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TL;DR: Live stream Aston Villa vs. Bayern Munich in the Champions League for free on RTL ZWEE. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
There are a number of exciting matchups in the second round of Champions League fixtures, but Aston Villa vs. Bayern Munich might be the best. Both sides picked up three points in the first round of games, with Bayern Munich winning 9-2 against Dinamo Zagrab. We don't think that'll happen again, but you never know.
If you want to watch Aston Villa vs. Bayern Munich in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Aston Villa vs. Bayern Munich?Aston Villa vs. Bayern Munich in the Champions League kicks off at 8 p.m. BST on Oct. 2. This fixture takes place at Villa Park.
How to watch Aston Villa vs. Bayern Munich for freeAston Villa vs. Bayern Munich is available to live stream for free on RTL ZWEE.
RTL ZWEE is geo-restricted to Luxembourg, 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 Luxembourg, meaning you can unblock RTL ZWEE to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Aston Villa vs. Bayern Munich for free by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Luxembourg
Sign in to RTL ZWEE
Watch Aston Villa vs. Bayern Munich for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Aston Villa vs. Bayern Munich (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for RTL ZWEE?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTL ZWEE, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including Luxembourg
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Live stream Aston Villa vs. Bayern Munich in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: Live stream Istanbul Basaksehir vs. Rapid Wien in the Conference League for free on Tabii. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The Champions League obviously gets most of the attention, but the Conference League produces some thrilling contests between sides that don't always get to compete on this stage. And you can watch select fixtures from the exciting competition without spending anything.
If you want to watch Istanbul Basaksehir vs. Rapid Wien in the Conference League for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Istanbul Basaksehir vs. Rapid Wien?Istanbul Basaksehir vs. Rapid Wien in the Conference League kicks off at 3:30 p.m. BST on Oct. 2. This fixture takes place at the Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium.
How to watch Istanbul Basaksehir vs. Rapid Wien for freeIstanbul Basaksehir vs. Rapid Wien is available to live stream for free on Tabii.
Tabii is offering free live streams of the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League for the next three seasons. Tabii is geo-restricted to Turkey, 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 Turkey, meaning you can unblock free live streams of the Conference League from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Istanbul Basaksehir vs. Rapid Wien on Tabii by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Turkey
Sign in to Tabii
Watch Istanbul Basaksehir vs. Rapid Wien for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Conference League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Istanbul Basaksehir vs. Rapid Wien (plus more Conference League fixtures) before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live football is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for Tabii?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Tabii, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including Turkey
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Live stream Istanbul Basaksehir vs. Rapid Wien in the Conference League for free with ExpressVPN.
This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.
Faster and more performant than just about any hard drive on the market, a solid-state drive — better known as an SSD — is vital if you want a highly functioning laptop or computer for gaming or editing.
Whether you’re hoping to improve the speed of your computer or you just want something that’ll ensure your documents and data are as secure as possible, a solid-state drive will do the trick.
But how do you find a great SSD? What makes one SSD better than another? That's part of the problem with buying hardware — there are so many specifications that the jargon is hard (unlike with an SSD) to keep stored in your brain. The good news, we've done most of the hard work for you and pulled together a list of the best SSDs available right now.
What is a solid-state drive?An SSD is a storage device that uses blocks of memory cells to store data for easy access. SSDs tend to use flash memory, which makes them faster and more efficient than the HDD. Consequently, SSD has become the more popular means of storage — synonymous with the latest gen PCs and laptops.
What's the difference between SSD and HDD?It's a matter of inner workings. Whole SSD uses memory chips and flash memory, the more traditional HDDs are built with mechanical moving parts, which is what makes them slower. It's worth remembering, however, that HDDs are cheaper and hold significantly more data than SSDs.
How much data can an SSD hold?The amount of storage ranges from model to model — and each model tends to have multiple capacity options — but most of the SSDs you'll find on this list range between 1TB and 4TB.
Do you need an SSD?The great thing about SSD technology is that it's a simple way to upgrade your PC and laptop. But it's always worth asking yourself if you actually need the upgrade. SSDs are especially good for laptop users because they're small, portable, and eat up less power.
SSDs are also good for gaming and video editing because they have fast load and response times and reduced lag. The only drawback is they have limited storage (and less storage for your cash) than HDD. Serious gamers might want to combine both SSD and HDD, using the HDD for files that are access less frequently.
What are the different types of SSD?There are different kinds of technology that you'll find inside SSDs. It's worth knowing some of the jargon so you have a basic idea. The easiest way to say it is that there are two types of SSD – SATA and PCIe/NVMe SSDs. SATA is the older technology, which is fine for basic needs but not as fast as PCIe and NVMe. PCIe is a type of flash storage, while NVMe isn interface that accelerates data transfer speeds.
What is the best SSD?Thankfully, with prices going down and quality going up, finding a high-quality SSD has become easier than ever. We did the research, keeping in mind functionality, storage, and price to bring you some of the top options on the market.
These are the best SSDs in 2024.
The tale of a vicious cartel boss who undergoes gender-affirming surgery, Emilia Pérez places women front and center in a traditionally male-led gangster genre. But rather than subverting its visual and tonal hallmarks, French filmmaker Jacques Audiard compliments them with a liberating sense of expression through song and dance.
SEE ALSO: New York Film Festival preview: 10 movies you ought to know aboutThe Spanish-language Cannes title not only won Audiard the Jury Prize — the festival's third most prestigious accolade — but it was also awarded the Best Actress trophy to not one but four of its central performances, each of which brings a unique thoughtfulness and passion to the screen. Part throwback musical and part modern cartel saga, the Dheepan director's audacious blend is about the transgender experience in thorny ways, but it finds a deft balance between energetic filmmaking and intimate drama.
What is Emilia Pérez about? Credit: Cannes Film FesitvalDreamlike landscape shots of a nebulous Mexican city — the film was largely shot in France — fade and overlap as we're slowly lowered onto streets overrun with violent crime. Rita (Zoe Saldaña), an overworked, underappreciated corporate defense attorney, is part of the problem. She's a cynical cog in a brutal machine, and her job is getting killers off the hook. It's a premise she introduces to us firsthand via a snappy dance number in the tight confines of a public market, where she's promptly joined by extras.
