- Help
- Google+
If the thought of ordering a drink at a crowded bar or making small talk with strangers at a party fills you with the incomprehensible urge to jump out the nearest window, you’re probably an introvert — and that’s totally okay! We see you. We are you.
There’s no shame in being more comfortable curled up with a good book than out on the town, but that doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to a life of solitude, either. In fact, introverts make for amazing partners, lovers, and friends — once we get to know someone.
Where do introverts find love?This may come as a shock, but dating apps (and even some of the old-school dating sites that are still hanging around) are the place for introverts. On these platforms, you can show off who you really are without feeling the pressure to constantly be “on” like you might in a traditional social setting.
SEE ALSO: Tired of casual dates? Try the best dating apps for serious relationshipsYes, it’s true that dating apps still get a bad rap as a last resort for the desperate, but for introverts, these nifty little tools provide a much-needed buffer that allows us to slowly and comfortably get to know potential partners. When you meet someone online, you can take the time to build the kind of deep, meaningful connections that often feel out of reach in today’s fast-paced, surface-level dating culture.
What are the best dating sites for introverts?Even though we’re big fans of online dating, especially for our introverted readers, not all dating platforms are created equal. Tinder, for example, is pretty much the polar opposite of what introverts are looking for. Its hookup-centric interface and “swipe left” model are a recipe for disaster for shy singles who prefer to get to know their matches before jumping into bed. (If dating apps were places, Tinder would be the crowded sports bar.)
Instead, we’ve found dating apps like Hinge, OkCupid, and Match are much better suited for introverts. Unlike Tinder, these dating platforms encourage users to share a little bit more about themselves, from lengthy profile bios to lists of interests and deal-breakers.
So, to help you find your person — the one who’ll understand and appreciate you for who you truly are — we’ve rounded up the best dating sites for introverts just like you. (Including a few niche dating sites and some picks for hooking up, because we all have needs. Just because you're introverted doesn't mean you can't have a little fun.)
Dating is hard enough. Dating while broke? That means you're dating on the highest difficulty setting. From shelling out for overpriced cocktails to awkwardly splitting the check (or, let's be honest, dodging Venmo requests for guac), it can feel like a never-ending cycle of financial facepalms.
Luckily, modern tech has made dating more accessible and affordable, and the best free dating apps promise to connect you with your next date — no credit card required. (We know, it sounds too good to be true.)
While you might still have to foot the bill for that first (or second, or third) date, at least you won't be paying to play the game.
What dating sites are free?Dating apps like Tinder, OkCupid, and Hinge have a free version that holds its own against its paid counterparts. That said, there are also some completely free, more niche dating apps worth checking out too, like Archer and Lex.
SEE ALSO: Dating predictions for the rest of 2024Finding love (or a fun distraction) shouldn't cost a fortune. That's why we tested dozens of platforms to find the most reliable dating apps for every type of single. Whether you're an introvert, a college student, or just looking for some steamy sexting action, we've got you covered.
Below, find our top picks for the best free dating apps. Use them to find your forever partner, a casual encounter, or something in between — all without paying a dime.
Note: All of the free dating sites below have a free membership option that gives you almost everything you need for the full experience. Though most offer paid premium memberships, these aren't apps like Match or eharmony, where you need to pay to match or chat with other users.
Featured Video For You These dating sites and apps are perfect for people on a budgetIt seems like there's a major new data breach occurring every few weeks now. Personal emails, phone numbers, and addresses are among the most common data affected by these breaches. But it's much more concerning when bank account numbers or credit card information getting into the wrong hands.
And one such serious data breach has just been disclosed by Slim CD, a payment gateway provider.
SEE ALSO: Somehow crypto scams grew by nearly 50 percent last yearNearly 1.7 million credit card accounts – including the cardholder's name and address, as well as the card's expiration date – were exposed during a 10 month-long data breach at Slim CD.
Millions affected by breach of sensitive financial dataAccording to the incident notice recently filed by the company, Slim CD became aware of suspicious activity on its computer systems around June 15, 2024. The company launched an investigation and found that the issue began nearly one year earlier. It says that unauthorized individuals had system access between August 17, 2023 and June 15, 2024.
In a separate filing with the Maine Attorney General as noticed by SecurityWeek, Slim CD disclosed that 1,693,000 people were affected by the data breach.
Mashable notes that this breach is not contained to the state of Maine. Of the nearly 1.7 million people affected, Slim CD says only 797 of those are Maine residents.
According to Slim CD, the company has started to notify affected individuals of the breach.
What should you do if you were affected?Being that this breach explicitly concerns financial information, affected parties should remain diligent and monitor their credit report as well as keep an eye on their credit card statements for potentially unauthorized purchases.
A free annual credit report can be obtained at AnnualCreditReport.com. A free one-year fraud alert can also be placed on your credit file, which will alert businesses and require them to take additional steps to verify your identity before making a purchase.
AI is changing the way we create, work, and learn. Many fear it could even change the way we think. And while much has been made of how AI could affect education, the arts, and business, the impact of artificial intelligence on philanthropy is more of a second thought.
AI's claim to free users from the tedium of work — what its makers consider "drudgery" — is a big selling point. In fact, it's a core tenant of many "AI for good" initiatives. Developers pitch AI as a tool for expediency, automation, and equity within the world of nonprofits, which usually operate with tight budgets and small staffs. And many philanthropic leaders see AI as a life-changing investment for nonprofits at large, especially small, community-oriented organizations just trying to survive.
SEE ALSO: How much is AI hurting the planet? Big tech won't tell us.But we also know that society is facing a crisis of care, in which more and more people report intense feelings of hopelessness and apathy. Does adding human-less, digital automation into one of the ways we provide care to others exacerbate growing feelings of dissociation? There's a second battle waging too: A crisis of attention, in which the rapidly moving images on screens all around us have become more appealing than the slower, grittier world creating them. Is AI the right answer to the problem of grabbing the public's attention, getting them to care, and maintaining their investment in the cause?
Nonprofits are looking to AI as a filler for historical gaps — to aid customer service, ease administrative issues, and get the attention of those with deep pockets. For many leaders in the giving world, the question remains whether those benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
Google Search: A window into the problemIn May, Google launched Search Labs' AI Overviews, an AI-summarizing feature you have definitely seen but have certainly forgotten the name of. It was a tentpole addition amid a flurry of sparkling AI features, intended to make searching for information even easier (who wants to scroll through multiple pages anymore?).
