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TL;DR: Grab the Flash Pro Plus 100W power bank on sale for $199.97 (reg. $319) through September 3 and never run out of battery again.

Opens in a new window Credit: Chargeasap Flash Pro Plus 100W USB-C 25000mAh Graphene Power Bank w/ Magsafe Compatibility $199.97 at The Mashable Shop
$319.00 Save $119.03 Get Deal

Nothing disrupts a busy day like a dead battery. Whether you're in the middle of a crucial work call, navigating a new city, or streaming your favorite show, running out of power can be a giant headache.

Enter the Flash Pro Plus 100W Graphene USB-C 25,000mAh power bank, a solid solution to your battery woes. Through September 3, get it for $199.97, or 37% off.

Designed to keep your devices powered up no matter where you are, the Flash Pro Plus offers an impressive 100W output. This means you can charge up to six devices at once: your iPhone, AirPods, Apple Watch, and more. MagSafe compatibility allows for wireless charging up to 15W, perfect for devices like the iPhone 12 Pro.

What makes the Flash Pro Plus truly exceptional is its advanced graphene battery technology. Not only does it charge your devices faster, but it also boasts a longer lifespan compared to traditional batteries. With a hefty 25,000mAh capacity, you can charge your phone up to six times or give your laptop a full charge, making it great for tech enthusiasts and professionals who are always traveling around.

Crafted with Panasonic's high-quality battery cells, this power bank ensures reliability and safety. It comes equipped with multiple USB-C ports and a USB-A port, offering versatile charging options for all your gadgets. Plus, its thin, compact design means you can easily slip it into your bag and take it anywhere.

Keep your devices charged and ready with this powerful, portable solution — no more frantic searches for power outlets at airports or coffee shops (it's also TSA-approved)!

Priced at $199.97 through September 3, the Flash Pro Plus 100W power bank with MagSafe compatibility is an investment in convenience and peace of mind.

Keep shopping for privacy and security products here.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

The adage "you can never go home again" speaks to the indifference of time passing. Sure, you can go back to your hometown whenever, but the "you" and the "home" will never be the same again. This is the dilemma facing the trans protagonist in the indie drama Close to You, which is both fronted and produced by Elliot Page (Umbrella Academy). After years of personal struggle, Sam is finally in good standing with himself. But what will happen when this him goes back to a home — and family — who may not understand? 

Made after Page came out as trans in 2020, this touching and clearly personal film grapples with issues of trans acceptance and the definition of family — but not successfully. 

What's Close to You about?  Credit: Courtesy of Greenwich Entertainment

Canadian actor Elliot Page stars as Sam, a trans man who is traveling to his hometown of Cobourg, Canada, to visit his family for the first time since transitioning. Directed by Dominic Savage, Close to You begins with some simple visual storytelling by establishing Sam in his Toronto rental, where he comfortably walks around without a shirt, his scars from top surgery on casual display. While making breakfast, he's joined by his housemate, who offers support but suggests maybe Sam need not put himself under the microscope of his family just because it's his dad's birthday. 

SEE ALSO: 70 best LGBTQ films to stream right now

Despite his reluctance, Sam will go. Much of the drama will play out in his childhood home, between his parents, siblings, and their respective partners. However, woven throughout these family beats are bits of a romantic reunion between Sam and his high school bestie/crush Katherine (Hillary Baack). What begins as an enthusiastic conversation on a train spins into long walks and heavy-handed talks about what was and what could be. 

Close to You takes a big risk that doesn't pay off.  Credit: Courtesy of Greenwich Entertainment

Though Savage and Page are credited as screenwriters on the film, the production was made up largely of improvised dialogue — including a 53-minute take that is considerably cut down in the final edit. While a daring approach, it is the movie's biggest obstacle. A woeful lack of structure means one scene tumbles into another with little motivation. Sam's walks with Katherine feel so disjointed from the rest of the movie that I began to wonder if they were a flight of fantasy. Was Sam so under pressure by the tense family dynamics in the house that he imagined a safe space with the girl of his dreams smiling warmly at him? Or were the walks along the beach just a sincerely sentimental cliche? 

A strong narrative structure wouldn't be a problem if Close to You played as a slice-of-life drama. But there too the film feels thin, in part because the dialogue — again, much of it improvised — lacks specificity. There's a slog of naturalistic but uncompelling dialogue occurring between collections of characters that does little to distinguish them from each other. Sam has two sisters (Janet Porter and Alex Paxton-Beesley), and they're chiefly defined by the men they date. One has a friendly beau who is smiling and enthusiastic to meet Sam. The other sister boasts a sneering transphobe (David Reale) for a fiancé, the kind who insists he's just asking questions and trying to play by "the rules" while making everyone else uncomfortable. 

