller (Color Splash Heroes) — $35 $59 (save $24)

• PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller (Black) — $35 $38.99 (save $3.99)

• PowerA GameCube Style Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch — $35.99 $59.99 (save $24)

• Rocketfish TV Dock Kit For Nintendo Switch — $39.99 $49.99 (save $10)

• PDP Afterglow Wave Wireless Pro Controller — $40.99 $54.99 (save $14.99)

• Hori Split Pad Pro Controller — $42.49 $49.99 (save $7.50)

• Nintendo Switch Pro Controller — $49 $69.99 (save $20.99)

• Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Controllers (Neon Red/Neon Blue) — $59 $79.99 (save $20.99)

• Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Controllers (Neon Purple/Neon Orange) — $69 $79.99 (save $10.99)

"I met Taylor Swift because of Twitter," Kayla, a 29-year-old financial services worker at a university in Jacksonville, Florida, told Mashable. She's one of many fans who has spent over a decade communing over Swift on the platform. Now she's leaving X/Twitter for Bluesky.

SEE ALSO: Swifties for Kamala: How Taylor Swift fans are creating a new blueprint for political organizing

Fed up with Elon Musk's relationship with President-elect Donald Trump, she joined Bluesky the day after the 2024 presidential election — and hasn't posted to her 25,000 X followers since. 

"I couldn't be a part of it anymore. I didn't want to be on a platform that uplifts right-wing propaganda and grifters and makes money for Musk. By staying on the platform, I was contributing to it," she explained. 

Stan Twitter, the community of users dedicated to constantly posting about their favorite celebrities and pop culture — of which Swifties are one of its biggest factions — has long been the backbone of the platform. And while fans are still active on X (a Financial Times report estimates the platform to have 251 million global daily active users as of the second quarter of 2024), growth has reportedly been stagnant since Musk acquired the company. More recently, X has been losing users in record numbers. Meanwhile, Bluesky just hit 20 million users. While that remains significantly less than those on X, it also represents a vibe shift that people seem eager to take part in. Swifties moving over may be an essential marker for Bluesky's growth and sustainability.

Stan Twitter, in particular, took a major hit in September when X was banned in Brazil due to a feud between Musk and Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre Moraes. The ban meant that over 20 million people lost access to the app, and fan accounts dedicated to everyone from Harry Styles to Cardi B went silent. Brazilians were pivotal to the development of fan culture on the platform. A testament to their impact is the popularity of the "Come to Brazil" meme, which pokes fun at Brazilians incessantly posting the phrase in response to their faves' tweets.

While X was reinstated in Brazil in October, after Musk surrendered to the Brazilian Supreme Court and paid millions of dollars in fines, the incident signaled that X might no longer be the best home for stan culture; after all, it couldn't be relied on. Bluesky, which promises to be "billionaire proof" and to cultivate a welcoming environment, saw "strong growth," according to the company, in Brazil during this period.

Swifties' rocky relationship with X

While no fandom is a monolith, it isn't surprising that there's a movement among Swifties to leave X. A coalition of fans organized under Swifties for Kamala to campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris, and X and its owner have repeatedly wronged their idol. Fans dedicated to Swift's success aren't quick to forget those who have mistreated her. 

In January, AI-generated, pornographic deepfakes of Swift went viral on X with little recourse. Swifties stepped in as protectors, flooding related tags with positive posts and images and trending #ProtectTaylorSwift on X. Meanwhile, it took days for the platform to disable search for Swift's name. 

After the pop star endorsed Harris, Musk took to X to, in the eyes of many, sexually harass Swift. He wrote, "Fine Taylor … you win … I will give you a child and guard your cats with my life."

Tweet may have been deleted

"After the election, my whole timeline was either people talking about being upset about the state of the world or [people posting] 'Hey, here's my new account, follow me over there,'" SJ, another Swiftie, told Mashable.

The 22-year-old in Rhode Island first made a Bluesky account 10 months ago, but there wasn't much of a community there, so she posted twice and deleted the app. But since the election, she's back on Bluesky. "I thought if everyone else is going, then there will actually be a community this time," said SJ. 

She's hopeful about the Swiftie community on Bluesky. "It's already better, even though it's not been a long time. There's more real people here. Twitter got to a point where you weren't seeing actual community spaces there," she said. She says she's seen way more engagement on her posts and has almost the same following she spent seven years building on X. 