Overviews appear in their own highlighted box under the normal Google Search bar, with a small conical beaker logo meant to indicate to the searcher that the results are still being tested. That's important. The early launch of Overviews wasn't just lackluster; it was worrisome. Results were muddy, often nonsensical, becoming the new carriers of absurd memes and fake screenshots; people scrolled right past them. Mashable's own testing found a mix of genuinely helpful answers and glaringly off AI hallucinations. (The feature has yet to fully roll out to all searches.)
Weeks out, journalists were rallying a movement against the flurry of misinformation and misappropriated bylines spawned by the still-limited run of AI Overviews. The tool introduced a potential "catastrophe" to content visibility and online traffic, some publishers said, screwing with established metrics for appearing, with credit, at the top of news results. Not long after, the feature was rumored to be adding integrated, revenue-generating advertisements.
But it wasn't just the news media that was worried, and it wasn't just about profit. "What you're seeing in the for-profit sector is certainly going to affect the nonprofit sector," said Kevin Scally, chief development officer at nonprofit ratings site Charity Navigator. Just as journalists and creatives sounded the alarm to ethically dubious results, and users pointed out absurdly unhelpful responses, Scally and his colleagues saw the streamlined search summaries as a potential problem for the less discussed world of charity.
Such AI tech could potentially hide legitimate nonprofits in favor of ambiguous summaries or outrightly false results, these advocates warned. Its search summary results prompt questions of algorithmic bias, and subsequent ones surrounding funding or visibility — the same issues already plaguing the sector, but on a synthetically enhanced scale.
If we're getting it wrong, it's not just a matter of a funny screenshot. It could be a matter of the organization's reputation and their funding. - Kevin Scally, Charity Navigator Finding the right charity amid a slog of informationAI isn't new in the sector, but the timeline has sped up. Dave Hollander, data science manager at nonprofit data site Candid, explained that the organization and others have spent time and money building discovery and audience for nonprofits for the past several years, exploring how AI can help underserved populations access resources online. Since resources like Charity Navigator and Candid work primarily with large, complex data sets, collated from federal resources and nonprofits themselves, AI tools are an incredibly useful option to cut down on the administrative heft. Other nonprofits may use AI to fill the gaps of staff, like site customer service bots helping donors find resources and organizations.
"The general availability of these AI tools, and the accessibility of it, could potentially help organizations improve their search engine optimization," Hollander explained, "where in the past that would have been an insurmountable task for them. But discoverability through search has long been a problem for a lot of organizations, even before AI. And then AI comes and can also exacerbate that problem."
A simple illustration: How would an AI-boosted search choose between organizations with confusingly similar names? In 2020, for example, as the global community rallied for the work of racial justice advocates and police abolitionists, millions of dollars in donations were funneled to activist organizations. Bad actors using SEO-gaming names that included the phrase "Black Lives Matter" managed to siphon off thousands from good-natured donors.
Disambiguations like these are already a problem, a natural product of an overloaded internet and not enough names to go around. Other problems arise with the repeated recommendation of the same big-name organizations (say, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) over smaller, localized nonprofits doing the same work.
And organizations already vie for the spotlight in a charitable ecosystem moving toward less frequent, reactionary giving. "The risk that runs [with AI Overviews] is, if we're getting it wrong, it's not just a matter of a funny screenshot," Scally warned. "It could be a matter of the organization's reputation and their funding. Then you play that forward. If that's happening at scale, where information about those organizations is getting twisted up, it has real ramifications for the programs they serve."
Recently, Google announced new updates to AI Overviews to try to curb publishers' worries, including prioritizing direct links to sources — but they're still being tested. Other information-gathering sites, like TikTok, are facing similar misinformation issues with AI-supported searches.
AI is good at specificity only so far as the prompt it's given, limited by the data it's fed. Search Overviews summarize populated results and prioritize high-ranking links. If a smaller nonprofit isn't active online, and isn't already surfacing in Google results, it has little chance of becoming AI's recommended click.
Understanding the true meaning behind a nonprofit's workWithin AI, the nuance of nonprofit missions, and exactly how those goals are accomplished, are also sacrificed for the ease of a simplified answer. Google itself pitched the service with: "Google will do the Googling for you." But AI doesn't have a human brain and can't incorporate the nuances involved in the processes of helping our fellow humans.
There's a lengthening list of media and AI literacy questions to address, first. In an AI-enhanced future, how will individuals learn to properly search, vet, and align their charity on their own, with and without the aid of an AI bot? What do we lose when we stop doing the "hard" work of searching for ourselves?
SEE ALSO: Why AI assistants are having such a momentThe hypothetical solution is for nonprofits to offer up even more data to the AI tools' developers — data from nonprofits, data from organizations like Charity Navigator, and personalized behavioral data from donors (read: internet users) that can solve the specificity problem. AI's proponents love personalization. But that would stir up even more problems.
"I think that there's inherently risks with that. Does technology really know the true me? How comfortable am I having Meta and Google and Microsoft essentially build profiles about me?" Scally said.
AI's data hunger has worried many privacy advocates and proponents of data autonomy — a trend also taking over the world of nonprofits. Making such moves with people's personal data belies the values of many of the world's most effective social sector actors, those who avoid overlapping their work with Big Tech, who cannot feasibly gather such data (or choose not to among their communities), and especially those who are trying to decolonize their work from historic power holders.
As a wave of new perspectives on charitable giving emerge — including the idea of unrestricted, community-driven funding that intentionally eschews traceable nonprofit data — many nonprofits have already made AI safety commitments that would block deeper personalization. Candid, and its acquired GuideStar rating database, doesn't allow its data for training third party models, and only uses a nonprofit's publicly accessible tax data for internal projects.
AI could make charity feel like another investment, without the "warm glow of giving"The problem with AI implementation is that it's happening at hyperspeed. This speed, with AI designed by large tech industry leaders in order to streamline people's digital lives and implemented without input, can just as easily strip people of one of the core purposes of charitable giving: human to human connection.