As the sisters seem to exist chiefly to introduce opposing attitudes toward Sam, one might wonder why they are needed at all. Couldn't the sisters be in opposition, as opposed to the boyfriends? Doesn't it weaken the stakes to have a family outsider giving voice to the tiresome transphobic talking points? As it is, the collection of kin feels ill-defined, and some are outright unneeded. 

Further frustrating, Savage's staging of the introduction of the family is in a clumsy and darkly lit wide shot. So, it's difficult to make out from the jump who is who. Later, when one of this crew (Daniel Maslany) pours his heart out to the film's hero, it might have been a touching moment — if I had any idea who he was in relation to Sam! It's as if Savage is taking for granted that these abstractions of characters will be enough, perhaps relying on audiences to plug and play their own family into the roles, for better or worse. But with cinematography that gives little focus to anyone's close-ups save for Page, it's hard to see, much less connect with, the majority of the ensemble. 

Close to You offers drama that is earnest but not earned.  Credit: Courtesy of Greenwich Entertainment

Even Sam can be a vexing enigma. Vocally, he expresses how he wishes to be seen by his family as the whole of who he is, and not solely defined as trans. However, his trans identity is the most talked-about element of the character in Close to You. Aside from the swift intro, we don't see much of his life in Toronto. The ambiguous dialogue keeps talk of his romantic life and community there very vague. When asked about his work — even repeatedly — he only says that he likes it, never mentioning what it is or why he enjoys it. It's less than small talk. What he does is never revealed, nor are any other friends, and so goes another opportunity to get to know Sam beyond his trans identity and his family's fighting. 

Sam's romance with Katherine does bolster the character, as it shows a side of him where he doesn't need to be on guard or constantly explaining his right to exist. These scenes seem to aim for a Before Midnight vibe, but again, improvised dialogue keeps things vague — albeit sweet and sentimental. While Page and Baack do share a warm chemistry, it's not so white-hot that the third-act possibility of a romantic runaway relationship feels likely, perhaps especially amid so much naturalistic dialogue that suggests only grounded choices are on the table. 

The bits that work best in this film are those between Sam and his parents. In a kitchen scene, his mother (Wendy Crewson) — desperate to show her support — awkwardly offers him money in the middle of asking him to help with the cooking. There is specificity, with her welcoming him into her space and trying to reach out the way many parents do. Later, his father (Peter Outerbridge) reflects on when Sam left home, laying out the fears he faced in not being within reach of his child. Here again, details paint the picture of these people, their relationship, and the stakes Sam and his family face. 

For much of the film, Close to You keeps us at arm's length. Its experiment with improvisation might have had great intentions in terms of seeking authenticity. However, this method ultimately fails in constructing a successfully engaging narrative or fleshed-out characters. Sam's journey is carried chiefly by Page's performance, which is sharp-eyed and big-hearted. However, as Sam meanders from romantic rendezvous to stressful dining room debate and back again, it's difficult to connect to the flow of the film, especially with so much stagnant dialogue. Despite good intentions, Close to You has lofty aims but wobbly execution. 

Close to You opens in theaters Aug. 16.

UPDATE: Aug. 14, 2024, 2:14 p.m. EDT This review was first published on Sept. 16, 2023, out of the film's world premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for August 16 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer hints for August 16

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, August 16, 2024:

AcrossSenegal's neighbor to the east

• The answer is Mali.

___ Allen White, star of TV's "The Bear"

• The answer is Jeremy.

Make a getaway

• The answer is escape.

What's longer in the morning and evening than it is at noon

• The answer is shadow.

Voices below altos

• The answer is tenors.

No longer in the Drafts folder

• The answer is sent.

DownInterlocks (with)

• The answer is meshes.

Esoteric

• The answer is arcane.

Give false hope to

• The answer is leadon.

Ship into the country

• The answer is import.

"Surely you ___!"

• The answer is jest.

Coniferous trees with red berries

• The answer is yews.

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for August 16 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer hints for August 16

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

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: This or that

These words make good pairs.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

The answers are related to expressions.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Options.

NYT Strands word list for August 16

• Swim

• Sink

• Make

• Break

• Double

• Nothing

• Feast

• Famine

• Options

Looking for other daily online games? Find one you might like – or hints for another game you're already playing – on Mashable's Games page.

TL;DR: Through Sept 3., organise any project with ease with a lifetime license to Microsoft Project Professional 2021, on sale for a one-time fee of £15.54 (reg. £194.50).

Opens in a new window Credit: Retail King Microsoft Project 2021 Professional (Windows PC) £15.54 at the Mashable Shop
£194.50 Save £178.96 Get Deal

Project managers are professional task jugglers. They have to see to it that a project is completed — not to mention done well — on time and on budget. They must also oversee team performance, all the while knowing that they are personally accountable for the project's outcomes. It's no easy job, but the right project management tools can help.

Microsoft Project stands out as one of the original project management software systems, and it has built-in tools that allow you to track timelines, budgets, and resources efficiently. Through Sept. 3, you can grab a lifetime license to Microsoft Project Professional 2021 for Windows on sale for just £15.54. And once this Microsoft software is installed on your device, it's valid for the rest of your computer's life.