Soon, Rita is presented a deal with a devil: the vicious wanted criminal Juan "Manitas" Del Monte (transgender telenovela star Karla Sofía Gascón), who, midway through the movie, changes her name to Emilia Pérez and adopts a whole new identity. Emilia wants Rita to help her evade authorities by researching an expensive and secretive gender-affirming surgery, and by recruiting discreet international experts. The procedure, however, is no mere excuse or easy escape hatch from her life of crime. Rather, it's been her deep desire for many years — Emilia has also covertly begun hormone replacement therapy — and it just so happens to align with her need to leave her life of crime in her rearview.
When she was living as Manitas, Emilia was perceived to be a tough-as-nails cartel boss who built an empire on blood. Its foundations, which she relays to the audience by singing in despondent whispers, involved leaning into society's violent masculine expectations for the sake of survival. Now, upon undergoing a series of simultaneous surgeries — which receive their own informative musical number, courtesy of some excitable Thai surgeons — her plan also includes faking her own death in the eyes of the law. In order to fully shed her past, she wants to "kill" Manitas, and have Rita evacuate her wife, Jessi (Selena Gomez), and their two adolescent kids to Switzerland, where they'll be safe and none the wiser about Emilia's new life and identity.
All's well that ends well... That is, until Emilia — having fully transitioned — resurfaces several years down the line in the hopes of reuniting with her family. For this mission to bring Jessi and her kids to Mexico, Emilia once again conscripts the resourceful Rita, though both women have since turned over new leaves, making their return to Mexico (and to the thick of cartel activity, where Manitas is still wanted) a challenging conundrum. What follows is a complicated and often amusing plot in which Emilia reintroduces herself to her kids as their long-lost aunt, while also embarking on a pilgrimage of rigorous social work alongside Rita to clean up Mexico's top-down corruption, if only so that both women can atone for their sins.
These acts of repentance come wrapped in wildly energetic musical numbers that leap off the screen, as the camera jostles and swerves to keep pace. All the while, the film asks intriguing philosophical questions about the mind, body, and soul, as they pertain to its genre lens.
Emilia Pérez is a charged transgender tale of remorse.Until she undergoes her affirming procedures, nearly every character in the film (including her surgeon, and even Emilia herself) refers to her with male pronouns, as though Manitas were a distinct entity whose life ends when Emilia's begins. While trans people generally use pronouns that align with their gender regardless of their desire for (or access to) gender-affirming care, perhaps the movie's 72-year-old cisgender director, and its numerous cis writers and producers, aren't up to date on the terminology, though Emilia hints at having experienced dysphoria as a child. However, her being older and more isolated from trans issues and communities also means she lacks the necessary language to define her deep-seated feelings and experiences. So, this imaginary dividing line between Manitas and Emilia becomes a vital dramatic question.
SEE ALSO: Failed by the healthcare system, transgender people find help elsewhereConversations between Rita and the doctors she interviews are rife with differing perspectives about physical transformation representing metaphysical good, and about the ways in which gender dysphoria can be relieved through physical means. If the film, as a political entity, ought to be judged on its approach to trans people irrespective of its language, then it's ostensibly in the right, and only introduces these dueling questions as a means to channel Emilia's spiritual dilemma.
While gender-affirming surgery is something she wants, in order to escape, and needs, in order to survive as her true self, it's also something she hopes will relieve her of her ethical burdens as a ruthless killer — as though Manitas were some uncomfortable temporary skin she could simply shed. Gascón even embodies this idea when she first appears as the gruff and grizzled Manitas onscreen. The actress's prosthetic nose (i.e. the character's "real" nose, pre-rhinoplasty) sits uncomfortably on her face, while the contours of her beard and unkempt, mane-like wig are visible to the naked eye. It's as though we were seeing Emilia the way she sees herself: performing maleness, and being forced to pretend in order to survive.
If anything, the outdated idea that she "was a man" and "is now a woman" (according to some characters) is something she wishes were true, if only to rationalize her life as having a distinct "before" and "after" point — for her spirit, as represented by her body — between Manitas and Emilia. The more modern way we understand gender and identity, wherein Emilia has been the same person all along, is not something she herself can sit with, even though she claims to have recognized this about herself from an early age. Her transformation may be life-affirming, and even life-saving, but it cannot possibly provide her with the absolution she desires. This, in turn, portends the aforementioned tale of Emilia and Rita trying to confront their sins by exposing the metaphorical and literal skeletons they once helped bury.
Transgender opinions on the film are unlikely to be monolithic, but emphasis on the surgical aspect of the trans experience tends to be a reductive, retrograde cisgender fixation more often than not. However, in Emilia Pérez, these anxieties around the nitty-gritties of physical transformation become a key emotional focal point, over which Gascón pores in every scene and every quiet musical number. Her novel sense of gender euphoria remains shackled by a kind of moral dysphoria, having committed atrocities under a façade to which she can no longer relate, if she was ever able to in the first place. And yet, Manitas' actions are a part of her too, even if they belong to a false version of herself.
While Emilia may be guilty from a legal standpoint, the ethics of her guilt, as imagined by Audiard's drama, become infinitely more complicated. It's as though her corrective physical metamorphosis had fallen tragically short of helping her purge herself of her misdeeds. However, on the other side of her social transition, she also finds renewed romance with a headstrong local woman on the run from her husband, Epifania (Adriana Paz) — a committed, loving performance that rounds out the quartet of Cannes winners — but the very idea of happiness becomes corrupted too, so long as Emilia's past remains unconfronted. For instance, Jessi, who believes herself to be a widow, moves on romantically as well, leading to sparks of envy that anchor Emilia to her ugliest emotional tendencies.
But while all these ideas are all somewhat interesting, it's the way in which Audiard assembles them — in the vein of a mid-2000s Hollywood thriller, imbued with raucous musical energy — that truly makes them sing.