But SJ will never delete her X account because she doesn't want to lose nearly a decade of tweets and memories. "Assuming Bluesky keeps growing, and people stay active, I'll just slowly start using Twitter less and less until I become inactive," explained SJ.

SEE ALSO: Every surprise song Taylor Swift has performed on 'The Eras Tour'

Like SJ, Noah Levy, a fellow Twitter Swiftie, sees the online community in transition. "It's not like everyone just quit Twitter and moved to Bluesky," the 26-year-old customer support worker in St. Louis, Missouri, told Mashable. "I'm interested to see how long it'll take for everyone to move over there, if that'll even happen, or if we're gonna keep using Twitter too."

He posted several times on X asking fellow fans to follow him on Bluesky, but unlike SJ, he hasn't seen his Bluesky account grow to his sizable X following of over 31,000. "[Bluesky] grew really fast when I first made my account because I followed everyone on lists, and a lot of them followed back, but since then, it's been pretty steady," said Levy.

Taylor Nation keeps some Swifties from fully departing X

While some accounts key to the stan ecosystem, like pop culture news aggregators Pop Base and Discussing Film, have made the leap to Bluesky, others have not, keeping fans tied to Twitter.

Parts of the Swift extended universe have moved to Bluesky — Kayla excitedly DMed me to share that Swift collaborator Maren Morris opened a Bluesky account. Yet Taylor Nation, Taylor Swift's official management account, which engages with fans and coordinates special opportunities for her most dedicated Swifties, has yet to move to the platform (though they do have a Threads account). "It will be tough for everybody to move over because of Taylor Nation," explained Kayla.

While fans may not yet be able to chase a Taylor Nation notice on Bluesky, that hasn’t stopped a community from thriving there. For Kayla, it feels like a return to the early days of being a Swiftie.

She first joined Twitter in 2008, following along with the Fearless, Speak Now, and Red tours on the app. Now, Bluesky evokes those early experiences. "The first night of the Eras Tour on Bluesky was so special; it reminded me of OG Twitter back in 2013, when it was all rainbows, sparkles, and unicorns," Kayla said.

SAVE $51.99: As of Nov. 27, you can get the Microsoft Xbox Series X (1TB, Digital Edition) for just $398 at Walmart. That's $51.99 off the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Xbox Series X (1TB, Digital Edition) $398.00 at Walmart
$449.99 Save $51.99 Get Deal

PlayStation and Nintendo get a lot of attention in the video game console market, but Microsoft's Xbox Series X is still a solid gaming option — and you can get it on sale at Walmart for a smidgen less than other retailers.

As of Nov. 27, you can score a Microsoft Xbox Series X (1TB, Digital Edition) for $398 at Walmart. That’s $1.99 cheaper than the $399.99 price at Best Buy and Target. It’s also $51.99 off the Xbox Series X's usual $449.99 asking price. Note: This is for the digital edition, so you won’t be able to use discs with this console.

SEE ALSO: Game on with these early Black Friday deals from Xbox

The Xbox Series X is one of Microsoft’s most powerful models. It features DirectX ray tracing, a custom SSD, and 4K gaming at up to 120 frames per second. And, like the PS5, you can also play older-generation games on the Series X.

With Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (sold separately at $19.99 per month), you can access a huge library of games, play multiplayer online, and receive exclusive member deals and discounts.

From 2011 to 2012, thieves stole $18 million worth of maple syrup from the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers. Among the most valuable heists in Canadian history (and arguably the most Canadian heist ever), the robbery earned the title of the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist.

Now, the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist gets its own TV adaptation with Prime Video's The Sticky. Created by American Housewife team Brian Donovan and Ed Herro, The Sticky stars Margo Martindale, Chris Diamantopoulos, and Guillaume Cyr as an unlikely trio of maple syrup hustlers. The three have incredible chemistry — but in the end, is it enough to counteract The Sticky's long, winding road to the notorious heist that spawned it?

SEE ALSO: 'The Sticky' trailer: Margo Martindale, Jamie Lee Curtis, and the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist What is The Sticky about? Margo Martindale in "The Sticky." Credit: Jan Thijs

The Sticky may draw inspiration from true events, yet as a title card reminds us at the beginning of each episode, what we're seeing is "absolutely not" the true story. Yes, people will work to steal maple syrup from a governing syrup body in Quebec, but that's basically where the similarities begin and end. Notably, every member of The Sticky's aspiring heist crew is fictional.

