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On any given day, Amazon's best laptop deals include some markdowns on Apple MacBooks... and not much else. The retail giant lists a lot of older and/or discontinued PCs that aren't super worth it. Amazon also has a penchant for inflating sticker prices, making discounts look steeper than they really are.
Those factors, combined with the heavy presence of sketchy third-party sellers among Amazon's laptop listings, make it one of the worst places to buy a laptop on the internet (again, unless you're shopping for MacBooks). We usually recommend shopping at Best Buy or going directly to the manufacturer's online store instead.
SEE ALSO: Prime Day 2024: When it's happening and everything else we know so farThe fine print here is that Amazon usually gets its act together for major savings events, including its flagship Prime Day sale. When such sales are live, it's way easier to find heftier discounts on new laptops shipped and sold by Amazon itself. (That said, it still behooves savvy shoppers to cross-check prices elsewhere, just in case.)
As we head into Prime Day season — it's confirmed for July — I'll be keeping track of the best Prime Day laptop deals. So far, I'm not finding much outside of the typical discounts on M2 and M3 MacBooks, and I'm willing to bet that they'll get even cheaper as Prime Day approaches, especially as other retailers roll out competing sales. But if you need to replace an older MacBook ASAP, there are some decent buys up for grabs right now — including some all-time lows.
Note: I've cross-checked all of the following deals with manufacturers' sites to make sure the discounts are legit. (If Amazon had the wrong MSRP, I corrected it and adjusted the discount accordingly.) I've also weeded out laptops sold by third-party sellers — if they have "Ships from/Sold by Amazon.com" underneath their "Buy Now" button, we're cool.
Any laptop marked with a 🔥 is at a record-low price, according to the Amazon price tracking site CamelCamelCamel. Lastly, because Prime Day hasn't officially begun, these savings aren't official Prime Day deals; however, all of these discounts are live and ready to shop now.
Early Prime Day laptop deals to watch Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M3) 🔥 $1,129.00 at AmazonRead Mashable's full review of the 15-inch M3 Apple MacBook Air.
Earlier this year, Apple upgraded its thin and lightweight Air with a peppier M3 chip, WiFi 6E support, and the ability to drive two external monitors (with its lid closed). "[It] may seem like a simple refresh," wrote Mashable tech editor Kim Gedeon, "but as someone who owns the M2 MacBook Air, I’d definitely trade it in for the new-generation model." (She gave it a 4.3/5 rating in her review.) This 15-inch model has more screen real estate and two more speakers compared to the 13-inch version. At $1,129, or $170 off, this is the base configuration's current record-low price.
More MacBook DealsApple MacBook Air, 13-inch (Apple M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $849 $999 (save $150)
Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (Apple M3, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $949 $1,099 (save $150)
Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (Apple M3, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,399 $1,599 (save $300) 🔥
Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (Apple M3 Pro, 18GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,699 $1,999 (save $300) 🔥
Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (Apple M3 Pro, 18GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $2,199 $2,499 (save $300) 🔥
Acer Aspire 3 (AMD Ryzen 3 7320U, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) — $299.99 $329.99 (save $30)
Acer Nitro V 15 (Intel Core i7-13620H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $849.99 $999.99 (save $150)
Meta AI might be coming to iPhones and other Apple devices.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Meta and Apple are in talks for a potential partnership that would integrate Meta's generative AI model into Apple Intelligence.
It seems that Apple and Meta are putting aside a longstanding feud over privacy and revenue-sharing in favor of establishing footing in the competition for AI dominance. For Meta, the partnership could mean wider distribution of its AI features. For Apple, it would insulate the company from any over-reliance on its OpenAI partnership.
At WWDC earlier this month, Apple announced a deal with OpenAI that brings ChatGPT to iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. But that's not the only AI model Apple is planning to add to its operating systems. In a post-keynote discussion with iJustine, senior VP of software engineering Craig Federighi said Apple is also looking to integrate Google Gemini and other AI models.
"We think ultimately people are going to have a preference perhaps for certain models that they want to use, maybe one that’s great for creative writing or one that they prefer for coding. And so we want to enable users ultimately to bring a model of their choice," said Federighi.