According to recent numbers from Giving USA, the U.S.'s charitable giving decreased by 2.1 percent in 2023, following a record high set by social and public health organizing in 2021. What did grow in 2023 were what are known as donor-advised funds, a controversially favored way of donating one's money among the wealthy elite. Donor-advised funds are managed and sponsored by public charities and nonprofits, pooling low-taxed investor money into high-value charity payouts. As Scally explained, funds write out what are essentially grants to organizations, but individual givers stay uninvolved and potentially emotionally uninvested. Givers, then, are no longer doing the work.
Compassionate human connection takes work and time, things that AI's efficiency goals are working to make a thing of the past.Scally sees an obvious connection between these trends and tools like AI Overviews: Humans are becoming more disconnected from the physical act of handing over their money and resources to the people, or causes, most in need, often in favor of others (or even bots) telling them where to turn. This comes in spite of a social shift toward mass community giving and a revived interest in the concept of mutual aid.
"If you're doing a search, finding the organization through an AI Overview, then making a grant through your donor-advised fund… What connection do you have to that organization?" asks Scally. "How invested are you to continue to support that organization, when you don't feel that warm glow of giving?"
In a recent New Yorker article by speculative fiction author and frequent AI commentator Ted Chiang, growing fear of AI's art takeover is presented as misleading, even as developers try to commandeer creative fields. "The companies promoting generative-AI programs claim that they will unleash creativity. In essence, they are saying that art can be all inspiration and no perspiration — but these things cannot be easily separated," Chiang writes. What AI rids humans of, the writer argues, is self-confidence, not drudgery. And it's devaluing the effort and importance of human attention in favor of the technology's processing power.
Art and philanthropy are not so different when it comes to the need for human intention and creativity — compassionate human connection takes work and time, things that AI's efficiency goals are working to make a thing of the past. As Chiang wrote, "It is a mistake to equate 'large-scale' with 'important' when it comes to the choices made when creating art; the interrelationship between the large scale and the small scale is where the artistry lies." And humanity at the small scale is where charity works best.
There's good in AI, if we can use it wiselyIndividual nonprofits (and even their supporters, like Candid and Charity navigator) aren't turning away from AI completely. In fact, Scally scoffs at in an evil AI takeover. "Instead of a Terminator, or Matrix, or a Robocop scenario, how can we actually use this for good, and have a good balance against it?"
Candid has been testing AI in their work since Hollander started there in 2015. The organization has continued to explore generative AI as a solution to problems facing smaller nonprofits, including drafting documents like grant proposals and letters of intent.
And even with Google's own AI technologies under critique, the company has been putting its money back into AI's social sector benefits. In April, the company announced a $20 million investment into its latest Google "AI for Good" accelerator program. The initiative funneled cash into what they deemed to be "high-impact" nonprofits, like the World Bank, Justicia Lab, and Climate Policy Radar, to accelerate the integration of AI within their work. Google recently expanded the initiative.
Charity Navigator received Google backing to explore natural language processing and is internally testing AI-powered assistance for site visitors. They are spurred on by successful integrations among fellow nonprofits, like the Trevor Project's Crisis Contact Simulator (also backed by Google).
"I don't think it's fair to discount AI and say it will never be able to get the intelligence it needs to really navigate nuanced areas of social good," Scally reflected. "I think things are evolving — AI six months ago looks very different than it does now." It comes down to more data, casting a wider net, and doing a better job at eliminating bias, Scally said.
Social sector guardians, then, could form something like a symbiotic relationship with Big Tech's AI investments, enabling the work of these organizations, but keeping things like recommendations to human professionals. You're seeing it already: Rather than inundating search overviews with something like advertising, have AI offer more context, more links, more information.
Still, questions remain. Can AI actually close equity gaps? Could its pervasiveness make it easier for full participation of all? The answers haven't revealed themselves. But that isn't to say that we can't formulate a more compassionate plan as it advances. While we seek to add "humans in the loop," a sense of humanity has to remain at the forefront.
Turning 40 is a pretty awesome milestone: You already have a decent sense of who you are, your finances are relatively stable, and if you have kids, you’ve probably found your groove with this whole parenting thing.
By that 40th trip around the sun, most people probably already have most things they “need,” so a birthday gift is an opportunity to shower them with plenty of things they wouldn’t spring for themselves. From practical to over the top, here are 24 birthday gifts for the big 4-0 that will make you a hero.
L’occitaine Shea Body Shower Oil Credit: L’occitaineIt’s about time to upgrade from the squeeze bottle of Dove, or worse, that bar – and make showering more luxe. Keep the bottle right in the shower and feel like you’re at a posh spa every time you lather up.
Opens in a new window Credit: L'occitane L’occitaine Shea Body Shower Oil at AmazonGot kids who play sports? You, my friend, are about to spend a lot of time on the sidelines. Which is awesome when it’s a gorgeous fall day and the sun is shining, definitively less awesome when it's 17 degrees and the kids are in overtime. With this chair, you won’t care either way.
Opens in a new window Credit: LILYPELLE LILYPELLE Oversized Heated Camping Chair at AmazonThis monogrammed AirPods case means that no one can “mistake” yours for theirs. And they look fancy.
Opens in a new window Credit: Peace and Love Collective / Amazon Custom Initials AirPods Case with Keychain at AmazonWear it with pride, child of the ‘80s, and make sure everyone knows you didn’t get it at a vintage store (cause you look so young, obv) — you actually lived through it. You earned this fashion statement.
Opens in a new window Credit: NewEleven / Amazon 1984 Hat at AmazonFor the right, slightly goth recipient, this may be the most magical gift they’ve ever received. These campy “skulls” are made from fireproof material, so you can make like Genghis Kahn and throw them into the blaze during your next fire pit night.
Opens in a new window Credit: JTRF Store / Amazon Refractory Materials Fireproof Imitated Human Fire Pit Skull at AmazonGive the gift of supreme organization with an app-powered label maker. With this tiny gadget you can tackle pantry chaos or make return address labels for your holiday cards: Choose your own adventure.
Opens in a new window Credit: Nelko / Amazon Label Maker Machine with Tape $19.98 at AmazonBuilt-in heating pads and oscillating pressure is the ocular pleasure you didn’t know you were missing. This eye mask is foldable and the headband is adjustable so you can share — if you must.