Every member of the heist crew is also down on their luck, and growing more desperate day by day. There's syrup farmer Ruth Landry (Martindale), whose husband Martin lies in a years-long coma, and whose farming land is on the verge of being seized by the corrupt association that governs the local maple syrup supply. Security guard Remy Bouchard (Cyr) is the organization's sole security guard. Overworked, underpaid, and unappreciated by boss Leonard Gauthier (Guy Nadon), Remy takes revenge where he can — by stealing one barrel of syrup a month from the stockpile. Rounding out the team is Bostonian mobster Mike Byrne (Chris Diamantopoulos), who's looking to pull off a job unaffiliated with the U.S. crime family that hounds him.

Pushed together by circumstance, these three decide to take down those who have wronged them by executing the sweetest heist known to mankind. But of course, as we've come to expect from any heist story, things rarely go according to plan, and Ruth, Remy, and Mike are in for a hell of a lot of sticky situations.

SEE ALSO: 'A Man on the Inside' review: Ted Danson and Mike Schur reunite for sweet sitcom gold Margo Martindale, Guillaume Cyr, and Chris Diamantopoulos are a delightful heist crew. Margo Martindale, Chris Diamantopoulos, and Guillaume Cyr in "The Sticky." Credit: Jan Thijs

You may be drawn in by the promise of maple syrup mayhem, but the true heart of The Sticky is just watching Martindale, Cyr, and Diamantopoulos become the most dysfunctional heist crew in all of Canada. The three give delightful performances separately, but put them together, and you get dynamite.

Martindale's Ruth is ferocious as can be, unafraid to storm the association's offices with a downed tree in tow or curse out Leonard in front of his staff. Cyr's Remy becomes a perfect foil for her, not just because of his links to the organization but also because of his mild-mannered demeanor, which can sometimes lead to others taking advantage of him. However, that mildness flies out the door in most of his interactions with the hot-tempered Mike, who tries to assert himself as the dominant cool guy in charge of the operation. But despite all that posturing, Mike's often just as inept as his compatriots. Don't just take my word for it: Feast your eyes on Diamantopoulos' many icy pratfalls, which somehow get funnier over time, no matter how often Mike bites it in the Quebec snow.

SEE ALSO: The best comedies on Prime Video for when you need a good laugh

The lead-up to The Sticky's heist gives our trio plenty of time to bond, from planning sessions to car trips to an accomplice's storage unit. It also gives them plenty of opportunities to cross each other, building tension — and some very fun sap-related arguments — along the way. Yet among all The Sticky's many twists and turns, it can sometimes feel like the heist itself has gotten lost in the syrup... er, sauce.

The Sticky's heist feels more like an afterthought. Jamie Lee Curtis in "The Sticky." Credit: Jan Thijs

Despite The Sticky's lightning-fast first season (six episodes, each less than 30 minutes), the series can sometimes feel like it's wading through syrup in its efforts to get to the heist proper. Ruth and Remy drop out of the heist at separate points, only to get pulled back in mere moments later. Elsewhere, new wrinkles out of our trio's control keep pushing the planned heist date back. Some, like the arrival of new security guard Gary (Meegwun Fairbrother), spawn riotous side quests. Others, like the intrusion of Mike's Bostonian colleagues — including mobster Bo (Jamie Lee Curtis) — feel like The Sticky stalling for time, or clawing for a great antagonist for a potential second season.

Here's the thing, though: I'm far more interested in the small-town dynamics The Sticky initially sets up than whatever hell Boston has to rain down on Mike. The series briefly explores the solidarity between Ruth and the other syrup farmers and townspeople, including a scene where a diner refuses to give Leonard any syrup with breakfast. But otherwise, it barely fleshes out the rest of them.

By the time The Sticky finally gets to its heist, the season has almost run out of steam, and it shows. Prior iterations of the heist plan play out in snappy, darkly funny sequences of what the crime might look like. Yet that energy dissipates for the real deal, which seems almost grim in comparison to everything that's come before it.

But while the final destination of The Sticky Season 1 may be underwhelming, at least the characters who brought us there are anything but. Martindale, Cyr, and Diamantopoulos have created a trio of lovable, flawed criminals who are fully-fledged right off the bat, and watching their dynamic evolve over the course of the season is a sweet treat all by itself.