Now it looks like Meta AI might be one of the models that Apple users can choose to interact with. The Journal also said Apple is also in with talks with Anthropic (which makes the ChatGPT competitor Claude), and Perplexity, which is an AI-powered search engine.
Apple Intelligence is the collection of AI features the company has developed for iPhones, iPads, and Macs. But Apple has chosen to supplement AI capabilities with ChatGPT for improved Siri functionality and features like drafting emails and generating images. Notably, Apple touted a privacy-first approach with the ChatGPT announcement and says users will be asked for permission before sharing information with ChatGPT.
The potential Meta partnership raises the question of how Apple will protect user privacy, since Meta doesn't have a great track record with that. Meta AI is trained on users' posts and other publicly shared data on its platforms and it's nearly impossible to opt out.
It's unclear what the terms of the deal would be. But we know that Apple "paid" OpenAI with distribution and access instead of cash. Partnering with Apple could similarly boost Meta's userbase and increase its stature in the cutthroat generative AI race.
UP TO 30% OFF: As of June 24, Amazon is offering up to 30% off portable air conditioners from popular brands such as Honeywell and BLACK+DECKER.
Our top picks: Best deal overall Honeywell 9,000 BTU portable air conditioner $271 at Amazon (save $158.99) Get Deal Best for large rooms BLACK+DECKER 14,000 BTU portable air conditioner $489.99 at Amazon (save $229) Get Deal Best budget deal SereneLife 12,000 BTU portable air conditioner $377.99 at Amazon (save $42) Get DealWe can all agree that it’s been hot AF lately. As temperatures continue to rise to unbearable levels, many apartment dwellers are looking for ways to stay cool. You could try begging your landlord to install air conditioning in your building, but we wouldn't hold our breath.
Portable air conditioners offer a convenient solution. These units connect to a nearby window to quickly cool bedrooms, offices, or small apartments. You can even move them from room to room as needed. (For an even more convenient option that won't take up precious floor space, we were pretty impressed by the Windmill AC (medium, 8,300 BTU) window unit recently.)
SEE ALSO: 7 of the best portable air conditioners to keep you cool this summerLuckily, Amazon is offering up to 30% off select portable air conditioners right now, so you can beat the heat without breaking the bank.
Best deal overall Opens in a new window Credit: Honeywell Our pick: Honeywell 9,000 BTU portable air conditioner $271.00 at AmazonThe Honeywell 9,000 BTU portable air conditioner is ideal for smaller apartments or cooling your bedroom or home office. It can cover up to 400 square feet and has a built-in dehumidifier. The unit also has a washable dust filter for quick maintenance and a filter change alert function to let you know when it’s time to clean it.
Yes, there is a hose that connects this unit to the window, but it’s not as cumbersome as some of those old-school units. Plus, with the on-screen coupon, you’ll save an extra $48 at checkout, bringing the total to a whopping $271 (which is a pretty good deal for a Honeywell air conditioner).
Best air conditioner for larger rooms Opens in a new window Credit: BLACK+DECKER Our pick: BLACK+DECKER 14,000 BTU portable air conditioner $489.99 at AmazonThe BLACK+DECKER 14,000 BTU portable air conditioner can cool larger spaces of up to 700 square feet. It has a remote and can switch to heater mode in cooler months. There’s also a dehumidifier and a fan, and the filter is washable for easy maintenance. It’s a little pricier than the unit above, but it covers 200 more square feet, and the customer reviews are solid (4.2 out of 5 stars from more than 46,000 reviewers). Finally, this is the top-selling portable air conditioner on Amazon, if you trust the wisdom of the crowd.
Best budget deal Opens in a new window Credit: SereneLife Our pick: SereneLife 12,000 BTU portable air conditioner $377.99 at AmazonThe SereneLife 12,000 BTU portable air conditioner is a mid-range option that can cool up to 550 square feet. It doesn’t have a heater like the BLACK+DECKER, so it probably won’t be a year-round solution, but it does have a dehumidifier, fan, and remote. There’s also an auto “swing” mode with a moving wind vent for optimal air circulation. With a 4.3-star rating and more than 20,000 reviews, this portable AC is a budget-friendly option that’ll get the job done.
The 4th of July is ten days away, and savings events are already here. If your summer calendar is packed with camping trips, day hikes, and afternoons spent at the beach or park, you'll want to shop REI's 4th of July Sale before you ring in Independence Day.