We won't say that Microsoft Project will make project management easy, but it brings you pretty close. Whether you're fiddling with a small task or navigating a long-term project, this intuitive app packs the tools to get it done.

Pre-built templates are available to give you a head start on any deliverable, while timesheets let you track time spent on project to accurately measure team productivity.

If you're having a tough time estimating timelines, you can either let the program auto-populate start and end dates based on dependencies (which you can tweak as needed), or you can make visual representations of schedules to reveal the bigger picture. You can even run what-if scenarios to see if your plans are foolproof. There's also an option to access built-in reports that point out inefficiencies, allowing you to see specific points of improvement.

This offer is only available to new users, and you'll need a device running Windows 11 or 10, or Windows Server 2019.

Keep all of your projects on track with a subscription to Microsoft Project.

Until Sept. 3 at 11:59 p.m. PT, a lifetime license to Microsoft Project 2021 for Windows is on sale for only £15.54.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

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 August 16's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

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.

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

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 August 16 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for August 16 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Preparing for impact.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no reoccurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter B.

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

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

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

BRACE.

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

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 August 16's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections?

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

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer. If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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

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

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

• Yellow: Mid

• Green: US states

• Blue: Style of boots

• Purple: Things with ebb and flow

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

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

• Yellow: Meh

• Green: U.S. State Abbreviations

• Blue: Kinds of Boots

• Purple: Things That Go Up and Down

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 #432 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Meh: AVERAGE, FAIR, OK, SO-SO

• U.S. State Abbreviations: HI, MA, OR, PA

• Kinds of Boots: ANKLE, COWBOY, GO-GO, THIGH-HIGH

• Things That Go Up and Down: ELEVATOR, SUN, TIDE, YO-YO

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.

Is this not the Connections game you were looking for? Here are the hints and answers to yesterday's Connections.

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

Silicon Valley companies still worry that state lawmakers are jumping the gun on regulating a still-unproven technology.

A menacing asteroid, some six miles wide, triggered Earth's last mass extinction. Now, scientists have found where it originated.

Unlike most space rocks that impact our planet today, this behemoth object came from beyond the gas giant Jupiter. It was a "C-type asteroid" — which are the dark, carbon-rich leftovers of the outer solar system — and the impact scattered the fateful object's remains all over Earth, some 66 million years ago.

It was "a projectile originating at the outskirts of the solar system and sealing the fate of the dinosaurs," Mario Fischer-Gödde, who researches the origin of asteroids and planets at the University of Cologne in Germany, told Mashable.

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

Fischer-Gödde led the new research, which was published in the peer-reviewed journal Science.

The asteroid left quite a mark. Today this impact zone is called the Chicxulub Crater, and is largely buried beneath the Yucatan Peninsula. The massive object struck in shallow water, blowing prodigious amounts of pulverized rock into the skies which drastically cooled the climate. A long, callous winter followed. Photosynthesis shut down. The food chain failed, and around 70 percent of Earth's species died. Though some dinosaurs survived.

A thin layer of sediment from this event, called the K-Pg boundary, is found around our planet. And one of the elements in it, ruthenium, is quite rare in Earth's crust, meaning that nearly 100 percent of the ruthenium in this widespread sediment sheet is from the infamous asteroid. Importantly, the researchers found the ruthenium isotopes (which are different types of ruthenium) in this telltale layer are similar to carbon-rich meteorites found all over Earth. What's more, the ruthenium samples didn't match the remnants of other major asteroid impacts, which came from objects formed in the inner solar system.

"We found that the composition of the asteroid that impacted at Chicxulub is the same as that of carbonaceous meteorites, which are fragments of carbonaceous (C-type) asteroids that originally formed beyond the orbit of Jupiter," Fischer-Gödde said.

Previous research suspected the culprit was a C-type asteroid, too, but didn't use ruthenium in the analyses. That's because making these ruthenium measurements is very difficult, and progressive technological advancements made the latest observations possible, Fischer-Gödde explained. Only three or so laboratories globally, including at the University of Cologne, can conduct this ultra-specialized research.

The C-type asteroid Mathilde as captured by the NEAR spacecraft on June 27, 1997. It's some 38 miles (61 kilometers) across. Credit: NASA / JPL / JHUAPL A depiction of an asteroid collision that likely lead to a mountain-sized rock heading towards Earth 66 million years ago. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech

As the solar system formed, many C-type asteroids came to inhabit the outskirts of the main asteroid belt, a ring containing millions of rocky objects between Mars and Jupiter. It's here the six-mile-wide Chicxulub impactor was probably propelled towards Earth. This was likely triggered by a collision between two asteroids, Fischer-Gödde explained. Or exposure to sunlight, causing a region on the space rock to heat up and release energy, could have given the asteroid a nudge (an outcome called the "Yarkovsky effect").