All episodes of The Sticky premiere Dec. 6 on Prime Video.

Hey folks, Spotify would like you to know that its Spotify Wrapped feature, which showcases your favorite songs, albums and artists of the year, is coming soon.

Not yet, though. If you open Spotify on your phone, you'll be greeted with a teaser for Spotify Wrapped, reminding you to check your top songs of 2023, as well as your favorite songs of 2022.

It's time...to wait a few more days for Spotify Wrapped. Credit: Spotify

So when's Spotify Wrapped going to be available? We don't know. According to Spotify, "the best time of the year is right around the corner." They also said that about Spotify's HiFi tier, back in February 2021, and it still hasn't launched. Just sayin'.

All we can do at this point, aside from falling into desperation, is remember that last year, Spotify Wrapped launched on November 29, a day after Thanksgiving, so it's reasonable to expect the feature to show up on the date this year, too. If you want to take speculation a step further, Reddit has a thread in which people post various clues on when Spotify Wrapped may happen this year.

SEE ALSO: Everything you need to know about Spotify Wrapped 2024

In any case, this pre-announcement gives you a couple more days to repeatedly play Slayer's seminal 1990 album, "Seasons in the Abyss", so that it shows higher on your personal top list.

If you're meeting up with friends or heading home, sharing your location through DMs can be a wildly useful feature — and safety method for all ages. It's a tool that's been long available on Google Maps, Snapchat, and pretty much all of the messaging apps out there, and finally, Instagram has added location sharing.

As of Nov. 25, Instagram now lets you send your current whereabouts to your friends for up to an hour, or share a pin so you can see how far you and your mates are from the meeting point — there will be no more "I'm almost there" shenanigans afoot.

SEE ALSO: When do you stop sharing your location with someone?

Your live location can be shared and unshared to either a solo or group chat, and those you've shared to can't forward this to other chats. And remember, you should never share your location with someone you don't know, whatever age you are.

Importantly, if you're under 13 you can't set up a Instagram account at all. Instagram's recently launched Teen Accounts (for users aged 13 to 17) are automatically set to only receive messages from accounts they follow or have previously connected with. Plus, teens under 16 will need a parent's permission to change any of those strict automatic protections. According to Meta, "Location sharing is off for minors by default. When either an adult or minor turns on location sharing, we include a consistent indicator as a reminder that they're sharing their location."

The feature is available through the Instagram app on iOS and Android in select countries, and is turned off by default. But how do you turn it on? Here's how.

How to share your live location on Instagram Total Time

• 2 min

What You Need

• iPhone or Android smartphone
• Instagram app

Step 1: Open Instagram.

Step 2: Go to your Messages.

Tap the minimalist paper airplane icon in the top right.

Step 3: Open a chat.

Either a solo or group chat works with this feature.

Step 4: Tap the + button at the bottom of the screen.

Step 5: Tap "Location".

Step 6: Tap "Share your location" to drop it in the chat.

Remember, you can stop sharing your location at any time, and it's a good idea to keep in mind that you'll still be sharing it for an hour after you activate it — even when you've arrived at your destination.

Why can't I share my location on Instagram?

If you can't see the option to share your live location in Instagram, the feature may not have launched in your country yet.

Alternatively, you may need to check if your phone is allowing location sharing. For iPhone users, you'll need to go to Settings, tap Privacy and security, scroll down to Instagram and toggle the switch on. You'll be prompted to select when Instagram is allowed to use your location; select either Never, Always, or While using the app, depending on your preference.

SAVE $170: As of Nov. 27, the 44mm Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is on sale for $159.99 in Amazon's Black Friday sale. That saves you 52% off its list price of $329.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 $159.99 at Amazon
$329.99 Save $170.00 Get Deal

Black Friday is one of the best times of year to invest in the tech you've had your eye on. If you've been on the hunt for a smartwatch, whether to gift yourself or someone you know, Amazon's got a fantastic deal on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 that's definitely worth taking advantage of right now.

As part of Amazon's Black Friday sale event, you can score the 44mm Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 at its lowest-ever price of $159.99. This is over 50% off its list price of $329.99 and an all-time low price for the watch according to price tracker camelcamelcamel. There's truly no better time to grab it.