Best Deals from the REI 4th of July Sale: Best tent deal The North Face Wawona 4 Tent $239.99 at REI (save $160.01) Get Deal Best sleeping bag deal REI Co-op Zephyr 25 Sleeping Bag $139.89 at REI (save $60.06) Get Deal Best Yeti deal Yeti Hopper Flip 12 Soft Cooler $200 at REI with Mmembership (save $50) Get Deal Best daypack deal Gregory Nano 22 H2O Hydration Pack $67.39 at REI (save $22.56) Get DealREI's 4th of July Sale gives shoppers up to 40% off clearance items, including camping and hiking gear, clothes for men and women, and water sports equipment. Plus, REI Members can take 20% off any regular-priced Yeti cooler. (If you're not a member, you can join for $30 - and get a $30 REI gift card back when you sign up before July 11.) These deals are only here until July 4th, so we recommend acting on them sooner rather than later.
Best tent deal Opens in a new window Credit: The North Face Our pick: The North Face Wawona 4 Tent $239.99 at REINeed to upgrade your tent before you hit the trails this summer? No problem. The North Face Waona 4 tent is back with a re-imagined design, upgrading from single to double-wall construction for enhanced ventilation. Plus, its color-coded poles have been re-engineered for an even simpler setup. Measuring 10 x 27 inches and weighing 13lbs when packed up, this tent is ready for adventure.
Best sleeping bag deal Opens in a new window Credit: REI Our pick: REI Co-op Zephyr 25 Sleeping Bag $139.98 at REIIn this year's sale, you can save 30% off REI Co-op brand's top synthetic sleeping bag, the Zephyr 25 Sleeping Bag. Made for backpacking through the spring and fall seasons, this hooded sleeping bag comes in an extensive range of sizes so you can find your most comfortable fit. We love the bag's mummy shape and the way the bag's designed to prevent insulation from shifting - avoiding unwanted cold spots during the night.
Best Yeti deal Opens in a new window Credit: Yeti Our pick: Yeti Hopper Flip 12 Soft Cooler $200.00 at REIREI Members are reaping plenty of benefits during this year's 4th of July Sale - most notably, 20% off one full-price Yeti cooler. This saves members $50 off of the Yeti Hopper Flip 12 Soft Cooler — a great pick to bring along camping or boating. With a shoulder strap and a top handle, this soft cooler is easy to pack up and carry, and its wide zipper also makes it easy to load and unload the cooler. With an 11.7 liter capacity and interior dimension of 11 x 9 x 8 inches, it's a great size for packing lunch, snacks, and drinks.
Best daypack deal Opens in a new window Credit: Gregory Our pick: Gregory Nano 22 H2O Hydration Pack $67.39 at REIShoppers looking for a causal daypack to bring along on quick hikes or to festivals will want to check out the Gregory Nano 22 H2O Hydration Pack. With a 3L water reservoir, you can easily stay refreshed and hydrated. Plus, it has three spacious pockets and a front bungee attachment to stash your other essentials. It's designed for comfort too, with features that help keep your back cool and your load balanced as you move.