Emilia Pérez is a stylistic triumph. Credit: Cannes Film FestivalTo liken crime movies and musicals to strictly "masculine" and "feminine" forms of cinema might sound reductive, but this traditional genre binary is key to Audiard's artistic approach. These respective modes, each repressive and expressive in their own right, inform the ways his actors move through space, and the way he captures them doing so.
For one thing, Emilia Pérez resembles the highly saturated war-on-drugs/war-on-terror studio films produced in America at the turn of the century. Its intimate, shaky camerawork and high-contrast shadows create a sickly feel akin to Steven Soderbergh's Traffic or Tony Scott's Déjà Vu, hi-octane thrillers in which you can practically smell the gasoline radiating off people's skin, thanks to their overblown visual highlights (including on Black skin; something Déjà Vu and Emilia Pérez have in common). These are the kinds of films where it feels like the light source is everywhere, all at once, reflecting off people's bodies at all times — if not emanating from them in the first place.
Audiard and cinematographer Paul Guilhaume take full advantage of these familiar textures and conventions as soon as they begin blending the aforementioned approach — an ostensibly more "realistic" one — with the theatrical expressionism of dance. The harsh highlights become spotlights, as the film’s luminous characters begin to control the fabric of the frame. Their movements determine whether people around them are still or in motion. Routine activities take on musical rhythms. Personal confrontations in public settings determine whether or not other characters are lit at all. These are women fighting for agency in harsh environments, and their aesthetic control over the space around them ends up a particularly fitting depiction of this idea.
While the film has lengthy stretches without musical numbers, and features a few laments with rusty delivery that it could've probably done without, there are just as many songs that are exciting and emotionally rousing. (Some tracks are mercifully rapped, rather than sung, by actors with less vocal training.) One in particular, a rock opera ballad which unfolds just as Rita begins turning over a new leaf, sees Saldaña dancing across a series of expensive banquet tables. While she's invisible to its lavish guests — corrupt politicians and police personnel she now hopes to take down — her pulsating movements practically force them to move and convulse to the beat as well. Others finally have no choice but to dance to her tune. It's one of the most fist-pumping cinematic moments this year.
However, no matter who's on screen, Emilia remains the focal point around whom everyone's story pivots — whether it heads toward catharsis, tragedy, or both. She represents, in microcosm, the transformative nature of fictional characters at large, and ends up embodying a novel narrative tension through her transgender experience: between physical and emotional metamorphosis, a dramatic disconnect that becomes the catalyst for nearly every scene and song.
Above all else, the film's four leading ladies are perfectly attuned to Audiard's volatile mixture of operatic emotion and naturalistic cinematic influence. The result is a dazzling, dramatic high-wire act that's always fun to watch, and is frequently invigorating, too. While its combination of styles and subject matter could've been picked out of a hat, Emilia Pérez sees Audiard sorting through a fog of risky, seemingly immiscible ideas to deliver a queer Molotov cocktail.
Emilia Pérez is slated to play select theaters this fall, before heading to Netflix on Nov. 13.
UPDATE: Sep. 25, 2024, 5:10 p.m. EDT Emilia Pérez was reviewed out of the Cannes Film Festival on June 5, 2024. This post has been updated to include its premiere at the New York Film Festival.
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 October 2'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 October 2 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 used to be available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it. Unfortunately, it has since been taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times.
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 October 2 SEE ALSO: Mini crossword answers for October 2 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:It can be found on a beach, offering protection to something fragile inside..
Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?There is one reoccurring letter.
Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.
SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. SEE ALSO: Hurdle hints and answers for October 2 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...
SHELL.
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.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.
Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for October 2'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 SEE ALSO: Hurdle hints and answers for October 2 What is Connections?The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
Tweet may have been deletedEach puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer. If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
Tweet may have been deletedPlayers 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 October 2 Here's a hint for today's Connections categoriesWant a hit about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: All in
Green: Chopping veggies
Blue: Iconic roles that range from talk show host to criminal
Purple: Has a lot or no arms
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Put on the Line
Green: Use a Kitchen Knife
Blue: Robert De Niro Films
Purple: Distinctive Number of Arms (or Lack Thereof)
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 #479 is...
What is the answer to Connections todayPut on the Line: BET, CHANCE, GAMBLE, RISK
Use a Kitchen Knife: CUBE, DICE, JULIENNE, SLICE
Robert De Niro Films: CASINO, HEAT, JOKER, TAXI DRIVER
Distinctive Number of Arms (or Lack Thereof): OCTOPUS, SHIVA, SLOT MACHINE, VENUS DE MILO
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
SEE ALSO: Mini crossword answers for October 2If 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.
Reddit is changing its rules in a way that may ensure its mods never go rogue again.
On Monday, Reddit's VP of community, Laura Nestler, announced in a post on the platform's r/modnews subreddit that the company was changing Community Type settings rules. Going forward, moderators will be required to submit a request to Reddit instead of being able to just change the setting immediately on their own.
Community Type settings on subreddits are typically set by moderators and change a subreddit's visibility from public view to restricted or private. Mods can also change the Community Type settings from SFW (safe for work) to NSFW (not safe for work), which restrict access to the group by age.
SEE ALSO: Reddit CEO hints that subreddit paywalls are on the wayAccording to Nestler, in an interview with The Verge, Reddit has been talking about this change behind-the-scenes since she joined the company in 2021.
"When a public community goes private, all redditors (even members of that community) lose access to the community and its content," Nestler said in the announcement posted on Reddit. "Outside of extenuating circumstances, communities should honor the expectations they set — public communities should remain accessible to all; private communities should remain private."
Stifling future Reddit protestsWhether or not Reddit has been discussing this change prior to the Reddit blackout protests of last year, it'll be hard for users to see this as anything but a change meant to stifle future dissent.
In June 2023, thousands of Reddit communities, known as subreddits, changed their Community Type settings from public to either restricted or private in protest of the company's recent changes to its API. The Reddit API was once free for developers to build upon. However, the company decided to start charging for API access, which resulted in some popular Reddit-based apps like Apollo shutting down.