SEE ALSO: Hulu's Black Friday deal is back. Get a whole year for just $0.99 per month.

Samsung's Galaxy Watch 6 has plenty of features to make it worth the investment, including fitness tracking features, a heart rate monitor, and sleep tracking. Writer Alex Perry called it the, "king of the Android smartwatch mountain for now, thanks to a nice display, ease of use, and more features than the competition" in our Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 review. It also made our list of the best smartwatches as the top pick for Android users, in case you're in need of a little extra convincing before hitting that 'buy' button.

Don't miss out on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 at its lowest-ever price for Black Friday.

There are plenty more tech deals worth exploring this Black Friday. Other top retailers like Best Buy, Target, and Walmart are dropping delightful deals each day in the lead-up to Black Friday proper, so have a look at our breakdowns for each to see if any more offers catch your eye.

Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey give us a behind-the-scenes look at how Luca Guadagnino approached filming the ayahuasca scene in Queer. They also give an in depth look at the relationship between the two lead characters in the film.

Queer opens November 27th in NY & LA, in theaters everywhere December 13.

TL;DR: Stay connected abroad with an eSIM that comes with $50 in credit to spend on affordable data — now only $25 ahead of Black Friday.

Opens in a new window Credit: Affinity Click aloSIM Traveler's Mobile Data Plan: Pay $25 for $50 Credit $24.97
$50.00 Save $25.03 Get Deal

Whether you’re flying home for the holidays or checking off a bucket list destination, planning an international getaway is extremely exciting. And stressful. And expensive. Especially when it comes to getting a SIM card and mobile data.

Instead of getting the usual physical SIM card from your provider and succumbing to international data costs while you're traipsing through Paris or Tokyo, why not try aloSIM? There's no need to wait for Black Friday to save — this eSIM is your key to international connectivity and arrives with $50 in data credits for only $24.97 (reg. $50) through December 1.

A lifelong eSIM for all your travels

A digital SIM card is essentially mobile data, so you don’t have to worry about getting a physical SIM card through your mobile carrier—or deal with overpriced roaming charges when you return. Check out how easy it is to use aloSIM:

1. Download aloSIM to your phone, tablet, or computer. You can only use this eSIM on only one device.

2. Select a data package for the location and duration of your trip. aloSIM works in over 175 countries and has plans starting at seven days long and as low as $4.50.

3. Activate the data package when you arrive at your destination. Setting up your eSIM before you arrive at the airport is recommended so you don't have to deal with extra stress or spotty WiFi.

One important thing to remember is that data packages expire at the time stated at redemption, even if you have remaining data. This means leftover data will not carry over for future use, though aloSIM is yours for life.

Your digital SIM comes with Hushed

In addition to your eSIM and data credits, you'll get a free Hushed phone number. This might be helpful if you need to leave a number for your dinner or tour reservation but don't want to put down your actual number.

Don't wait for Black Friday to save on this travel hack. Get your aloSIM for life and $50 of credit to spend on data for just $24.97 (reg. $50) through December 1 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Act while supplies last.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

SAVE UP TO 50%: Get up to 50% off matresses in the DreamCloud Black Friday sale. Plus, spend $1,000 and save an extra $100 at the checkout.

Opens in a new window Credit: DreamCloud DreamCloud Black Friday Sale Get Deal

Black Friday provides an awesome opportunity to save on popular products like robot vacuums, headphones, laptops, and much more. The focus is definitely on tech during these major shopping events, but there is value to be found elsewhere.

If you're looking to improve your sleep and secure a saving over this busy shopping period, you can find a number of Black Friday mattress sales. We're not going to pick a favorite from the bunch, but the DreamCloud Black Friday sale has got our attention. You can save up to 50% on matresses in the DreamCloud Black Friday sale. Plus, spend $1,000 and save an extra $100 at the checkout.

SEE ALSO: PSA: You can get a new mattress now without dealing with the Black Friday chaos

With this big Black Friday discount applied, you can pick up the DreamCloud Memory Foam mattress for $299, the DreamCloud Hybrid Mattress for $419, the DreamCloud Premier Memory Foam mattress for $749, and the DreamCloud Premier Rest Hybrid mattress for $949. You can also save on bed frames, pillows, mattress protectors, and other important sleep accessories.

Save up to 50% with the DreamCloud Black Friday sale.