Such a huge collision with Earth, however, is extremely rare. A "dinosaur-killing" impact from a rock perhaps a half-mile across or larger happens on 100-million-year timescales. Astronomers have already found over 90 percent of the "planet-killer" asteroids that at times pass near Earth's neighborhood. There's no known threat of collision from these giant rocks for the next century; and the likelihood of an impact in the next thousand years is exceedingly low. (Meanwhile, impacts by objects around 460 feet in diameter occur every 10,000 to 20,000 years — an event that would be regionally devastating.)

Fortunately, should astronomers ever spot a large asteroid that threatens our humble world, NASA has successfully tested the first-ever endeavor to intentionally move an asteroid. It's a skill that needs significantly more refining, of course, but could prove useful in defending our civilization from future devastation.

NASA has never even needed to issue a warning about an incoming space rock, large or small. But if such an event ever transpires, you'll hear from the White House and many others — not just excitable tabloids.

"I want grandkids." The best I can do is this article.

There's a new trend on X, formerly known as Twitter, in which users are responding to their parents' hypothetical requests for grandchildren. It should come as no surprise that young people of child-rearing age aren't prioritizing having children. The cost of raising a child has increased significantly in recent years, including housing, education, and healthcare. Overpopulation and the environmental impact of bringing additional people into the world during a climate crisis are turning people who might be able to afford it away from having kids. And many countries are facing political and social unrest, leading many young people to delay or avoid having kids altogether.

SEE ALSO: 'Very demure' demonstrates TikTok's ability to shape modern language

Of course, there are good reasons people aren't having kids, too. There are changing social norms and societal expectations around marriage and family, and contraception is more accessible.

But the truth is that fewer people are having children. So what are we doing with all of that extra time? What are we telling our parents when they request a new generation? X has the answers.

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Let's say a server gives you food you repeatedly said you're deathly allergic to, and let's say you die. What if your spouse then tries to sue for wrongful death, but the lawyers for the company they're suing try to get the case thrown out because of the terms of service of a streaming service they (the spouse, not you) signed up for years earlier? 

This hypothetical sounds like a dark, dystopian joke, but it's also allegedly an actual chain of events. And the company involved is, well, who else — Disney.

Jeffrey Piccolo sued Walt Disney Parks and Resorts earlier this year after his wife, Kanokporn Tangsuan, died from an allergic reaction at a Disney World restaurant. Now, Piccolo is suing for damages of over $50,000 — though his lawyers reportedly expect the actual damages to be much higher if a jury decides the matter. In a filing, lawyers for Disney have taken the stance that the case should be thrown out entirely because the plaintiff agreed to an arbitration clause in signing up for Disney+.

SEE ALSO: Disney+ will actually crack down on password sharing next month

Tangsuan's tragic death occurred on Oct. 5, 2023, at Raglan Road Irish Pub, an Ireland-themed restaurant and entertainment experience at the Disney Springs shopping center in Orlando. The Associated Press reports that Tangsuan was allergic to nuts and dairy and reportedly informed the server of this "numerous times." Despite assurances that the food was dairy- and nut-free, Tangsuan experienced a horrific allergic reaction about 45 minutes after the meal, was hospitalized, and later died.

But the company's legal team now claims that when Piccolo signed up for a free trial of Disney+ back in 2019, he "agreed to arbitrate 'all disputes'" against the company — meaning all of them, no matter what they involve — and that he roped in his wife into the arbitration clause when he bought park tickets, so he can't sue on her behalf either.

If you have time, Disney's May 31 legal filing makes for a compelling read. It proceeds step by step through all the terms of service documents Piccolo must have signed, at exactly what point in time, and exactly what Disney feels the legal implications were each time. 

First, Disney's lawyers say, Piccolo allowed himself to be captured by this all-encompassing arbitration clause when he signed up for a Disney+ free trial in 2019 and created a Disney account. He then used that Disney account to buy his Disney World tickets in 2023, and Disney notes would have clicked a box agreeing to the My Disney Experience terms of use. Those terms of use say they are for "yourself and all persons (including minors) for whom you are purchasing or otherwise securing benefits." Ipso facto, via this complex chain of events, Disney feels it shouldn't have to be sued in actual court for the alleged wrongful death.

Disney's lawyers note that, according to the Times, "Further litigation would only generate needless expenses and waste judicial resources."

Needless to say, this concerns us all because there's a good chance most of us have also clicked our way into Disney's legal labyrinth at some point. 

Piccolo's lawyers call Disney's argument "fatally flawed" and "absurd." In their Aug. 2 response, as quoted by the Associated Press, they wrote, "The notion that terms agreed to by a consumer when creating a Disney+ free trial account would forever bar that consumer’s right to a jury trial in any dispute with any Disney affiliate or subsidiary is so outrageously unreasonable and unfair as to shock the judicial conscience."