More REI 4th of July deals:Therm-a-rest Compressible Pillow — $25.79 $36.85 (save $9.06)
Mountain Summit Gear Self-Inflating 1.5 Camp Sleeping Pad — $32.73 $70 (save $37.27)
REI Co-op Trailmade Men's Rain Jacket — $34.89 $69.95 (save $35.06)
REI Co-op Trailmade Women's Rain Jacket — $34.89 $69.95 (save $35.06)
REI Co-op Flexlite Air Chair — $69.89 $99.95 (save $30.06)
Igloo X Parks Playmate Cooler — $44.89 $59.95 (save $15.06)
BOTE WULF Aero Inflatable Paddle Board with Paddle — $399.19 $499 (save $99.81)
REI Co-op Traverse 60 Pack — $181.29 $259 (save $77.71)
Big Agnes Sidewinder SL 20 Sleeping Bag — $149.98 $249.95 (save $100.06)
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 Tent — $317.89 $529.95 (save $212.06)
Balega Comfort Socks — $11.99 $16 (save $4.01)
REI Co-op Skyward Chair — $41.89 $59.95 (save $18.06)
Katadyn BeFree 1.0 L Water Filter Bottle — $31.39 $44.95 (save $13.56)
Pelican Argo 100X EXO Kayak — $339.89 $399.95 (save $60.06)
Kelty Catena 30 Sleeping Bag — $37.39 $49.95 (save $12.56)
Sunday Afternoon Ultra Adventure Hat — $34.99 $50 (save $15.01)
REI Co-op Traverse Trekking Poles Pair — $83.29 $119 (save $35.71)
REI Co-op Helix Insulated Air Sleeping Pad — $118.29 $169 (save $50.71)
REI Co-op Siesta Hooded 20 Sleeping Bag — $97.29 $139 (save $42.71)
REI Co-op Camp Prep Table — $104.29 $149 (save $44.71)
GSI Outdoors Rakau Knife Set — $59.89 $79.95 (save $20.06)
REI Co-op Camp Roll Table — $62.89 $89.95 (save $27.06)
Microsoft's relentless push for users to sign into Windows with a Microsoft account is hard to ignore, especially with Windows 11 making it tougher to bypass this requirement. But if you’re tired of feeding your data to Microsoft and want to switch to a local account, you’re in luck — it's still possible.
SEE ALSO: Microsoft says 'Recall' will now be opt-inHere's your quick guide to swapping out your Microsoft Account for a local one on Windows 11:
How to create a local Microsoft account for Windows 11Fire Up Settings: Click on the Start menu and open the Settings app
Head to Accounts: Navigate to the "Accounts" section in Settings
Find Your Info: Under Accounts, select "Your info"
Switch to a Local Account: Look for the option that says "Sign in with a local account instead" and click on it
Follow the Prompts: Simply follow the on-screen instructions to set up your local account
While switching to a local account remains straightforward, you should create a password reset disk — without it, recovering a forgotten password can be a hassle.
While Microsoft, like Google and Apple, prefers users to stay connected within their ecosystems, opting for a local account is still a viable choice for those prioritizing data privacy and autonomy. Even though Windows 11 has made it less obvious, the ability to use a local account is very much alive. So go ahead and take control of your Windows experience.
Looking to do some deal shopping, but don't feel like waiting around for Prime Day? We've found some early deals worth grabbing at Amazon on June 24 from top brands like Sennheiser and Instant appliances.
Here are our top picks for the best Amazon deals of the day. If none of these quench your thirst for savings, check back tomorrow for brand new picks.
Our top pick Opens in a new window Credit: Sennheiser Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds $243.66 at AmazonAs our friends at PCMag (which is owned by Mashable's publisher, Ziff Davis) wrote in their review, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds "produce powerful, bass-forward audio and are very customizable." However, they also noted that the noise-cancellation isn't what it should be for the $299.95 price tag. Fortunately, the current deal at Amazon knocks them down to a more justifiable $243.66 — the lowest price on record for these buds.
Opens in a new window Credit: Instant Instant Omni 7-in-1 air fryer oven (19-quart) $120.00 at AmazonIf you have the space for another countertop appliance, the Instant Omni air fryer toaster oven is a well-rounded option that allows you to air fry, broil, bake, roast, toast, warm, and cook with convection all in one. Its 19-quart capacity can fit a 12-inch pizza, six slices of bread, a whole chicken, and more without taking up too much real estate on your counter. It's usually $199.99, but Amazon has it on sale for just $120 as of June 24 — that's its second lowest price on record.
Opens in a new window Credit: Sunny Health and Fitness Sunny Health and Fitness Smart Treadpad Pacer $444.99 at AmazonWe highly recommend trying out a walking pad if you're a remote worker who sits at a desk all day. Thanks to TikTok, it's one of our home office must-haves in 2024. The Smart Treadpad Pacer from Sunny Health and Fitness is a solid option that serves as a walking pad or a regular treadmill. It features speed levels ranging from 0.5 to 6 mph and six levels of automatic incline for when you want to ramp up your walking to a full-on workout. It's not the newest model the brand makes, but it's still compatible with the SunnyFit app via Bluetooth, where you'll find training videos, workouts, and routes around the world. Regularly $619.99, you can get it for just $444.99 at Amazon using the on-page coupon. That's a savings of 28%.