Reddit eventually had to get involved and take over some larger subreddits in order to restore access to these communities. When a subreddit gets turned private, many users and visitors are completely cut-off from viewing the content posted there. Some moderators who refused to comply with Reddit were removed from their moderator positions. The role of moderator, we should note, is generally not held by employees of Reddit. Moderator is a completely unpaid, voluntary position and moderators are taken up by members of the Reddit community.
Reddit admins, who will approve or deny these Community Type settings change requests, are employed by the company.
Earlier this year, Reddit became a publicly traded company on the stock market. The social media platform now has less wiggle room for its community to partake in actions that can hit the company's traffic or revenue like they did in 2023.
The new rulesAccording to Reddit, moderators will now have to submit a request before taking their subreddit private or changing its age restrictions.
Outside of protest, the obvious rationale for a speedy change of Community Type might be to avoid being inundated with harassment in the event that a subreddit is being brigaded by trolls. This is a situation that communities would, it seems, be more vulnerable to after this rule change. Some mods shared this concern in the replies to Reddit's rule change post.
"Our trans subs have been brigaded by large, organized harassment campaigns in the past, sometimes for months on end," wrote one user in the comments to Reddit's announcement. "Going private and manually checking and approving each applicant has been our primary defense for protecting our users, their photos, and their information."
Mashable reached out to Reddit for comment on this potential problem, and for further information about the change in general, but we did not hear back in time for publication.
Mods can apply for these requests at any time and will receive a response within 24 hours. Subreddits with less than 5,000 members, or those less than 30 days old, will have their requests approved automatically.
Moderators can still temporarily restrict posts and comments to a subreddit under its Temporary Events policy. Restrictions put on a subreddit by mods due to a sudden spike in traffic will not require approval from Reddit. These restrictions under Temporary Events are allowed to remain for up to 7 days.
Regardless of what Reddit's true reasoning behind the new rules is, the changes will likely not receive a positive response from moderators as Reddit removes a source of leverage these community members once held.
Hurricane Helene — which ran a 600-mile long path of destruction through Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas — has decimated communities and forced large portions of the American southeast out of their homes. With search and rescue efforts still underway, other organizations, like Airbnb are stepping in to assist the displaced.
Area residents can now apply for housing hosted by Airbnb.org, the company's nonprofit arm behind its humanitarian and disaster relief efforts. Temporary free or discounted stays are coordinated through local nonprofit and relief partners, not the Airbnb site, which identify and coordinate residents who require assistance. Hundreds of residents have already been placed in accommodations, the organization says.
There's certainly need, even with the federal government's response. "In the Carolinas, entire communities are submerged by floodwaters and cut off from aid with people waiting to be rescued with no access to food, power or fuel. In Georgia and Tennessee, damage from downed trees and flooding have left neighborhoods unrecognizable. In Florida, cars are buried in sand and homes have been gutted by the massive storm surge," according to the Red Cross.
SEE ALSO: How do we navigate climate disinformation online?With entire towns destroyed, more than 130 people dead, and hundreds of individuals still missing, many residents have been forced to relocate with short warning, and most are depending on emergency relief. Transportation is increasingly dangerous: Emergency responders have warned North Carolina residents, which experienced a century-record amount of deadly flooding, to avoid traveling. Thousands of people are currently being housed in shelters.
Local disaster relief organizations state their most pressing needs remain food, water, and generators, as hundreds of thousands remain without power.
How to get housing through AirbnbDisplaced residents of Florida and North Carolina should reach out to nonprofit partners directly, not Airbnb. “Airbnb.org stays can last anywhere from a few days to about a month depending on the needs of the families we’re helping," the organization explained. "The goal is to give people a temporary place to stay while they get back on their feet. One of the advantages of working with local partners is that they often integrate Airbnb.org stays with other services they provide, such as support for long-term housing, employment, food security, and healthcare."
For Florida residents: Call FLUMC at (863)688-5563 or (800)282-8011, or reach out to your local 211.org center.
For North Carolina residents: Contact your local 211.org center.
How to volunteer your Airbnb residenceAirbnb hosts can apply to provide emergency accommodations on Airbnb.org. The company will waive all service fees for hosts and guests, and provide damage and liability insurance.
Where else you can get disaster helpMore than 3,000 federal workers are still on the ground providing emergency services to populations, many of which are still flooded. For those in need of help, FEMA recommends contacting local emergency management services or finding a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) near you. Individuals affected by the storm or looking to reunite with loved ones can also reach out directly to the Red Cross (redcross.org/gethelp or 1-800-RED CROSS). Find more information on the organization's reunification page.
The organization has released disaster funds to Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina residents, which may include a one-time $750 payment. Apply for direct FEMA relief at DisasterAssistance.gov or via the FEMA App. Verify if your county is eligible for FEMA assistance:
Volunteer opportunities can be found on the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster directory.
Negotiations between Merlin and TikTok have reportedly soured, and Merlin is threatening to remove a large portion of indie music from the platform.
SEE ALSO: TikTok Music is finally shutting downMerlin represents over 30,000 independent record labels, and their previous agreement with TikTok expires on Oct. 31. According to Billboard, TikTok "walked away" from "negotiations before they even began." In a letter published by Billboard, Merlin explained to its members that the social media company does not want to renew its deal; it intends to license Merlin members directly, minimizing the group's collective power.
"Their approach [to pursue direct deals with Merlin members] suggests that [TikTok] believe[s] their objectives can be better served by fragmenting the Merlin membership, in order, we believe, to minimize their payout," reads the letter. "As you know, Merlin was founded to stand up for and champion its members. We will not support an approach that devalues our community."
A TikTok spokesperson told Billboard, "TikTok would like to offer all of the world’s music to our users. We are committed to working with the independent sector as well as the major labels and publishers. We know that our community of over a billion music fans value the diversity and richness that independent music brings to our platform. We are committed to entering into direct deals with Merlin members in order to keep their music on TikTok."
Without the collective bargaining power under Merlin, each record label would have to negotiate a new licensing deal by the end of October. This is similar to when TikTok's licensing deal with the National Music Publishers Association expired earlier this year; TikTok negotiated direct deals with NMPA members. If a deal isn't reached between Merlin and TikTok, artists' catalogs under its labels will be removed from the app. Artists currently under Merlin include Phoebe Bridgers, Mitski, Mac Demarco, Nirvana, and Thundercat.