Opens in a new window Credit: RENPHO / Amazon RENPHO Eyeris Eyemask $52.49 at AmazonIt’s the little things that make the biggest difference — like a crumb-free keyboard, once and for all. Keep this little guy close at hand and hoover to your heart’s content.
Opens in a new window Credit: TRZLIFE / Amazon TRZLIFE Desk Vacuum $15.97 at AmazonSerious about great coffee? Us too. This warmer assures that your cuppa maintains perfect temperature, even after that morning meeting that went 30 mins long. Oh, and it charges your phone too.
Opens in a new window Credit: VFZO / Amazon Temperature Control Smart Mug, Self-Heating Coffee Mug LED Display at AmazonFor the next-gen in crafts and DIY, spring for a laser cutter. From custom acrylic name signs to macaroons with your monogram on them, this machine is massive fun for the creatively inclined.
Opens in a new window Credit: Glowforge / Amazon Glowforge Aura Laser Engraver and Cutter Machine at AmazonWho says you have to be pregnant to use a body pillow? A full-length cushion, which can be covered in any case to match with décor, will support an aging (yes we said it) body in all the right places.
Opens in a new window Credit: Utopia Bedding / Amazon Utopia Bedding Full Body Pillow for Adults $15.99 at AmazonNugget ice is just superior to frozen water in any other form. Full stop. This countertop machine ensures a steady supply.
Opens in a new window Credit: Silonn / Amazon Nugget Ice Maker $179.99 at AmazonEven if your recipient has a cleaning team come every other week, this can help stay on top of pet hair and other crumbs during the off week. An app helps to map the home, and then all that comes next is to set this little guy free – he’ll make sure all the dog hair and cereal crumbs are gone by the time the birthday boy or girl gets home.
Opens in a new window Credit: iRobot / Amazon iRobot Roomba Combo i5 Vacuum and Mop $229.99 at AmazonWaterproof and sandproof, this gift seems more expensive than it is. At 20 inches by 7 inches, it fits all the beach essentials from a towel and sunscreen to flip flops and a phone charger.
Opens in a new window Credit: Becokan / Amazon Becokan Beach Bags $11.99 at AmazonThe gift of a paddle board is the gift of pure relaxation and fun. This one is inflatable, which means it's infinitely portable and can be easily stowed in a trunk and at at the ready for impromptu paddles.
Opens in a new window Credit: Roc / Amazon Roc Inflatable Stand-Up Paddle Boards $199.99 at AmazonThis lip mask is a game-changer. If there is someone on your list who has yet to be converted to this soothing, healing, salve – you are about to make them very happy.
Opens in a new window Credit: LANEIGE / Amazon LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask at AmazonWay less expensive than that “other” brand, this massager has thousand of positive reviews on Amazon. Great for after a run, first thing in the morning, or simply to alleviate tight, tired muscles from sleeping the wrong way.
Opens in a new window Credit: BOB AND BRAD / Amazon BOB AND BRAD C2 Massage Gun at AmazonNot just for teenagers, imagine how fun the next neighborhood hangout will be with photo artifacts in hand21` . Just like old-school Polaroids, these images are ready in seconds and yes, the camera even has a selfie setting.
Opens in a new window Credit: Fujifilm / Amazon Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 Instant Camera Sky Blue at AmazonThe foodie on your list probably already has an ice cream maker. But do they have a yogurt maker? Healthier and incredibly delicious, you can make 17 different flavors at the same time.
Opens in a new window Credit: Nutrichef / Amazon Nutrichef 17 Cup Automatic Yogurt Maker at AmazonGoodbye junky airline earphones. This transmitter allows travelers to plug in and then connect wirelessly with their headset of choice. What’s more, it makes sharing a breeze: everyone can watch the latest adventure flick together on family vacations.
Opens in a new window Credit: Twelve South / Amazon Twelve South AirFly Duo | Bluetooth Wireless Transmitter with Audio Sharing at AmazonUpgrade their daily alarm with this lovely and well-priced swap. Better yet, plug the phone in across the room — this clock won't vibrate as texts from mom come in.
Opens in a new window Credit: DreamSky / Amazon DreamSky Wooden Digital Alarm Clocks for Bedrooms $16.99 at AmazonThere is some weird truth to the fact that as you get older, you pay more attention the birds in your yard. We don’t know why this is true — it just is. Whether the 40-year-old on your list has become a birder or just wants to peep the horizon now and again, these 10x42 binoculars are comfortable and durable.
Opens in a new window Credit: Vortex / Amazon Vortex Optics Triumph HD 10x42 Binoculars $81.60 at AmazonThis mini-projector is compact and portable, making it the perfect to pack on a camping trip. Project on the inside wall of the tent or string a sheet up for plein air viewing. It even comes with a remote control.
Opens in a new window Credit: PVO / Amazon PVO WiFi Projector 1080P at AmazonIt may feel like the world’s laziest contraption – but it may also be the world’s most awesome. Imagine being under the covers while reading, and how annoying it is to uncocoon and click the page advance. But a remote tucked into your giftee’s palm, safely snuggled under the blankets? Pure bliss.
Opens in a new window Credit: Sycelu / Amazon RF Remote Control Page Turner for Kindle Paperwhite $19.99 at AmazonThe weather's getting cooler, and that special spot on the sofa or your warm bed is starting to feel a lot more inviting than that breezy computer desk. Curl up this fall with a new tablet that you can enjoy your favorite shows and movies on, play games with friends, or get some work done while still cuddled up with a blanket. And here's some good news: you don't have to pony up an exorbitant amount of money to do so.
We've scoured the internet for the best deals on tablets we could find this week, from a rip-roaring M2 iPad Pro for a whopping $1,000 off to a value-priced Amazon Fire 10 tablet that's perfect for the whole family. Whether you need something souped-up for hardcore multitasking or just something simple to share with the kids, there's an option for everyone.
Shop our favorite picks for the best tablet deals this week below.