Opens in a new window Credit: Soundcore Soundcore Life A3i noise-cancelling earbuds $34.99 at AmazonThe Soundcore Life A3i make great travel companions if you're on a budget. Amazon currently has them listed for just $34.99 — that's 30% in savings — which matches their all-time low price. These buds offer 10 hours of listening on a single charge and 40 when you use the compact charging case. Even better, a quick 10-minute charging session will give you two full hours of listening. So, if you only have a 10-minute layover, you can juice up enough to enjoy some tunes on your flight. Just don't expect the noise-cancellation to be out of this world.
None of these deals catching your eye? Check out Amazon's daily deals for even more savings.
Meta is erroneously tagging photographs as being "made with AI," and it could be triggered by basic tools in Adobe's editing software.
In an effort to help users distinguish photos from AI-generated art, Meta announced in February that it would begin to label posts as AI-generated if it detected the image had been manipulated in third-party software like Adobe. Now, it appears that even basic functions, like preparing an image for export from an Adobe program, could lead to it being labeled on Meta products as being "made with AI."
SEE ALSO: What to know about Adobe Lightroom's new AI featureOne of the most well-known photographers encountering the issue is Pete Souza, who served as the official White House photographer during the Obama and Reagan administrations. Last week, Souza posted digital scans of film images he had snapped at a 1984 NBA Finals game to his Instagram account. The post was labeled as "Made with AI," which Souza told TechCrunch was "annoying" because Instagram "forced me to include the 'Made with AI' [tag] even though I unchecked it." He noted that Adobe required him to “flatten the image” before saving it as a JPEG file, which he believes could have triggered the incorrect "Made with AI" tag.
In another example, a cosplayer posted to X about an Instagram photo of her work that had been incorrectly tagged as being "Made with AI." They wrote, "My cosplay made with the physical labour of my own hands is being labeled as AI content on Instagram, with no way to correct this tag."
Tweet may have been deletedThe accurate labeling of AI-generated or edited images is crucial to maintaining a safe and authentic online experience, especially as the 2024 election looms. AI-generated images have already duped older users of Facebook, a Meta product. Adobe's AI capabilities, specifically, can be highly convincing.
A Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch about the company's AI-tagging capabilities: "Our intent has always been to help people know when they see content made with AI. We are taking into account recent feedback and continue to evaluate our approach so that our labels reflect the amount of AI used in an image."
No surprise here: ChatGPT is still not a reliable replacement for human hiring officers and recruiters.
In a newly published study from the University of Washington, the intelligent AI chatbot repeatedly ranked applications that included disability-related honors and credentials lower than those with similar merits but did not mention disabilities. The study tested several different key words, including deafness, blindness, cerebral palsy, autism, and the general term "disability."
Researchers used one of the author's publicly available CV as a baseline, then created enhanced versions of the CV with awards and honors that implied different disabilities, such as "Tom Wilson Disability Leadership Award" or a seat on a DEI panel. Researchers then asked ChatGPT to rank the applicants.
In 60 trials, the original CV was ranked first 75 percent of the time.
SEE ALSO: Why AI assistants are having such a moment"Ranking resumes with AI is starting to proliferate, yet there’s not much research behind whether it’s safe and effective," said Kate Glazko, a computer science and engineering graduate student and the study’s lead author. "For a disabled job seeker, there’s always this question when you submit a resume of whether you should include disability credentials. I think disabled people consider that even when humans are the reviewers."
ChatGPT would also "hallucinate" ableist reasonings for why certain mental and physical illnesses would impede a candidates ability to do the job, researchers said.
"Some of GPT’s descriptions would color a person’s entire resume based on their disability and claimed that involvement with DEI or disability is potentially taking away from other parts of the resume," wrote Glazko.
But researchers also found that some of the worryingly ableist features could be curbed by instructing ChatGPT to not be ableist, using the GPTs Editor feature to feed it disability justice and DEI principles. Enhanced CVs then beat out the original more than half of the time, but results still varied based on what disability was implied in the CV.