Lindsay Lohan, Kristin Chenowith and Ian Harding dive into the hilarious holiday chaos in Our Little Secret, where awkward family dynamics and romantic entanglements collide.

Our Little Secret is now streaming on Netflix.

SAVE UP TO 50%: Get up to 50% off matresses in the Nectar Black Friday sale. Plus, spend $1,000 and save an extra $100 at the checkout.

Opens in a new window Credit: Nectar Nectar Black Friday Sale Get Deal

We make a lot of noise about the best tech deals over Black Friday, and we're not going to apologize for that. You can save on everything from robot vacuums to Apple's range of products, so of course we're going to make a fuss. But that's not to say that there isn't value to be found in other categories during this busy shopping period.

There are many other avenues of opportunity during Black Friday, and if you're looking for a deal on better sleep, you can rest easy. Nectar's Black Friday sale is offering up to 50% off all Nectar mattresses. Plus, you can save an extra $100 at the checkout when you spend $1,000 or more.

SEE ALSO: PSA: You can get a new mattress now without dealing with the Black Friday chaos

With this Black Friday discount applied, you can pick up the Nectar Classic Memory Foam mattress for $349, the Nectar Classic Hybrid mattress for $499, the Nectar Premier Hybrid mattress for $799, the Nectar Luxe Memory Foam mattress for $999, and much more. You can also save on sleep accessories like bed frames, pillows, and mattress protectors.

Save up to 50% with the Nectar Black Friday sale.

SAVE $70: As of Nov. 27, Beats Studio3 headphones are on sale for $89 in Walmart's Black Friday sale. That's $70 off their list price of $159.

Opens in a new window Credit: Beats Beats Studio3 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones $89.00 at Walmart
$159.00 Save $70.00 Get Deal

There are an abundance of headphone deals that drop during Black Friday, especially on some high-quality models with noise-canceling features. If you're looking to score something for under $100, Walmart is here to help with a fantastic discount on Beats Studio3 headphones.

The Beats Studio3 have been discounted by $70 in Walmart's Black Friday sale, bringing their price down from $159 to $89. Not to mention, purchasing them comes with bonus offers as well, and who doesn't love free things? You'll get up to three months of Apple TV+, up to four months of Apple Music, up to three months of Apple Fitness+, up to three months of Apple News+, and up to four months of Apple Arcade all for free.

SEE ALSO: The Apple Watch 10 is at its lowest-ever price in the Amazon Black Friday sale

Not to mention, three colors of the Beats Studio3 are on sale at this price at Walmart. You can have your pick of matte black, shadow gray, or white headphones.

Alongside a sleek selection of colors, these headphones also feature a comfortable design and pure adaptive noise canceling that make them a worthy investment. Not to mention, a fantastic 22 hour battery life. At the time of their release, our review even called them "one of the best Bluetooth wireless models we’ve ever tested." So, if you've been hoping to pick up noise-canceling headphones without a super steep price tag, this Beats Studio3 deal is worth jumping on.

As we mentioned earlier, there are plenty of headphone deals to check out over Black Friday. Outside of Walmart, retailers like Amazon, Target, and Best Buy are also offering up some excellent deals that are worth checking out. If you're curious what they have available at the moment, have a look at our breakdowns for each to learn more about what they've got in store.

SAVE OVER $1,000: In Amazon's Black Friday sale, the 65-inch LG G4 OLED TV has dropped from its list price of $3,399.99 to $2,296.99. That's a discount of 32%.

Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 65-Inch Class OLED evo G4 Series Smart TV $2,296.99 at Amazon
$3,399.99 Save $1,103.00 Get Deal

If you've been on the lookout for a new TV this year, Black Friday is the best time to scoop one up at a discounted rate. With excellent discounts on a wide variety of options, you can save big on even the biggest and best TVs around. If you're looking to upgrade to a TV with some of the highest picture quality available right now, look no further than this deal on the 65-inch LG G4 OLED TV.

The 65-inch LG G4 OLED TV has been discounted by over $1,000 for Black Friday, dropping its price from $3,399.99 to $2,296.99. This saves you 32% overall and also marks its lowest-ever price according to price tracker camelcamelcamel. With savings like that, there's no better time to jump on it.

SEE ALSO: Hulu's Black Friday deal is back. Get a whole year for just $0.99 per month.