Ross Intelisano, a lawyer unrelated to the case whose work involves arbitrations, told the New York Times that Disney's claim is "a big stretch." Defendants tend to prefer arbitration over the actual courts because arbitration is private and because arbitration panels "typically do not grant large sums of punitive damages," the Times notes.

According to the Associated Press, a court hearing on Disney's motion to dismiss in favor of arbitration is scheduled for Oct. 2.

Mashable has reached out to Disney for additional comments on this story and will update if we hear back.

SAVE $100: As of August 15, the Google Pixel Watch 2 is on sale for $249.99 at Amazon. That's a discount of 29% and the lowest price we've seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Google Pixel Watch 2 $249.99 at Amazon
$349.99 Save $100.00 Get Deal

Google just debuted its new Pixel Watch 3 during this week's Made by Google event. It's fun to nab the latest and greatest tech, especially when it comes to iterative devices like phones and smartwatches. But if you don't want to keep up with the Joneses and shell out all kinds of cash for the newest Pixel Watch model, you don't have to. Now that the Pixel Watch 3 is up for preorder, that means the previous Pixel Watch 2 is available for a great price – in fact, it's now the lowest we've ever seen it sell for.

As of August 15, you can get the Google Pixel Watch 2 for just $249.99 at Amazon. That's $100 off its normal price of $349.99 and a discount of 29%, marking the lowest price we've seen on this watch. This is even cheaper than the previous deal we spotted at $269.99, so now's the time to buy if you've had your eye on a Pixel Watch.

This model comes with a swath of great features that include Fitbit-centric tracking as well as the same smartwatch features you'd expect. You can call, text, email and get news and weather updates right from your wrist. But you also get heart rate, temperature and stress tracking as well as fall detection and plenty of other useful health-centric options that make it a budget-friendly alternative to Samsung's offerings (or the Apple Watch).

Google boasts that the watch can get up to 24 hours of battery life, though you can juice it up again in just over an hour in a pinch. It's bright, with a crisp screen and sleek aesthetic, and best of all, it's more affordable than ever right now. Snatch it up before it's gone.

Elmo and Ms. Rachel teamed up for a song about going to school, and parents of toddlers couldn't be happier.

One thing about Mark Zuckerberg is that man wants to be a Roman emperor so badly.

The Meta CEO recently commissioned a giant sculpture of his wife, Priscilla Chan, saying in an Instagram caption that he's "bringing back the Roman tradition of making sculptures of your wife."

The statue, made by Daniel Arsham, presents Chan midstride in green with a flowing silver cloak. It is beautiful, but it is not a particularly Roman work of art. Romans definitely erected plenty of pietas, which did take off during the reign of Augustus (Zuckerberg's number one role model). But pietas at the time were often coins, not massive statues. And while pietas were shown as signs of devotion toward powerful women, they weren't always people's lovers, wives, or partners. Augustus didn't actually commission many statues of his wife, Livia Drusilla, that we know of. He commissioned statues about his family, his reign, his values, and other monuments, but there weren't statues of personal romantic relationships — at least, not ones he erected in public.

View this post on Instagram

But let's move beyond Zuckerberg's quixotic, if foolish, attempt to "bring back the Roman tradition of making sculptures of your wife" and ask the important question: Do people like it?

Chan commented, "The more of me, the better?" with a heart emoji, signaling that she probably likes it. And, much to my surprise, most of the internet seems to also like it.

"Look, I'm not a Zuckerberg fan for many reasons, but it is kind of hilarious that a set of billionaires are steadily twitter-poisoning themselves into heretofore unknown levels of Divorced Guy Syndrome, and meanwhile he's bopping along commissioning statues of his wife," Leah Greenberg, the co-executive director of Indivisible Team, posted on X.

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Another user posted, "No offense. I know we're not supposed to like Zuckerberg. But this is what a billionaire should do for his wife."

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For some reason, many people, including People, are calling this peak Wife Guy content. But the essence of Wife Guy is making things that are actually about and for your wife — and this is clearly about Zuckerberg himself. As Mashable editor and famous Wife Guy Tim Marcin put it, this is "Wife Guy stolen valor."

SEE ALSO: Mark Zuckerberg wants to be like Augustus Caesar. How close is he?

The Federal Trade Commission has announced a new rule that should theoretically make online user reviews of products more useful.

In a press release, the FTC announced a finalized set of guidelines aimed at taking down fraudulent or misleading product reviews on the internet. Among the things that will be prohibited once the rule goes into effect are paid reviews and those generated by artificial intelligence. The maximum penalty for transgressions is $51,744 per violation.

“Fake reviews not only waste people’s time and money, but also pollute the marketplace and divert business away from honest competitors,” FTC chair Lina Khan said. “By strengthening the FTC’s toolkit to fight deceptive advertising, the final rule will protect Americans from getting cheated, put businesses that unlawfully game the system on notice, and promote markets that are fair, honest, and competitive.”