Best tablet deal Opens in a new window Credit: Best Buy Apple iPad Pro, 6th gen (12.9-inch, M2 chip, 2TB, Wi-Fi + Cellular) $1,399.00 at Best BuyIf you're looking for a powerful tablet that can handle whatever you throw at it, this iPad Pro is your best bet. It's $1,000 off right now at Best Buy, and it's well worth grabbing at this significant discount. With the powerful M2 chip and a massive 2TB of storage, you can use this iPad either on Wi-Fi or out and about with cellular to do just about anything. Create presentations, take video calls, doodle with an Apple Pencil, or even attach a keyboard to turn it into a mobile workstation. Plus, its 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR display is absolutely brilliant, so you won't want to watch your fave shows on anything else when it looks this great.
Best Android tablet deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE (128GB, Wi-Fi) $399.85 at AmazonPrefer the Android ecosystem? The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE is a more affordable option that doesn't skimp on quality. It has a crisp 10.9-inch screen and an 18-hour battery that lasts and lasts, no matter what you end up getting up to. Powered by the Exynos chip, it can handle any app you need to run, shows and movies as well as productivity software. Pair it with the S Pen to mimic the functionality of a laptop. It comes with 128GB of space as well as an 8MP camera so you can get on video calls or keep up with friends and family as well. For Android users, it's a great buy, and for anyone else it's a good supplemental tablet.
Best budget tablet deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire HD 10 $89.99 at AmazonThe Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet is the perfect option for families or anyone who just needs a tablet to handle smaller tasks. It has a crisp 10.1-inch full HD screen with a 13-hour battery and up to 1 TB expandable storage if you use a microSD card. It's sturdy, durable, and can even work with the Amazon Stylus Pen, which is available separately, if you want to use it for sketching, doodling, or navigating the tablet. It's also the best option for kids who might need a simple piece of hardware for school or for gaming on, since it's rife with options for parental controls.
More tablet deals:Apple iPad, 9th gen (A13 Bionic, 64GB, WiFi) — $224 $329 (save $105)
Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro— $89.99 $149.99 (save $60)
Amazon Fire Max 11 — $179.99 $229.99 (save $60)
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 — $209 $279.99 (save $70.99)
Amazon Fire HD 8 — $59.99 $129.99 (save $70)
Google Pixel Tablet with Charging Speaker Dock — $464 $499.99 (save $35.99)
Lenovo Tab M9-2023 — $109.99 $149.99 (save $40)
SAVE $99.96: As of Sept. 13, if you pick up a iPhone 16 (128 GB) at Walmart, you can save $99.96 if you choose to pay over the course of 36 months.
Opens in a new window Credit: Apple iPhone 16 (128GB) $779.04 at WalmartUnless you live under a rock, you know that the new iPhone was announced this week during Apple's "It's Glowtime" event on Sept. 9. The iPhone 16 introduces a lot of new stuff, including an A18 Pro chip, a slightly larger 6.3-inch display, a 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera, and Apple Intelligence integration. It's the fruit company's most sophisticated smartphone yet, so if you're due for an upgrade, you might want to snag the new phone. Preorders are live starting today, Sept. 13, with the official release on Sept. 20.
In even better news, we've already found a great deal on the iPhone 16 at Walmart. If you opt to pay over time (36 monthly installments of $21.64), you can save $99.96 at the end of it all. Now that a new iPhone can cost you almost $1,000, we'll take any discount we can get, thank you very much.
SEE ALSO: AirPods 4: The new active noise cancellation made ‘Me Espresso’ sound like it was performed in a soundproof caféAnd if you're a true Apple die-hard who wants to scoop up all the new products announced during this week's keynote, check out our other preorder pages and secure your new tech ASAP.
The internet has fallen in love with a baby hippo — yes, again — and this time, it's an adorable little girl named Moo Deng.
Moo Deng is a two-month-old female pygmy hippopotamus at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand. And, to be fair, she is so freaking cute.
Moo Deng, whose name translates roughly to "bouncy pig," according to the BBC, has gotten lots of love online after the zoo began posting pics of her.
The love comes from her cuteness and the fact that baby hippos are somewhat strange creatures. They're a bit slimy and wet at all times. They're simultaneously cute and a little gross. They're pudgy, waddling, and fantastic. So, of course everyone loves Moo Deng.
Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deletedThe internet has been obsessed with a baby hippo before. Everyone was, and some remain, obsessed with the Cincinnati Zoo's hippo Fiona, who Mashable rightly described in 2018 as the "world's most beloved hippo." Though maybe Moo Deng is now competing for that title.
A new iOS 18 beta feature aims to stop thieves from selling stolen iPhone parts.
According to Beta Profiles, a site for Apple beta software info, the upcoming iOS 18 update will have something called Activation Lock for valuable iPhone parts.
Tweet may have been deletedActivation Lock is an existing anti-theft feature for Apple devices within the Find My app. If you think your iPhone has been stolen, you can prevent it from being used by remotely activating Activation Lock. But this has led to stolen iPhones being taken apart for valuable parts like batteries, cameras, and sensors that are then sold on the black market.
SEE ALSO: All of Apple's new iPhone 16 phones are capable of faster wired chargingNow, as discovered in the iOS 18 Release Candidate (RC), which is the final build before it's released as a beta update, Activation Lock will work for iPhone parts. According to an Apple announcement in April explaining the upcoming feature, here's how it works: "If a device under repair detects that a supported part was obtained from another device with Activation Lock or Lost Mode enabled, calibration capabilities for that part will be restricted." Apple will ask for the user's account information to verify the ownership of the part.
Some say rendering parts useless will contribute to e-waste. Right to Repair advocates have also pointed out that it might hamper the secondhand and refurbishing market. "Apple trying to kill the second hand parts market. Now no repair shop is going to buy parts because they won't have any way to know if it is 'unlocked,'" said one X user. "How many people do you think will bother to 'unlock' their battery before trade in or disposal?"
Tweet may have been deletedBut for many, closing a loophole within the iPhone black market is a welcome change. The iOS 18 update will be available on September 16 to those with iPhone XR or later.
We gathered all the best sex toy deals this week:
Our top picks for the week of Sept. 13: Lovehoney 24-Day X Womanizer Couples’s Sex Toy Advent Calendar $199.99 at Lovehoney (save $331.77) Get Deal The Handy The Handy Starter Collection $222.30 at The Handy (save $24.70) Get Deal Zumio Zumio Iyana $80 at Zumio (save $55) Get DealAs a person who writes about sex toys for a living, I can definitively say that you can never have too many. I have boxes and boxes of 'em in my apartment, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
SEE ALSO: How to clean your sex toys, according to three expertsIf you feel the same way, but you’re not too excited about paying full price for the latest and greatest, I’ve got some good news: there are hundreds of sex toys on sale this week at Lovehoney, Lovers, and tons of other retailers.