SEE ALSO: TikTok ban update: Court case against U.S. government set to beginMerlin's letter to artists also explained that TikTok claims it won't negotiate with the music company due to alleged fraud committed by Merlin members. According to TikTok, some members have posted songs or remixes that aren't owned by the label. Since the issue is only with some members it seeks to negotiate with individual labels. However, Merlin contends that the real reason behind the move is to secure cheaper deals than Merlin would allow for.
This comes after Universal Music Group (UMG) struggled to reach a licensing agreement with TikTok in January. In UMG's case, it pulled its catalog for nearly four months over disputes with the social media company over protecting artists from the threat of AI, ensuring online safety, and delivering appropriate compensation for artists and songwriters. Its music returned to the platform in May.
UPDATE: Oct. 1, 2024, 2:45 p.m. EDT This guide has been updated with the latest information on Prime Big Deal Days 2024, including dates and info on competing sales.
Just three months (technically less than) after the 10th Prime Day in July, Amazon is already back in "Prime" mode. This time, it's for Amazon's third annual fall sale: officially coined Prime Big Deal Days, but is October Prime Day for all intents and purposes.
Prime Big Deal Days will take place on Oct. 8 and 9, though early deals are already live. Think of it as a second chance to score something you've been eyeing if you missed out during Prime Day in July.
Our pro tip for ensuring that doesn't happen again? Organize (and actually follow) a shopping wishlist. Curating your personal list of must-have items and setting price alerts can help you stay on track and avoid adding things to your cart just because they were on sale.
Get your scroll on and find out how to create an Amazon wishlist for Prime Day.
SEE ALSO: October Prime Day is just around the corner. Here's what to buy, and what not to. Tip #1: Organize your Amazon wishlistIf it’s news to you that Amazon even offers such a feature, here’s how it works:
Every product page on the retail giant’s website has a little “Add to List” button right near the “Add to Cart.” Click on the list button and you can add said product to your personal Amazon wishlist, or any other saved list that you’ve created on your profile.
Do this with all of those items that you've been eyeing, but can't seem to make a move on unless they're on sale. Then, you can view your definitive list at a glance, or even rank each item based on how badly you want it.
Your Amazon wishlist is one of the most useful tools that you have at your disposal come Prime day.Then, and here's the important part, be sure to check back on your wishlist when Prime Big Deal Days 2024 kicks into high gear. You’ll be able to see which products have gone on sale and snatch them up before they’re gone.
WARNING: Only add the necessities to your wishlist or risk critical failure and end up with mass shipments of stuff you don’t need, never needed, and will never need.
Tip #2: Turn on wishlist alertsThat’s not where the perks of "wishlisting" cap out. If you download Amazon’s mobile companion app, you’ll be granted the added benefit of "wishlist alerts."
These alerts notify you when an item on your wishlist becomes a “lightning deal,” as well as when a sold-out item on your wishlist goes back in stock.
This isn’t a notification setting that's turned on by default, so you’ll have to go in and check it off yourself. All you have to do is open up the Amazon app, go into your settings, then to your notifications, and click on “your watched and waitlisted deals.”
It's this one. Credit: Screenshot Tip #3: Turn on Alexa's advanced deal alertsAs it turns out, newer Echo smart speakers are good for more than just bumping out your playlists. They can also notify you of a sale on an item in your wishlist, shopping cart, or "saved for later" queue up to 24 hours before it even goes live.
Open up the Alexa mobile app to turn on the advanced deal alerts feature. You'll find it under More > Settings > Notifications > Amazon Shopping
Once you're there, click Shopping Recommendations and then Deal Recommendations. Since you already have your wishlist organized and ready to go, that's all there is to it.
You'll see a pop-up alert or a yellow ring light on your Echo device whenever Alexa finds out about an upcoming deal on products in your wishlist. Ask, "Alexa, what are my notifications?" to get the scoop.
You can either have Alexa let you know once the deal is live or even give her the go-ahead to order it for you ("Alexa, buy it for me"). Your default payment and delivery address on file will be used automatically.
Voilà — now you’ll never miss a deal for something you want. Your Amazon wishlist is one of the most useful tools that you have at your disposal to ensure a successful shopping experience.
When you're done curating your list, you can even share it with your friends. You can also view wishlists created by other Prime members. Just click the "Invite" button in your wishlist or click over to the "Your Friends" tab in your profile.
Bonus tip: Get ready for Prime Day 2024 with MashableWe like to think we're just as on top of tracking deals on the stuff you care about as a wishlist is. Follow along with our October Prime Day coverage (which has already started!), where we'll be highlighting all of the most important intel from the sale, from record-low prices alerts, to any invite-only deals for Prime members that may pop up, to giant lists of the best deals in categories like TVs, Apple stuff, robot vacuums, headphones, and kitchen gear.
When Shark released the FlexStyle multi-styler in 2022, it was the first brand to create a real Dyson Airwrap dupe and innovate on the design, thanks to the twisting base mechanism.
Two years later, while Shark is no longer the only Airwrap dupe-maker out there, it's back to innovating with the release of the Shark FlexFusion. The new iteration of its multi-styler, out on Oct. 1, features a twisting base similar to the FlexStyle, but also uses traditional heat styling, along with air styling, and new attachments designed to allow for styling on wet and dry hair.
Technically, it comes in two different versions: the Shark FlexFusion Air + Ceramic Styling & Drying System, which retails for $349.99 and the Shark FlexFusion Straight, Air + Ceramic Styling & Drying System, which retails for $399.99. And as is typical Shark fashion, you can also pick up a variety of build-your-own sets, which range from $329.99 to $379.99.
The Shark FlexFusion set with the Wet-or-Dry Fusion brush. Credit: Shark And the FlexFusion set with the Air Straightener. Credit: SharkAs Mashable's resident beauty tech expert, I've spent a lot of time covering the FlexStyle. I've only had the FlexFusion Straight in my hands for a few days, so a full review is still in the pipeline — in the meantime, I'll be breaking down everything you need to know about the Shark FlexFusion.