Boasting 4K resolution and LG's OLED technology, the picture quality of your favorite shows and films will look wonderfully rich and detailed. This TV also features Brightness Booster Max that really makes the images on your screen shine. If you've been looking for a TV to help you create a cinematic experience at home, the G4 will certainly get you there.

And this is made all the better with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, which bring the cinematic feel of picture and sound into your own home. It also has a Filmmaker Mode, so you can watch your favorite movies as the filmmakers intended. This TV isn't just for movie lovers, though. Gamers can even enjoy AMD FreeSync Premium and NVIDIA G-Sync for smooth gameplay with their favorite titles.

A TV deal like this doesn't come around very often, so if you want to make the jump to OLED, don't miss out on this LG G4 OLED TV Black Friday deal at Amazon.

If you're hoping to check out even more deals on TV or tech, there's plenty more available right now for Black Friday. Retailers like Target, Best Buy, and Walmart are offering excellent discounts this week that are worth having a look at. And with Black Friday proper coming up in just a few days, there'll be plenty more deals dropping.

SAVE OVER $100: As of Nov. 27, Hulu's Black Friday deal is back. Pay just $0.99 per month for a whole year of Hulu (with ads). Hulu with ads normally retails for $9.99 per month, so you'll save over $100 with the best Black Friday streaming deal.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu Hulu Black Friday Deal Get Deal

Streaming deals always make a big splash during major shopping events like Black Friday, but some streaming services make a much bigger splash than others. Well consider us completely drenched, because Hulu's famous $0.99 Black Friday deal is back.

Until Dec. 2, you can sign up for an entire year of Hulu for just $0.99 per month. That totals less than $12 (typically $119.88 for the year) for access to thousands of content options, including hit shows like Shogun, The Bear, and Only Murders in the Building. This deal saves you over $100 on list price, making it easily one of the best streaming deals you'll see in 2024. In fact, we're calling it. This is the deal to beat.

SEE ALSO: The best Black Friday streaming deals so far: Peacock, Max, Paramount+, and more

This stunning deal excludes current Hulu subscribers, those with the Max bundle, and customers with a Disney bundle. It's open to new customers and anyone who hasn't had a Hulu subscription in the last 30 days. If that sounds like you, you know exactly what to do.

Slash the monthly price of Hulu with ads by 90%. Head to Hulu to sign up.

Squid Game Season 2 is getting closer by the day. We've already had a teaser, and a longer teaser, and now we've got the first official trailer — and it comes with our best glimpse yet at one of the new games Player 456 (Lee Jung-jae) will have to survive during his second round in the titular competition.

The shots are only brief, but at a couple of points in the trailer (1:00 and 1:13) we see glimpses of what looks like a giant merry-go-round. All the contestants are gathered on this carousel as it spins slowly around, while on the outskirts of the room multiple coloured doors are visible. In the second shot we hear gunfire, and see a bird's-eye view of the contestants scattering.

Maybe it's something to do with who is facing which door when the carousel stops? We'll find out soon enough.

Squid Game Season 2 arrives Dec. 26 on Netflix.

When Challengers screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes first agreed to adapt William S. Burroughs' Queer for director Luca Guadagnino, he had no idea where to begin.

"This was a movie that I said yes to writing without really knowing how I was going to do it," Kuritzkes told Mashable. "Immediately after I said yes, I was completely scared shitless, because it's a book that was so important to Luca, and it's a legendary book by a legendary author who's such a massive cultural figure."

SEE ALSO: 'Queer' review: Daniel Craig tackles William S. Burroughs in hot, heart-wrenching romance

Guadagnino first approached Kuritzkes about writing Queer while they were in production on Challengers. Both Challengers and Queer premiered in 2024 and share considerable overlap between their creative teams (including composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross and costume designer Jonathan Anderson), as well as themes of yearning and what Kuritzkes calls "unsynchronized love." Yet tonally, they're worlds apart. Challengers volleys back and forth through time, fueled by love triangles and a pulsing techno beat. Queer, on the other hand, is the word "languid" put to film, slowly guiding us through the push and pull between American expats William Lee (Daniel Craig) and Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey) during their time in Mexico City. (There's also a surreal third-act odyssey into the Amazon rainforest.)