Here are a few I thought were worth a spotlight:
Lovehoney Opens in a new window Credit: Lovehoney Our pick: 24-Day X Womanizer Couples’s Sex Toy Advent Calendar $199.99 at LovehoneyLovehoney is the place to find discounted sex toys. You can often find some pretty high-end brands like LELO and WeVibe for up to 50% off, depending on the week.
Lovehoney has several sales throughout the year, especially during the holidays. Right now, you can get up to 50% off Tracey Cox and Lifelike Lover products (and many others) and up to 30% off LELO toys, including the Smart Wand 2, which is my absolute favorite LELO product. You’ll also get a gift if you spend $79 or more — today’s free toys include a panty vibrator, a remote control cock ring, a finger-ring vibrator, and nipple suckers.
Lovehoney also dropped its ever-popular 24-Day X Womanizer Couples’s Sex Toy Advent Calendar, and it’s on sale for just $199, down from the usual $530.77. It includes a Womanizer Liberty 2 and the We-Vibe Sync Lite, plus a bunch of other goodies like a penis stroker, a jeweled butt plug, massage oil, and more.
The Handy Opens in a new window Credit: The Handy Our pick: Starter Collection $222.30 at The HandyOK, fellas, this one's for you. The Handy is an innovative sex toy company created by a guy who realized there wasn't really a good masturbation device for penises on the market. It’s a Norwegian company, and they’re way above the shoddy quality of your typical "pocket pussy" type devices.
Today, you can get the Starter Collection for $222.30. It includes The Handy masturbator, a TrueGrip Gen 2 Sleeve, and a True Grip PRO Band. Everything you need to get the best automated handjob of your life, probably.
The Starter Collection is available directly from The Handy's website. You can also shop The Handy on Amazon, where you’ll see a 14% discount on the Dream Collection and 10% off the Mermaid Collection.
The Handy is also developing a smart vibrator called the Oh! (They’ve already sent me one, so we’ll see if it’s any good.) It’s supposed to sync with music, like your Spotify playlist, and vibrate to the beat. The coolest feature is that you can pair the Oh! with The Handy, so it makes for a cute couple’s experience.
Zumio Opens in a new window Credit: Zumio Our pick: Zumio Iyana $80.00 at ZumioZumio is an underrated brand that has some super innovative clitoral vibrators. They look a little bit like a dental tool, with a small, round spinning head that provides very focused, powerful stimulation.
If you’re a clit queen and want to feel something that’s new and different from your standard bullet vibrator, I highly recommend checking out Zumio. (I own the Zumio Xena, but it’s currently sold out.)
Right now, you can get up to 40% off all Zumio products as a part of its Double Trouble Summer Sale. This means the Sadie and Iyana are both on sale for $80, down from the usual $135 price tag. Or, you can get both in a bundle for $189, regularly $270.
It's Friday the 13th, so why not feature some frighteningly low prices to head into the weekend? We've searched Amazon's lengthy list of daily deals and found a few standouts worth adding to your cart from brands like Samsung, Ultimate Ears, SimpliSafe, and Anker Soundcore.
Here are our top picks for the best Amazon deals of the day on Sept. 13. If none of these catch your eye, be sure to take a look back at our top picks from Wednesday, Sept. 11 and Thursday, Sept. 12. Many of those are still live, including a record-low Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet and over $600 off a fancy robot vacuum and mop combo.
Our top pick Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 (256GB, Unlocked) $1,499.99 at AmazonReleased only two months ago, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 just got its first big discount. The super pricey foldable usually starts at $1,899.99, but as of Sept. 13, you can slash 21% off and get the 256GB model for $1,499.99 instead. The Z Fold 6 keeps the same winning formula from the Z Fold 5 when it comes to fundamentals — cameras, battery capacity, and memory. But it makes a few tweaks and adds a few extras that make it even better, including a thinner, wider, and brighter display with enhanced resolution, a boost in Snapdragon power, and a boat load of AI-powered tools from the Galaxy AI suite. If you want more storage, the 512GB version is also on sale for 20% off, knocking the price down from $2,019.99 to $1,619.99.
Opens in a new window Credit: SimpliSafe SimpliSafe 9-Piece wireless home security system $179.99 at AmazonOur top pick for a home security system, we love SimpliSafe for its comprehensive systems, affordable pricing, and endless customization options. The nine-piece system is on sale for just $179.99 at Amazon as of Sept. 13 — that's 40% off its usual cost and it comes with a base station, keypad, four entry sensors, two motion sensors, and a wired indoor security camera. You can always add on more cameras, doorbells, key fobs, sensors, and more to cover your entire home. Plus, you can get around-the-clock professional monitoring with a monthly subscription (your first month is free!).
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon 50-inch 4-Series 4K Fire TV $329.99 at AmazonWhile it's not the fanciest TV in the Fire lineup, the 50-inch 4-Series Fire TV is a solid pick for most people. It's equipped with 4K Ultra HD entertainment with HDR 10, on-board Alexa, and four HDMI inputs for connectivity. Plus, if you're already using a Fire TV Stick, it'll have your custom-arranged apps waiting for you when you login to your Amazon account. If you're a Prime member, you can slash about 37% off with the code 55PRIME and get it for just $329.99 as of Sept. 13. For non-Prime members, it'll cost you $379.99, which is still a decent deal at 27% off.
Opens in a new window Credit: Ultimate Ears Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 Bluetooth speaker $79.99 at AmazonA newer iteration of our favorite sub-$100 Bluetooth speaker, the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 is back on sale for just $79.99. That's 20% in savings. The Wonderboom is quite the powerhouse for a speaker that fits in the palm of your hand. While we haven't tested this model, we have tested its predecessor and found it had "excellent sound for its size and plenty of useful features that come in handy when you're taking it on the go." It's rugged enough to endure drops from up to five feet, can be submerged in water for up to 30 minutes, and has an impressive 14 hours of battery life. Plus, it comes in some fun color varieties.
Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Soundcore Space A40 noise-cancelling earbuds $47.99 at AmazonOur sister site PCMag (also owned by Ziff Davis) tested Anker's Soundcore Space A40 earbuds and found that they "ultimately outshine both of Anker's older top-rated models." They specifically credited their secure fit, strong audio performance, and excellent battery life — which tops off at 50 hours. They also feature adaptive noise cancellation that can be customized in the app and fast charging that gives you an extra four hours of battery life in just 10 minutes. As of Sept. 13, they're on sale for just $47.99 — a new record-low. That's 40% in savings.
None of these deals catching your eye? Check out Amazon's daily deals for even more savings.
2024's brutal streak of tech layoffs continues to grow.
Verizon is the latest company to announce cuts, saying on Thursday that it expects to lose 4,800 employees by March, with about half of those leaving in September, per MarketWatch. The telecom giant also said it will charge up to $1.9 billion before taxes in severance pay. As recently as February, Verizon reported it had 105,400 full-time employees, so about 4.5 percent of its headcount will be cut by the end of March.
SEE ALSO: T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon were all tested for speed. Which one won?This year has been a vicious year for tech layoffs. Big companies like Twitch, Google, Microsoft, Sony, Amazon, and now Verizon have announced cuts in one form or another since January 1. Last month, Intel announced it would cut more than 15,000 employees.
As always, best wishes to those affected by Verizon's layoffs.
There's truly never a bad time to buy a laptop. Chances are that at any given moment, you'll be able to find a worthwhile machine on sale, whether you're looking for something to game on or simply browse the web. And if you can't find something on sale, worry not, because we're bona fide experts at finding all the best deals, no matter what you're looking for.
Check out our top laptop deals of the day below.
SEE ALSO: Home office starter kit: Everything you need to build a productive workspace Best laptop deal Opens in a new window Credit: Acer Acer Chromebook 311 (Intel Celeron N4500 CPU, Intel UHD GPU, 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC) $129.00 at Best BuyIf you're a no-frills laptop shopper who isn't looking for any bells and whistles, going the Chromebook route is probably the right choice for you. The Acer Chromebook 311 is the perfect "I just need to send an email and then log off" computer, combining portability, speed, and a price that you just can't pass up. Snag one on sale at Best Buy while you can, just $129 for a limited time (that's $70 off).
More laptop dealsAcer Aspire 5 15 Slim (Intel Core i5-13420H CPU, Intel UHD Graphics, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $449.99 $529.99 (save $80)
Lenovo Flex 5i (Intel 12th Generation Core i5 CPU, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $449.99 $679.99 (save $230)
Samsung Galaxy Book4 (Intel Core 7 Series 1 CPU, Intel Graphics, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $549.99 $899.99 (save $350)
HP Envy 2-in-1 (AMD Ryzen 7 8000 Series CPU, AMD Radeon Graphics, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $699.99 $1,099.99 (save $400)
Lenovo Yoga 7i (Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 1 CPU, Intel Graphics, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $729.99 $1,049.99 (save $320)
ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 OLED (Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 1 CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 GPU, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $799.99 $1,299.99 (save $500)
Apple MacBook Air (M2, 13 inches, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $799 $999 (save $200)
Apple MacBook Air (M3, 13 inches, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $929 $1,099.99 (save $170)
Dipping your toes into the PC gaming world by starting with a gaming laptop can be a cost-effective way to get into the hobby, and this discounted model from Dell is a solid option. It's got good internals (including an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPU), and features a massive 16-inch, 1600p QHD display. If you want a mid-budget gaming laptop with decent speed and visuals, this Dell rig could be your perfect match. Get one at Best Buy for $350 off the usual price, just $1,249.99.
More gaming laptop dealsAcer Nitro V Gaming Laptop (Intel Core i5-13420H CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $649.99 $779.99 (save $130)
MSI Thin 15 Gaming Laptop (Intel Core i7-12650H CPU, NVIDIA Geforce RTX 4050 GPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $759.99 $899.99 (save $140)
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 Gaming Laptop (Intel Core i7-13650HX CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $969.99 $1,149.99 (save $180)
HP OMEN 16-inch Gaming Laptop (Intel 13th Generation Core i9 CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $999.99 $1,399.99 (save $400)
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 Gaming Laptop (Intel 13th Gen Core i7 CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,199.99 $1,599.99 (save $400)
MSI Katana A17 Gaming Laptop (AMD Ryzen 9-8945HS CPU, NVIDIA Geforce RTX 4070 GPU, 64GB RAM, 2TB SSD) — $1,699.99 $1,999.99 (save $300)
Is there anything more calming than perusing the aisles of Target, iced coffee in tow, hoping to find one or two not-so-pricey knick-knacks that you probably don’t need but must have? (Coffee cups, notebooks, and mud masks get me every time.) For some reason, the Target “experience” is unlike shopping anywhere else, and you’ll almost always walk out with more than you intended.
But this week, your wallet might be in luck — we’ve found deals on everything from vacuum cleaners to small countertop appliances, electronics, and more. The only caveat? Some of these deals are exclusive to Target Circle members, so you’ll need to sign up to get them (don’t worry, the basic account is free).
Best vacuum deal Opens in a new window Credit: BISSELL Our pick: BISSELL CrossWave All-in-One Wet Dry Vacuum $199.99 at TargetThe BISSELL CrossWave All-in-One Wet Dry Vacuum is currently $199.99 for Target Circle members. This deal ends tomorrow, Sept. 14.
The CrossWave is a wet-dry vacuum that covers multiple surfaces, including tile, sealed wood, laminate, carpet, and more. Its two-tank technology separates the clean and dirty water, so you're not redistributing dirt and grime as you clean. Plus, the antimicrobial-treated fresh start filter helps protect it from odors (if you have a pet, this is a nice bonus).
Best countertop appliance deal Opens in a new window Credit: Keurig Our pick: Keurig K-Mini $59.99 at TargetKeurig machines aren’t cheap, so when we spotted this Keurig K-Mini for just $59.99, we thought it’d be worth sharing.