Shark FlexFusion vs. Shark FlexStyleAs I mentioned above, unlike other multi-stylers on the market, the FlexFusion is designed to be used to style wet hair and dry hair. "This makes it the perfect innovation for both wash day, second-day hair, and beyond," a Shark spokesperson told Mashable in an email.
SEE ALSO: A new Dyson Airwrap is on the marketTo do that, the tool uses the air styling that has been the hallmark of multi-stylers so far, but combines it with traditional heat styling you'd expect from a normal flat iron or curling iron. For instance, the Wet-or-Dry Fusion Air Straightener comes with ceramic plates that heat up just like your flat iron. You can use the tool with both air and heat styling simultaneously, just air, or just heat styling for the Fusion Brush and Straightener (hence, being able to work with those second-day and beyond looks).
The ceramic plates on the straightener sit next to the air vents and look just like that of a normal flat iron. Credit: Bethany Allard / MashableShark also claims that both new FlexFusions are smaller, lighter, and more powerful than the FlexStyle. Shark sent me the FlexFusion Straight, and just from a glance, the base is slightly shorter than the FlexStyle's, and by feel, slightly lighter, too.
The FlexFusion (pictured top) was noticeably smaller than the FlexStyle base. Credit: Bethany Allard / MashableThe curling attachments still go only one direction like they do with the FlexStyle, but they are slightly taller, which will likely make styling easier for folks with longer hair. As they aren't specifically wet-or-dry attachments, they can't be used solely as heat stylers.
The FlexFusion curler is ever so slightly larger than the FlexStyle. Credit: Bethany Allard / MashableThe FlexFusion also allows you to go attachment-free to be used as a standard hair dryer, just like the FlexStyle.
While those are the larger differences between the FlexStyle and FlexFusion, the two main versions of the FlexFusion themselves also have some variation.
Shark FlexFusion attachmentsAs a reminder, the standard FlexFusion bundle retails for $349.99. The standard FlexStyle goes for $299.99 and comes with a set of auto-wrap curlers, a diffuser or paddle brush, an oval brush, and a styling concentrator. In comparison, here's what attachments you'll get with the FlexFusion:
Wet-or-Dry Fusion Brush: Essentially, this attachment is a round brush with some extra frizz-fighting power, thanks to the heated comb on one side of the brush. For your hair health, you'll want to only use that comb on mostly or completely dried hair, but it helps remove a step of de-frizzing that can sometimes arise with air stylers.
Styling concentrator: The concentrator looks nearly identical to what comes with the FlexStyle, and has no heat-styling extras.
1.25-inch Auto-Wrap Curlers: As I mentioned above, these curlers are ever so slightly longer than those of the FlexStyle, but from initial tests seem to perform very similarly. The design has slightly different air gaps — as I do more testing, I'll be paying closer attention to how that affects styling, if at all.
FrizzFighter Finishing Tool: Again, this attachment is a one-to-one to the FrizzFighter already offered with the FlexStyle. It uses Coanda airflow tech to "grab" the hair and provide even more smoothing — this could come in handy for some quick smoothing after a rough dry.
The FlexFusion + Straight retails for $399.99, the most expensive Shark multi-styler to date, and comes with many of the same attachments above, plus one additional one (as the name might suggest):
Wet-or-Dry Air Straightener
Wet-or-Dry Fusion Brush
1.25-inch Auto-Wrap Curlers
Styling concentrator
The Fusion Straightener is giving Dyson Airstrait, but it's not quite the same tool. The major difference is that Dyson's straightener doesn't use any hot plates to style the hair, instead relying on a combination of tension and hot air. You could try to replicate that by not turning on any heat with your Shark straightener, but it will likely be harder to yield the results you want with just cool air. Not for nothing, the Airstrait is also $500.
SEE ALSO: Is this $45 red light gua sha a promising Solawave dupe?If you buy the FlexFusion without the straightener and later decide you want the attachment in your tool kit, it is available for purchase separately for $99.99. It's not nearly as good a deal as if you get it from the jump, but it's cheaper than buying a whole new multi-styler. If you want to personalize beyond the above kits, the build-your-own bundles are a great option that also include a wide tooth comb and diffuser.
On that note, if you already own a FlexStyle and are interested in any of the FlexFusion attachments, unfortunately, you will have to get a whole new multi-styler. Due to the size and functionality differences, the attachments are not interchangeable between the hair tools.
Is the FlexFusion an Airwrap dupe?The FlexFusion can definitely be used as a dupe, but that's not all it is. It feels like with the FlexFusion, Shark is aiming to create a unique tool that can replace your standard curling and flat iron, as well as give you the air-styling people know and love from multi-stylers. If you're rocking with your hot tools from when you were a teenager, this might be the upgrade you're looking for.
With that said, if you're happy with your hot tool selection, sticking to the FlexStyle will still save you cash and give you an incredibly good Dyson dupe. If you're extra conscious about heat damage when styling your hair, the FlexStyle or Airwrap may be more your speed.
The FlexFusion is available on Shark's website as of Oct.1.
Opens in a new window Credit: Shark Shark FlexFusion Air + Ceramic Styling & Drying System at SharkSnapchat (Snap) has been deceptively marketing itself to young people despite monumental risks of sexual scams (sextortion), according to New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torres. The state filed a lawsuit against the platform in early September, alleging it did not do enough to warn users of online risks despite employees waving red flags.
New Mexico's suit claims that the platform weighed the cost of addressing widespread child grooming and decided it wasn't worth the administrative burden, despite warnings that the problem was becoming more common among teens. Internal communications show the company believed the task "should not be its responsibility," and safety staff documented that 90 percent of reports were ignored in favor of automatic prompts telling users to merely "block the other person."
The newly unredacted complaint points to a 2022 internal analysis showing company employees were fielding around 10,000 reports of sextortion each month. Those numbers are most likely grossly underestimated, the company noted internally, as victims frequently choose not to report intimidation. Executives also said they couldn't actually verify user ages, and that user reports, as well as known perpetrators, were "falling through the cracks."