OpenAI's chatbot has displayed similar biases in the past. In March, a Bloomberg investigation showed that the company's GPT 3.5 model displayed clear racial preferences for job candidates, and would not only replicate known discriminatory hiring practices but also repeat back stereotypes across both race and gender. In response, OpenAI has said that these tests don't reflect the practical uses for their AI models in the workplace.
Apple is in breach of the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), the European Commission has decided in a preliminary finding.
On Monday, the Commission also opened a new case against Apple over concerns that its new contractual requirements for third-party app developers and app stores are also in breach of the DMA.
SEE ALSO: Apple delays AI features in Europe because of DMA regulationsThe DMA, which entered into force in Nov. 2022, requires companies with app platforms operating in the EU to enable third-party app developers to inform their customers of alternative, cheaper purchasing options, as well as steer them to those offers and allow them to make purchases.
Tweet may have been deletedDuring its investigation, the Commission looked at Apple's App Store practices and found that it doesn't allow developers to "freely steer their customers" away from the App Store. The company instead permits third-party apps to direct users through links within their apps, which the Commission finds to be too restrictive. It also said the fees that Apple charges developers for acquiring new customers "go beyond what is strictly necessary."
"For too long, Apple has been squeezing out innovative companies — denying consumers new opportunities & choices," European Commissioner Thierry Breton tweeted on Monday. "Today we are taking further steps to ensure AppStore & iOS comply with #DMA."
Apple now has 12 months (counting from March 25, 2024, when the proceedings commenced) to comply, or otherwise face a fine that can be as high as 10 percent of Apple's global revenue (roughly $38 billion per Apple's recent earnings), or up to 20 percent in case of repeated infringements. The EU fined Apple $1.84 billion for similar anti-steering practices in March 2024, following a Spotify lawsuit.
Last week, Apple announced it would not launch its upcoming Apple Intelligence features in Europe due to the requirements set forth in DMA.
Apple isn't the only company the European Commission is investigating for DMA violations. The EU's regulator is also looking into the business practices of Google and Meta.
It's one of the oldest tricks in storytelling, and House of the Dragon just peaked an episode with it.
In Season 2, episode 2 of the Game of Thrones prequel, the HBO series seized on classic tropes that simultaneously turn any scene into slapstick and generally irk this twin writer: the Evil Twin and the Fake Twin Gambit. No one loves the Evil Twin trope more than entertainment writers, who've been throwing that doppelgänger spanner into the works for decades through silent cinema, soap operas, horror movies, and comic books. Now it's appeared in HBO primetime fantasy, through the cruel fate of the Cargyll twins, Arryk and Erryk (Luke and Elliott Tittensor), a sequence of fake twinnery with a tragic end.
SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 perfectly illustrates how men's egos start warsBut did this gambit actually pay off for House of the Dragon? Or was it yet another TV show clinging to low hanging plot devices that declare twins two polarised sides of the same coin and little else?
What happens in House of the Dragon Season 2, episode 2?In a knee-jerk order, disgruntled commander Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) throws some of that volatile Westerosi male ego around and orders Kingsguard white cloak Arryk on a secret mission to Dragonstone to assassinate Team Green's enemy, Rhaenyra. Arryk is a twin, whose brother Erryk stands opposed within Rhaenyra's Queensguard, so it's an order of impersonation, and essentially, a tragic fool's errand.
Ser Criston Cole gives Arryk Cargyll the worst order. Credit: Ollie Upton / HBODespite the fact that everyone at councils large and small in Westeros know the identical pair sit within each camp, Arryk stalks into Dragonstone pretty much undetected in a sequence Vulture's Amanda Whiting called, "a scheme that seems more like a Punk’d episode than an act of cunning." It's a slapstick game of one-twin-out, one-twin-in, a Fake Twin Gambit scene with Erryk wandering through the halls unaware his brother is replacing him as he goes. It's House of the Dragon cloak-and-dagger but make it The Prestige as a daytime soap starring Chaplin.
"What [the filmmakers] were trying to do narratively was confuse the audience," Luke Tittensor told the New York Times. "When Arryk stands at the door, there’s a moment of you thinking, 'Is that actually Arryk, or is it Erryk?' You’ve seen us do a bit of a Scooby-Doo moment. That’s a little bit of a trick with twins."