This was a movie that I said yes to writing without really knowing how I was going to do it. - Justin Kuritzkes

The film's stark differences are mirrored in Kuritzkes' writing process for both. He wrote Challengers (his first produced screenplay) on spec, with no idea who would make it, or whether it would even get made. "You're writing [the movie] to will it into existence," he said.

Queer, on the other hand, is an adaptation — one Kuritzkes knew he'd be writing for Guadagnino. Having gotten to know the filmmaker extensively during the Challengers production process, Kuritzkes tailored the screenplay to him.

Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey in "Queer." Credit: A24

"I was writing a movie that I was excited to watch Luca make, so I would selfishly write scenes that I really wanted to see what he would do with," Kuritzkes said.

Among these "selfish" scenes? Moments when Craig's Lee imagines touching Allerton, reaching out a ghostly hand to stroke his face or leaning into his neck. Kuritzkes drew these instances from Lee's internal monologue in the novel, excited to see how Guadagnino could externalize these thoughts and feelings of desire.

SEE ALSO: Why Zendaya says you gotta see 'Challengers' twice 

Other scenes Kuritzkes couldn't wait to see Guadagnino's take on were crafted solely for the film. Chiefest among them is a scene towards the end of Queer where Lee and Allerton take ayahuasca after searching the jungle for it. In the novel, they do not find or take the drug. However, before Kuritzkes even began writing the script, Guadagnino asked him to write in a new ending exploring what would happen if the two men did take ayahuasca. The result is one of the most striking sequences in the film: an intimate trip where the pair dance together, intertwined in the dark jungle, with their hands sometimes disappearing beneath their partner's skin.

"The whole time I was writing that sequence, I was really giddily imagining Luca doing that," Kuritzkes said. "That's not a sequence you write if you don't know that it's going to be handled by a filmmaker like Luca. But I had so much trust that he would do something incredible with it, so I just went for it and said, 'Will you figure it out?' knowing that he would."

SEE ALSO: A24's 'Queer' trailer is a lusty dream with Daniel Craig

As Kuritzkes worked on the screenplay for Queer, he began to see himself as a "medium" between Guadagnino and Burroughs. "It was this process of opening a channel between somebody I knew really well and was working with very closely, and somebody who I was never going to know except through the work that he left behind," he said. "I really wanted to make it possible for the two of them to communicate with each other."

A necessary part of this process became negotiating how much Burroughs as a character found itself into the film. After all, the novel Queer features several autobiographical details, like Burroughs' time in Mexico City and the Amazon. The film also incorporates some elements from Burroughs' life that aren't in the novel, like allusions to him shooting his wife Joan Vollmer in an attempted William Tell stunt.

I really wanted to make it possible for [Luca Guadagnino and William S. Burroughs] to communicate with each other. - Justin Kuritzkes

However, Kuritzkes stresses that he and Guadagnino were not out to make a Burroughs biopic. "We were making a fictional movie about a character, and even though that character was an alter ego to some extent of the author, it's still a character who has his own logic and his own psychological reality," he said. "That was the person I had to be faithful to, more than William Burroughs."

Daniel Craig in "Queer." Credit: A24

How to unlock that character beyond Burroughs? By looking beyond the persona he projected to the world, which Kuritzkes describes as a "very gruff, cool, macho guy." Queer, on the other hand, presents a more vulnerable interior to Burroughs and his stand-in Lee.

"It's really surprising to find a character that's very tender and sweet, and at times is a complete asshole, but is also really embarrassing," Kuritzkes said. "He's a character who doesn't know when to shut up. He's the kind of guy who gets stuck in the middle of the room because he started to approach somebody, and then that person goes and sits at another table, and now he doesn't know where to go."

Perhaps nowhere is Lee more stereotypically embarrassing than during his early courtship of Allerton, when he offers up a little bow in the middle of a bar.

The moment is exactly as written in the book, which describes Lee's "ghastly" attempt to muster a dignified greeting, only to instead let out a "leer of naked lust." (A misreading of the line by Allen Ginsberg led to the title of Burroughs' novel Naked Lunch.)

"That's exactly the thing that made me feel connected to this character," Kuritzkes said. "I can't really connect with the guy who has an obsession with guns, does heroin his whole life, and projects this macho, cool, austere literary persona. That person I can't really touch. But I can touch the person who can't help but let out 'a leer of naked lust' when he's trying to look cool. That felt like a character I could write, and that felt like a character that would be exciting for someone to play."

Queer is now in theaters.