SEE ALSO: X just released its first transparency report in years. Here's what they aren't saying."We continue to evolve our safety mechanisms and policies, from leveraging advanced technology to detect and block certain activity, to prohibiting friending from suspicious accounts, to working alongside law enforcement and government agencies, among so much more," a company spokesperson said in a comment on the filing."We know that no one person, agency, or company can advance this work alone, which is why we are working collaboratively across the industry, government, and law enforcement to exchange information and concept stronger defenses."
But the company disagreed on how to warn users "without stoking fear in Snapchatters," the suit claims, and its internal safety measures failed to stack up. Other design features, such as Streaks and Quick Add, appear to enable abusive behavior, the state argues. Snap responded to the initial filing, saying it shared the state's and public's concerns about online safety.
Almost since its inception, the communication-first platform has been associated with explicit messaging and NSFW content, pegged to the misunderstood nature of the app's "disappearing" images — Snapchat has informed users that content can be easily saved and shared. In recent years, the trend of app-based "sexting" has risen once again among younger users — many of them are simultaneously turning to strangers online for comfort and advice. Both behaviors have the possibility of opening up young people to the risk of predation.
The problem isn't just with the young: Sextortion schemes are worsening across digital spaces, with online predators and scammers using the threat of unveiled explicit imagery to demand individuals pay up. Two recent sextortion-based scams also hinge on access to a victim's personal (though, most likely, still publicly available) data, like your spouse's name or photos of your home address, to add legitimacy to their claims.
But, alarmingly, the often life-threatening phenomenon is growing among younger and younger populations — and within interpersonal relationships — as generative AI tools become more accessible. Experts have urged vigilance and preparedness as caregivers warn their children about online risks, including sex-based and technological threats.
Nationwide, state leaders and school districts continue pursuing legal action against social media platforms who they claim are putting young people at risk, failing to warn caregivers, and jeopardizing the mental wellbeing of generations.
"It is disheartening to see that Snap employees have raised many red flags that have continued to be ignored by executives," wrote attorney general Torrez. "What is even more disturbing is that unredacted information shows that the addicting features on Snapchat were blatantly acknowledged and encouraged to remain active on the platform."
Instagram's professional dashboard is getting an update.
If you have a professional Instagram account — if you're a creator, an actor, a writer, a business, or any of the other dozens of options to choose from — your account looks a bit different than a typical Instagram account. You can have a little hyperlinked tag under your name on your profile, you can see analytics about your grid and story posts, and there's heightened performance tracking and other tools.
On Tuesday, the social media platform announced that professional users will also have access to a "best practices" section on their dashboard, which is intended to aid creators in engagement, reach, monetization, and optimization. According to Meta's blog post, users will have access not only to general tips but also personalized help "to give you a sense of how your account is performing."
SEE ALSO: 9 travel influencers on Instagram to help plan your next adventure"Though anyone can be a creator, succeeding as one takes effort, time, and the right information," Instagram Creators wrote in a blog post. "That’s why we’re excited to introduce best practices, our new in-app destination that guides you with best practices, personalized tips, and educational reels to help you understand how to grow your audience and strengthen your content on Instagram."
If you're a creator, you can access the new tool by navigating to your profile and clicking "professional dashboard" at the top of the page (under your bio but above "edit profile" and "share profile"). You might not have it immediately, but it should update when you update your app. The professional dashboard is only available on the Instagram app.
Best practices include five main topic areas: creation, engagement, reach, monetization, and guidelines. I have a professional dashboard, and my creation section includes tips like "make creating reels part of your routine," "check your timing," and "try trending audio." My engagement section includes tips like "focus on deeper engagement" and "reply to comments within a couple of days." Under the reach section, I was implored to "understand how people see your content" and to "track long-term follower growth." I was reminded that I am "able to monetize" and was encouraged to "learn the ways to earn" under the monetization tab. The guidelines section told me I was "following our guidelines" and reminded me to keep doing that. Under the tips in each of the sections, there's a series of Reels that show how creators use the tools.
"We want to make sure creators have the resources they need to succeed on Instagram, so we’ll keep updating best practices to make sure it has our latest guidance," Meta wrote in its blog post about the update.
While this is only available for creator accounts with a professional dashboard, we have good news: anyone can have that. Click the three dots or dashes in the top right corner of your profile, navigate to settings and privacy, click account type and tools, and switch to a professional account.
Just like your favorite retailer has its own store brand, Amazon has its Amazon Basics line. There are a wide variety of different goodies you can snatch up, all Amazon branded, at great prices. And while these items are typically always lower-priced than their big-name counterparts, they're even more attractive buys when they're on sale. With Prime Day coming up, now's the best time to shop Amazon Basics, especially since we've found some particularly great deals to choose from right now. You'll see there are tons of great Amazon Basics discounts up for grabs right now, and you'll want to shop them before they're gone.
You'd be surprised to see what you can get from the selection of Amazon Basics on offer, especially since we've scoured the storefront to share some of the best discounts right now. Included right now in the deals are heavy-hitters like a very affordable mattress and a 4-pack of smart bulbs, perfect for giving some spooky ambiance to your home for your Halloween parties.
Below, find our picks for the best Amazon Basics deals right now.
Best Amazon Basics deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Basics Cooling Gel-Infused Memory Foam Mattress $261.29 at AmazonLooking for a new place to rest your head? Grab this mattress from Amazon, which'll have you sleeping soundly thanks to its significant discount. This queen-size bed is a medium-firm mattress with memory foam and cooling gel to keep you from running hot all night. It has three layers of hypoallergenic foam as well as a middle airflow channel to help keep your body temperature regulated at night. Lastly, it has a quilted top to keep it soft and touchable even without a top sheet. Moving in to a new place, or not sure how long you'll be staying somewhere? Or maybe your budget is just tight. You can get this bed for less than $300, and you can rest assured it'll help you get a good night's sleep for the foreseeable, or at least until you want to shell out for a nicer option.