SEE ALSO: FTC bans 'ask me anything' app for teen use What did the FTC ban?

The FTC's press release included a helpful list of everything that is prohibited by this new rule:

• Fake reviews and testimonials, whether written by humans or AI, that misrepresent either the author of the review or the author's experience with the product

• Paid reviews (either negative or positive)

• Reviews and testimonials from company insiders with a conflict of interest

• Companies owning websites that claim to host independent reviews of their products

• Using groundless legal threats or intimidation to have negative reviews removed

• Buying or selling fake social media followers or views for a commercial purpose

That's a pretty comprehensive list of things that can be troublesome in the realm of online product reviews. Amazon, alone, had to remove 200 million fake reviews on its site in 2020, per TechCrunch. These new rules aim to make it easier to identify genuine reviews and reduce the presence of fake ones.

Check out the best camping gear deals the week of August 15 to get you prepped for fall adventures.

Our top picks: Best tent deal Coleman Evanston Screened Camping Tent (8 person) $138.28 at Amazon (save $151.71) Get Deal Best cooler deal Igloo 110-quart Glide Cooler (white) $129.99 at Amazon (save $36.02) Get Deal Best portable Bluetooth speaker deal Soundcore Motion 300 (black) $59.99 at Amazon (save $20) Get Deal Best backpacking deal LifeStraw Go Series Water Filter Bottle (Laguna Teal, 1L) $43.99 at Amazon (save $5.96) Get Deal

While some of us area heading back to school soon, others will take to the outdoors. Fall is one of the best times to head outside. Not only do the summer crowds vanish, the temperature drops back into a range that's comfortable to be outside all day. It also means you might be able to snag that camping reservation you've been hoping would open up.

Spending time in the great outdoors comes with the need for some great gear. You'll want to cover some bases before setting out, like having a reliably weatherproof tent and a cozy sleeping setup.

If your collection of camping gear could use a tune up, we're seeing some great deals at Amazon during the week of Aug. 15. Here are some of our favorites:

Best tent deal Opens in a new window Credit: Coleman Our pick: Coleman Evanston Screened Camping Tent (8-person) $138.28 at Amazon
$289.99 Save $151.71 Get Deal Why we like it

If you're taking the whole family camping, you'll want somewhere cozy and spacious to sleep. Sleeping up to eight people, the Coleman Evanston Screened Camping Tent impresses in functionality with a budget-friendly price. Thanks to today's sale price, you can grab the tent for just $138.28, down from the list price of $289.99. That's a massive 52% discount.

One of the highlights of the Coleman Evanston tent is the screened-in porch, allowing you to still feel the joys out being outside without having to deal with all the bugs. Measuring about six feet tall in the center, all but the tallest family members won't have to duck once they're inside. There's also an included rainfly should the forecast look like you might get some soggy weather.

Coleman says the Evanston takes about 15 minutes to set up, so you might need to pack a bit of patience, but the payoff of having a great and affordable shelter is probably well worth it.

Best cooler deal Opens in a new window Credit: Igloo Our pick: Igloo 110-quart Glide Cooler (white) $129.99 at Amazon
$166.01 Save $36.02 Get Deal Why we like it

A hot meal off the campfire is arguably one of the best parts of camping. To keep your food chilled all weekend, pack into the Igloo 110-quart Glide Cooler, which is on sale for $129.99 in the white colorway.

With a telescoping handle and soft-ride wheels, you'll be fully mobile when it comes to getting the food from the car to the campsite. The Igloo cooler uses Ultratherm foam insulation for keeping ice cold longer, and the 100-quart capacity means you can pack along up to 168 cans.

Stainless-steel hinges also add to this models' durability. Plus, is there any better seat in the house besides on top of the cooler?

Best portable Bluetooth speaker deal Opens in a new window Credit: Soundcore Our pick: Soundcore Motion 300 (black) $59.99 at Amazon
$79.99 Save $20.00 Get Deal Why we like it

All good camping adventures need some great tunes. But you don't want to lug along a heavy speaker that'll take up precious space in your backpack. Instead, pack along the Soundcore Motion 300 Bluetooth speaker that's currently on sale for just $59.99, down from the list price of $79.99.

You'll get up to 13 hours of listening time with one charge on the Soundcore Motion 300, which could be great if you'll be camping off-grid. It also comes with a detachable strap so you can hang it off your tent and keep it off the table while camping. Plus, it has a IPX7 waterproof rating, so you don't have to worry if it gets a bit damp in the (inevitable) rain or gets splashed if you take it down to the lake.

Best backpacking deal Opens in a new window Credit: LifeStraw Our pick: LifeStraw Go Series Water Filter Bottle (Laguna Teal, 1L) $43.95 at Amazon
$49.95 Save $6.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Hydration is key on pretty much any adventure, and while you're out camping, you might not have easy access to freshly filtered water. While the lake might look incredibly clear, there could be some undesirable things in that water. Keep yourself safely hydrated with the LifeStraw Go Series Water Filter Bottle. Thanks to today's deal at Amazon, the Laguna Teal bottle can come along on your next adventure for only $43.99, which is a 12% discount off the usual price of $49.99.