Featured Video For You House of the Dragon Season 1: Everything you need to remember about Season 1 in 60 secondsGaining access to Rhaenyra's chambers, Arryk moves to attack the queen. Luckily, Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) saves the day, having spotted Arryk arriving at the Dragonstone docks and raising the alarm. Arryk and Erryk battle in a whirl of identical confusion, despite Erryk's pleas for his brother to yield, and Arryk is slain. Beset with immediate grief and despair, Erryk falls on his own sword. The show plays the duel out slightly differently to how it's written in George R. R. Martin's Fire and Blood. And while the result is undeniably devastating, in some senses it also feels like another series leaning on an Evil Twin trope for dramatic effect.
TV bloody loves an Evil Twin trope. This twin does not. Why'd they edit Arryk like that? Credit: Ollie Upton / HBOI'm an identical twin who has been asked "which one's the evil one?" so many times it's made me want to embody such a dumb question and rain that hellfire down on the spot. But I know where it comes from.
Historically, divine twins are a goldmine throughout mythology for examining dualism; Egyptian deities Nut and Geb, Zoroastrianism's Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu, Olympian twins Apollo and Artemis, Hinduism's horsemen The Ashvins, West African complex twin goddess Mawu-Lisa. Dark/light, sun/moon, earth/sky — twins are the perfect framework for this kind of either/or storytelling.
Modern pop culture really, truly insists that one twin must be just...bad.But modern pop culture really, truly insists that one twin must be just...bad. It's a low hanging plot device for writers to unpack these opposing forces of good and evil, but it often reduces the characters to simplistic sides of the same coin. If my twin sister and I were on a TV show, one of us would be have to be an absolute piece of work.
Yes, the show does give Erryk and Arryk the right to choose their allegiances, but House of the Dragon can't help itself, making it clear there's a Good/Evil split through dark cinematography, sinister blocking, and a Big Bad Score as Arryk stalks through Dragonstone. Arryk is basically forced through his sense of duty to accept Cole's order, but the series frames him as a villain, a slithery assassin, with Erryk instead the heroic shining light in Rhaenyra's camp. Then, the final sequence becomes a Pointing Rick Dalton game of "spot the imposter", a stressful watch that plays both as House of the Dragon and soap climax.
Why Erryk and Arryk's duel is actually importantOne of the main reasons Erryk and Arryk's duel is important is not only because of their twindom, but their conflicting familial polarity. Essentially, this kinslaying tragedy embodies the broader implications of the Dance of the Dragons, the civil war between the Targaryen family, and the senseless violence that will accompany the bloody path to the Iron Throne. There's no good, no evil, only blood and death.
As oath-sworn members of the Kingsguard and Queensguard, Arryk and Erryk are quite literally torn apart by their sense of honor — and the fact that House of the Dragon allows the characters to make their own decisions negates the somewhat frustrating tropes of the Dragonstone sequence.
"We always love that moment of these two brothers who love each other more than anything also being set to kill each other, and there’s a very American Civil War brother-on-brother aspect to it," House of the Dragon writer and executive producer Sarah Hess said in a behind-the-scenes video. "Why are they doing this? It’s because these nobles have decided they they’re mad at each other, and now these guys have to battle it to the death."
One of the saddest fates of Season 2, Erryk and Arryk are buried together, "one soul in two bodies," on either side of the war for Westeros. While House of the Dragon loves to play into the drama, the impact of this scene should rest on the tragedy of them choosing honor over each other, not with one being Evil and the other Good.
And as for me? I'd tell Cole to shove his honor and defect. That's your twin right there.
House of the Dragon Season 2 airs Sundays on HBO and Max at 9 p.m. ET.
Remember the smirking, smug, sadistic face of Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson) in Game of Thrones? Well there's a new love-to-hate face in House of the Dragon that may just have said, "Hold my poisoned goblet."
We're talking of course about Sir Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), who this week channelled his own guilt about not doing his job properly by cheerfully sending another man to his death.
SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' Season 2's Targaryen family tree: How everyone connectsCole has slowly grown more hatable over the course of the show, starting with his seething reaction to Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) rejecting him in Season 1 and bubbling away in a repressed cauldron of misogyny ever since.
Now, the mere sight of him is enough to enrage fans.
Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deletedWill people celebrate Sir Criston Cole's eventual demise as hard as they celebrated Joffrey's? Time will tell, but it certainly seems to be heading that way.
House of the Dragon Season 2 airs Sundays on HBO and Max at 9 p.m. ET.
Featured Video For You House of the Dragon Season 1: Everything you need to remember about Season 1 in 60 secondsApple has fixed a visionOS vulnerability that allowed a hacker to fill a Vision Pro user's virtual space with 3D animated objects.
When spelled out like this, it doesn't sound that scary, but replaced "3D animated objects" with spiders, bats, snakes, or anything else that scares you, and you've got yourself one of the most intriguing and ominous bugs we've ever heard of.
SEE ALSO: Apple reportedly gives up on Vision Pro 2, focusing on cheaper model insteadThe vulnerability for was discovered by Ryan Pickren, an independent researcher who already found a couple of bugs in Apple's software, including nasty iPhone and Mac camera issues. Pickren told Mashable via email that he believes the bug he'd found in visionOS allows for the first "spatial computing" hack. He also said that Apple awarded him a bounty for finding and describing the issue.
The bug stems from the way visionOS handles apps that can spawn 3D objects in your virtual space while you're using the Vision Pro. As Pickren explained on his blog, the company severely restricted who and what can do this in most cases, but "forgot" about an older, web-based 3D model viewing standard called Apple AR Kit Quick Look. By adding some simple code to a website, a hacker could bypass Apple's restrictions and launch "an arbitrary number of 3D, animated, sound-creating, objects without any user interaction whatsoever."
GET US OUT OF HERE Credit: Ryan PickrenPickren supplied some examples by tapping into a lot of folks' worst nightmares: by adding virtual spiders and bats into a Vision Pro user's virtual space.
Featured Video For You Apple Vision Pro: I tried it on a plane and it was chaoticFortunately, Apple fixed this vulnerability in visionOS 1.2, which launched earlier this month, though the company's description (unsurprisingly) don't mention eight-legged arthropods.
In any case, it appears Vision Pro users are safe from 3D monsters bursting into their virtual life — for now.
TL;DR: This summer, you can improve your everyday vocabulary with a lifetime subscription to the Wordela vocabulary builder app for only £7.90 (reg. £256.11).
Verbal communication plays a crucial role in shaping first impressions, and initial interactions can set the tone for future relationships. Self-representation matters, and the Wordela vocabulary builder app has the tools you need to improve your choice of words and clarity in the way you speak.
This AI-assisted learning app helps you build, learn, and retain a more sophisticated vocabulary. Level up your communication, annunciation, and diction with quick lessons that you can learn in under 10 minutes a day. Lessons are composed of flashcards, spelling statistics, and curated lists. By integrating these practices into your daily routine, you’ll gradually expand your knowledge of esoteric vernacular so you can speak confidently in any situation.
Studies show that speech is an indicator of how successful, educated, and informed you are, and it’s important we diversify our internal word-list. The Wordela lessons have a 520-million-word linguistic corpus, and you’ll have access to 166 premium vocabulary and productivity courses.
The app has curated lists based on common standardized tests, as well as words to use in everyday life, business communication, and more. Check out the custom lists feature that lets you copy and paste or type your focus words into Wordela. With a little practice and consistent repetition, the Wordela lessons will train your brain to incorporate your new terminology into your everyday vocabulary.
Wordela also tracks your activity and spelling stats, and the app uses this data to personalise your learning. The innovative Autolearn feature utilises the technique of spaced repetition learning to help boost your information retention by up to 70 percent.
Level up your linguistics with a lifetime subscription to the Wordela vocabulary app for only £7.90 (reg. £256.11). With a one-time purchase, you can purchase a membership that never expires.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Opens in a new window Credit: EReflect Wordela Vocabulary Builder App: Lifetime Subscription £7.90 at the Mashable ShopThe 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 June 24 SEE ALSO: 'Wordle' today: Here's the answer hints for June 24Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Monday, June 24, 2024:
AcrossWhat a fold-out couch can becomeThe answer is bed.
The answer is Ubers.
The answer is Sarah.
The answer is alike.
The answer is Lee.
The answer is Bball.
The answer is eerie.
The answer is Drake.
The answer is USA.
The answer is she.
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