Best Amazon Basics keyboard deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Basics Digital 88-Key Keyboard $163.59 at AmazonIf you've ever considered buying a keyboard or a piano but couldn't lock in a purchase, this Amazon Basics option is a great pick. It might be an unorthodox one when it comes to things you should stock up on for your home, but the fact that it's on sale makes it worth checking out. It's a full-sized 88-key keyboard with a sustain pedal and power supply, complete with an amplifier, speaker, and mixing port. It also has a number of special functions to help you learn how to play as well as make some multifaceted music straight from the keyboard, as well as over 140 tones to choose from. Make your own music with its built-in memory to record and play back your tunes, too. Whether you're a beginner getting started with piano or an expert who wants a home instrument to work with, this Basics option is a good buy.
Best Amazon Basics smart bulb deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Basics Smart A19 LED Light Bulb 4-Pack $29.69 at AmazonThis 4-pack of smart bulbs is the perfect addition to your smart home. They're controllable via your voice or the Alexa app, so you'll have full control over them whenever you want to tweak your home lighting. Turn them on and off, create schedules for when they'll operate, and change colors with 16 presets that you can choose the brightness off from 5% to 100% brightness. Create lights in the Alexa app to control multiple lights at once, and set up routines so you can have your lights on even when you aren't home to deter bad actors. They're dimmable as well, so you can tap a button and change the mood of a room instantly. You get enough in this pack to totally transform one or two locations in your home, and savings like this make it worth snagging these bulbs for a smart hub starter pack.
SAVE $129.99: The bundled Amazon Echo Show 5 and Blink Outdoor 4 camera are on sale for Prime members for just $59.99. That's a 68% discount off the normal bundle price of $189.98.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Show 5 + Blink Outdoor 4 $59.99 at AmazonAmazon is bringing out all the generous gifts in October for Prime members. Not only will Oct. 8 mark the official start of the Prime Day Big Deals event, the retailer is already dropping sales that are exclusive to Prime members. If you're part of the club and are looking for some smart home tech, there's a sweet deal in store for you today.
As of Oct. 1, Prime members can get the Amazon Echo Show 5 with a Blink Outdoor 4 camera for just $59.99, down from the normal bundle price of $189.98. Not only is this a 68% discount, it's just $10 more than buying the Echo Show 5 alone while it's currently on sale for $49.99.
If you're not already a Prime member, check out the benefits before Oct. 8 when the retailer launches the Prime Big Deal Days event which will have plenty more Prime-member exclusive deals. The membership costs $14.99 per month, or you can save over $40 by going for the $139 annual membership.
The Echo Show 5 and the Blink Outdoor 4 camera is an unstoppable duo if you'd like to check on who just rang the doorbell, what the dog is up to in the backyard, or if the kids are playing nicely in the front lawn. The Blink Outdoor 4 is a weather-proof camera system that's wireless, giving you an extra eye on your home or yard.
Connect the Blink Outdoor 4 to your Echo Show 5 and with live view, you'll be able to see the camera's view from the Echo Show. You can also arm and disarm the system with the Echo Show, either with manual controls or through voice.
When not using the Echo Show 5 to tune into the security camera, you can stream your favorite music, video call a friend, or tune into your favorite shows on Prime Video.
If you've been considering either the Echo Show 8 or the Blink Outdoor 4, it makes sense to grab today's deal instead which bundles the two together at a massive 68% discount for Prime members.
What's your favourite season? Mine's the 'Lover Girl' era.
Don't worry, this dating trend isn't a catchy buzzword to describe bad behaviour. Rather refreshingly, it describes people who proudly call themselves romantic, those who are embracing their soppy side — something that's historically been regarded as a bit cringe, or something we should hide.
The Lover Girl dating trend is about tossing aside that boring cynicism and disdain. Get in, girlies, we're embracing our love of romance and we don't care if you don't think we're cool.
We're in great company, too. Sixty percent of UK women surveyed by Bumble identify as Lover Girls and are "celebrating romance with renewed enthusiasm," according to the dating app. Fifty-seven percent of those surveyed would proudly call themselves romantic at heart, with 51 percent embracing qualities like thoughtfulness and passion in their quest for love. Old-school romantic gestures are also having a moment, with 42 percent loving unexpected gifts, 42 percent enjoying forehead kisses, and 38 percent liking handwritten love notes.
What does Lover Girl-ishness look like in the dating realm? Well, it starts with knowing what you want and being intentional about finding it. Forty-seven percent of single folks say they're clearer about their dating goals, and 40 percent are focusing on quality over quantity when it comes to dates.
SEE ALSO: The curse of the neverending flirtationshipAs someone who can quote Pride and Prejudice (the 2005 period drama film directed by Joe Wright) word for word, I have been in my Lover Girl era for longer than I can remember. Did I just binge-watch Netflix's Nobody Wants This and re-add Adam Brody to my list of fictional boyfriends? Yes, yes I did (let's be honest, Seth Cohen was already on that list). I am looking for Emily Henry-level romance, but the reality of the dating scene hasn't quite matched up to the fictional romantic heroes I've been lusting after.
It's worth noting that romance hasn't always been celebrated. Historically, people have looked down upon rom-com movies and romantic literature, with some people patronisingly referring to these genres as "chick lit" or regarding them as artistically inferior. I don't need to spell out why devaluing art that's typically made for and by women is deeply misogynistic, but if you would like to read more about this particular side effect of existing in a patriarchy, then here's a piece I wrote about romcom snobbery. Romantic fiction is also having a major moment thanks to TikTok — specifically BookTok and their love for all things spicy.
In any case, I'm glad we're all going public about our love of romance — something we've typically been made to feel a bit embarrassed or cringey about. As Bumble's sex and relationship expert, Dr. Caroline West, says, "It's historically been a bit 'uncool' to admit that you are romantic — but this shouldn't be the case, so now is the time to drop being 'coy' and embrace a season for Lovers."
"Being confident and intentional when you date can be a really attractive quality. Bumble's research suggests that we're embracing our emotions this year, with over a third of people being more intentional about getting what they want when it comes to romance and dating," adds West.
This is one dating trend that requires mass adoption, in my view. If everyone can embrace just even the smallest crumb of romance, then we can finally bridge the gap between fiction and reality. Everyone needs to step into their romantic hero/heroine light.
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