The LifeStraw filter inside the 1-liter water bottle filters out 99.99% of undesirable bacteria like E. Coli and Salmonella. It also rids your drinking water from parasites that you really don't want to ingest, like Giardia. Plus, it takes care of sand and dirt because who likes gritty water?

Packing along the LifeStraw water bottle will mean you can refill from any stream, lake, or glacier on your route. It's also excellent when traveling in countries where it's not safe to drink the tap water.

More camping deals at Amazon this week

• Energizer Pro260 LED Headlamp — $11.50 $16.99 (save $5.49)

• LifeStraw Personal Water Filter — $14.85 $19.95 (save $5.10)

• Johnson & Johnson All-Purpose Portable Compact First Aid Kit — $15.55 $24.47 (save $8.92)

• Thermacell Patio Shield Mosquito Repeller — $22.97 $26.50 (save $12)

• Anker Soundcore 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker — $27.99 $39.99 (save $12)

• Coleman Kids 50°F Sleeping Bag — $28.99 $34.99 (save $6)

• Klymit Static V2 Inflatable Sleeping Pad — $59.99 $69.99 (save $10)

• Coleman Triton 2-Burner Propane Camping Stove — $59.99 $89.99 (save $30)

• Helinox Chair One — $99.95 $109.95 (save $10)

• Bose SoundLink Micro Bluetooth Speaker — $99.99 $119.99 (save $20)

• Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Topo Luxe Sleeping Pad — $135 $179.95 (save $44.95)

• Coleman Montana Camping Tent (8 person) — $159.94 $269.99 (save $100.05)

Mercury Retrograde has long permeated our culture in an attempt to explain phenomena like communication issues or travel woes. Here is what is actually happening when Mercury is "in retrograde."

Amazon deals of the day at a glance: OUR TOP PICK Amazon Fire Max 11 (64GB) $169.99 at Amazon (save $60) Get Deal BEST APPLE DEAL 2022 Apple iPad (64GB, WiFi) $299 at Amazon (save $50) Get Deal BEST SSD DEAL Samsung 990 EVO SSD (1TB) $69.99 at Amazon (save $70) Get Deal BEST CHARGING DEAL Anker 548 Power Station (60,000mAh) $99.74 at Amazon (save $50.25 with on-page coupon) Get Deal

August 15 may not sound like a major day for discounts, but I can assure you there are deals to add to your cart. We've already done the hard part and scoured Amazon's listings for the ones that are actually worth it so you don't have to. Good news: top brands like Apple, Samsung, and Amazon itself are among our list.

Here are our top picks for the best Amazon deals of the day. If none of these pique your interest, be sure to check out our picks from Aug. 13 and Aug. 14; some of those discounts are still live.

Our top pick Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire Max 11 (64GB) $169.99 at Amazon
$229.99 Save $60.00 Get Deal

The Fire Max 11 is our favorite budget tablet, not to mention Amazon's best iPad competitor, thanks to its crisp 11-inch display (the biggest Fire tablet to date), 8MP cameras that support 1080p video, 14-hour battery life, upgraded octa-core processor, and WiFi 6 compatibility. And as Mashable's reviewer noted, it's also "blazing fast, making it a good alternative to pricier tablets for streaming and games." At full price, it'll run you $229.99, but as of Aug. 15, it's down to just $169.99 — that's 26% in savings and about $30 away from its record-low.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple 2022 Apple iPad (64GB, WiFi) $299.00 at Amazon
$349.00 Save $50.00 Get Deal

When the new iPad Air and iPad Pro dropped a few months ago, the classic 10th generation iPad got a permanent price drop to $349, making it a whole lot more affordable. Even better, as of Aug. 15, it's back on sale for 14% off, dropping that price down to just $299. This is hardly the first time the classic iPad has hit this low price, but after jumping back up to $329, it's good to see this price drop return. It may not be the most advanced iPad in the Apple ecosystem, but it's still pretty solid with an A14 Bionic chip, 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, and fun color options.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 990 EVO SSD (1TB) $69.99 at Amazon
$149.99 Save $80.00 Get Deal

If you're sick of doing the storage shuffle to make space on your computer for new stuff, the Samsung 990 EVO SSD offers 1TB of "premium storage that won't break your budget." Our friends over at PCMag (which is owned by Mashable's publisher, Ziff Davis) tested it out and found it to be an "excellent-value mainstream M.2 internal SSD, with whizzy performance and the class-leading warranty, software, and security that you'd expect from Samsung." It even earned their coveted Editor's Choice award. Usually $149.99, it's on sale for only $69.99 as of Aug. 15 — that's over half off and its lowest price on record.

Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker 548 Power Station (60,000mAh) $99.74 at Amazon
$149.99 Save $50.25 with on-page coupon Get Deal

It's hurricane season, which means it's not a bad idea to prepare yourself for potential emergency power outages. If you don't want to spend an arm and a leg on a generator, the Anker 548 Power Station makes having backup power affordable and simple. It features a built-in retractable light, an SOS button for emergencies, two USB-C outlets, two USB-A outlets, and a battery that will maintain 85 percent charge even after a year. Better yet, when you're not using it for backup power, you can take it along on camping trips for portable charging. Regularly $149.99, it's on sale for just $99.74 at Amazon with the on-page coupon. That's its lowest price on record.

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

Google's AI Overviews got off to a rocky start, but it hasn't deterred the tech giant from charging ahead with foisting AI-generated summaries upon your search results, like it or not.

On Thursday Google announced new updates to AI Overviews, some of which might make publishers a little happier. As of today, Google is moving the relevant sites section of its AI Overviews to the righthand side of the page. This is a change from the previous interface which was below the AI-generated summary and features the websites more prominently. Now when you Google something like "how to get marks off walls," relevant pages show up right next to the summary. Other sites populate the page below in the classic format.

The new AI Overview interface features websites more prominently on the page. Credit: Screenshot: Mashable / Google

On mobile, relevant sites are a little less prominent, but you can peruse them by tapping the site icons on the upper right.

Find relevant sites by tapping on the icon. Credit: Screenshot: Mashable / Google Relevant sites related to the AI Overview pop up when you tap the icons. Credit: Screenshot: Mashable / Google

Additionally, Google is exploring a feature in its testing ground Labs that directly links to relevant sites. "[The goal is to] make it easier for people to click out and visit the sites that interest them and and reduce the friction even further," Hema Budaraju told Mashable. "This experiment has shown positive results that these links make it possible for people to connect, and naturally will drive more traffic to publisher sites."

SEE ALSO: What's actually new in Google Gemini AI?

Aside giving erroneous responses, like the notorious glue-on-pizza debacle, the debut of Google's AI Overviews felt like a big middle finger to publishers who rely on search traffic and already have a tenuous relationship with the dominant search engine. "This will be catastrophic to our traffic, as marketed by Google to further satisfy user queries, leaving even less incentive to click through so that we can monetize our content," Danielle Coffey, CEO of the News/Media Alliance, told CNN when AI Overviews was first announced in May. Indeed, Marc McCollum, chief innovation officer at publisher monetization company Raptive told the Associated Press, that search traffic could decline by 25 percent, costing many publishers their main source of revenue.

But that was then. Whether or not Google acquiesced to publisher backlash or simply wanted a better user experience is unclear. However, Google's announcement carefully positions itself and AI Overviews as a conduit for discovering more by clicking out to publisher sites. Google claims that AI Overviews have contributed to a "greater diversity of websites" and "higher quality" of clicks on those sites. We'd love to get our hands on that data, but alas, we'll have to take Google's word for it.

Perhaps bolstered by its unpublished findings, Google is expanding AI Overviews to six countries: the UK, India, Japan, Indonesia, Mexico and Brazil, with local language support. Plus, users enrolled in Labs can test out new two new additional features. As of today, Labs users can save specific AI Overview responses so you can easily access it again. Users can also opt to "simplify" a response if the AI Overview is too technical or complicated for novices.

A great philosopher once said, "You're not hardcore unless you live hardcore." Elon Musk is finding that out the hard way.

If you'll recall, back in Nov. 2022, Musk sent what we here at Mashable called "his weirdest email so far." The email, titled "A Fork in the Road," followed a string of odd choices from the billionaire after he bought and began running the platform then known as Twitter. In that email, Musk issued an ultimatum demanding employees click yes to working "extremely hardcore." Well, now that little stunt had cost X hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Ireland's Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) ruled that a former senior executive for Twitter was wrongly terminated when he declined to click the yes button in Musk's email, reported the Irish news outlet RTÉ. The WRC ordered X to pay the ex-employee, Gary Rooney, a record €550,000 or roughly $605,000.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk sends Twitter employees his weirdest email so far

The email from Musk came on the heels of the self-crowned chief twit firing roughly half of Twitter's workforce. He effectively demanded his employees work unspecified hours under high-intensity conditions. Rooney apparently balked at agreeing to those "hardcore" demands on a one-day deadline. Rooney claimed he was let go after not clicking yes, RTE reported. The WRC, in fact, ruled Rooney had been fired for not clicking yes, RTE noted, and said it was an unfair termination because Twitter didn't have substantial grounds to let him go.

WRC adjudication officer Michael MacNamee wrote in the ruling: "No employee, when faced with such a situation, could possibly be faulted for refusing to be compelled to give an open-ended unqualified assent to any of the proposals."

Musk might've gotten the "hardcore" promises he was looking for, but now his company may have to write a pretty hefty check as a result.