The Keurig K-Mini is a compact (it’s less than five inches wide), single-serve coffee maker that can brew coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and other K-Pods in a variety of cup sizes (six, eight, 10, and 12 ounces). It’s ideal for small spaces like home offices or dorm rooms.
Best TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: VIZIO Our pick: VIZIO D-Series 40-inch Class 1080p LED Smart TV $159.99 at TargetIf you need a new TV, the VIZIO D-Series 40-inch Class 1080p LED Smart TV is on sale for $159.99 — a budget-friendly price for a smart TV.
This VIZIO model has full-array LED backlighting, SmartCast capability so you can watch your faves (there are also 250+ free channels available), two HDMI ports, and a V-Gaming Engine that auto-optimizes display settings for gaming.
SAVE $200: As of Sept. 13, the already budget-friendly Acer Aspire 3 laptop with an Intel Core i5 processor, 12GB RAM, and 512GB of storage is on sale for just $299.99 at Target. That's 40% in savings.
Opens in a new window Credit: Acer Acer Aspire 3 (Intel Core i5, 12GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $299.99 at TargetThere's nothing wrong with splurging on a fancy laptop if you have the money to blow, but for everyone else, budget-friendly models like the Acer Aspire 3 will do just fine.
As of Sept. 13, the 15.6-inch Acer Aspire 3 with an Intel Core i5 processor, 12GB RAM, and 512GB of storage is on sale for just $299.99 at Target. That's 40% off its usual cost of $499.99.
If you're looking for a machine that can power complex tasks like editing video or gaming with high-end graphics, look elsewhere. The Acer Aspire 3 is for folks who need a basic laptop that can handle basic tasks with ease — from browsing the web to streaming a Netflix show to answering work emails. Our sister site PCMag (also owned by Ziff Davis) dubbed the older AMD model with lower specs their favorite budget laptop. The version on sale at Target gets you a better processor, more memory, and four times the storage on sale for the same price.
This model also packs three USB ports and an HDMI 2.0 port, Intel Iris Xe graphics, and a lightweight body (just 3.75 pounds). The battery life could definitely be better at about nine hours, but that's still plenty of time to complete basic tasks, play games, watch a few episodes of your favorite series, complete an online course, and send a few emails.
A new laptop doesn't need to cost as much as your rent — especially if you're only using it for everyday tasks. Snag the specced out Acer Aspire 3 for just $299.99 while you can.
Whether you’re a seasoned digital nomad with a favorite internet café in every corner of the globe or you’re planning your first trip, working while roaming the world is awesome — and tricky. While your next flight, train, or bus will be late more often than not, your work always has to arrive in your boss’s inbox on time.
Being a successful digital nomad is hard work, and if you want to make enough money to keep traveling, you’ll need to buckle down and, well…work. Let’s get to it with these insider tips on how to get your digital workload done while living the lifestyle you’ve always wanted. Who knows? You might even get paid to travel the world as Shift’s Chief Nomad Officer.
Navigate your WiFi connectionsInternational mobile data plans can be costly. That said, when traveling, your best bet for staying connected with your work team via phone or laptop is almost always a public WiFi connection.
Before you leave, contact your hotel or coffee shop where you’ll be traveling to confirm they have solid WiFi. Asking about the download speed (100 Mbps should be enough for video calls, FYI) is also smart.
Keep your devices juiced upOutlets can be hard to find while exploring faraway beaches and jungles, so you’ll want to charge your devices between 80 and 100 percent as much as possible. Packing a lightweight, portable power bank as a backup will also save you a few headaches if you’re venturing off-grid. One with 20,000mAH capability should charge your phone up to three or so times and your laptop at least once, in a pinch.
Use tools that boost productivityUtilizing digital work tools like Shift, a browser designed to streamline your digital to-do list, allows you to spend more time exploring while on the road. According to The Harvard Review, you can lose up to four hours a week just from toggling between different apps, tabs, and email accounts.
But when you download and use Shift as your browser, your productivity kicks into high gear.
Opens in a new window Credit: Shift Shift Browser Free 14-day advanced trial Learn MoreThe productivity browser allows you to seamlessly access over 1,500 apps, connect all your emails and accounts, and manage everything you need for work, life, or travel from one centralized window. Shift also syncs all your calendars into one streamlined view, so you’ll always know when your next meeting or call from home is across time zones.
Protect your devices from the elementsSafeguarding your phone and laptop with impact-proof covers is a no-brainer, but if you’ll be spending a good chunk of time in a tropical climate, it’s also a good idea to bring silica gel packets, the same ones that get packed into many boxed items. Place the bead packets and your devices into an airtight container at night to absorb moisture and keep your electronics from swelling up.
Get paid to travel as Shift’s Chief Nomad OfficerThe best way to dial in the remote work lifestyle from abroad is to get out there and be a digital nomad. Shift is currently looking for one adventurous person to travel the world for a month as the brand’s Chief Nomad Officer, using Shift as their power browser. Shift will pay the Chief Nomad Officer up to $10,000 for travel expenses, and in exchange, the Chief Nomad Officer will create and post content that shows the world how Shift streamlines and empowers their on-the-go lifestyle. Get your passport ready and apply here.
Opens in a new window Credit: Shift Chief Nomad Officer Get paid to travel the world on behalf of Shift Learn MoreJust remember, working while traveling requires thoughtful preparation — but with the right digital tools, like Shift, you can turn any location into a productive workspace. Whether you're managing multiple accounts or balancing work across time zones, Shift streamlines your workflow so you can focus on what matters most: exploring the world while staying on top of your game.
And if you're lucky enough to be Shift’s Chief Nomad Officer, you'll be living proof that with the right setup, the world truly can be your office.
Girlhood, in all its pain, wonder, and perplexity, is a complicated business to accurately capture on screen. It's so confusing some times. Relationships between mothers and daughters during adolescence? Same deal. From Lady Bird to Mermaids, coming-of-age films about girls often explore the awkwardness of early sexual experiences alongside the tense, precarious relationships between girls and their mothers.
The debut feature and Sundance Film Festival hit from Indian writer-director Shuchi Talati, Girls Will Be Girls explores this complex time through understated, intense performances from Preeti Panigrahi and Kani Kusruti, respectfully intimate cinematography and editing, and a minimalist, loaded script. It's a stunning, poignant film that lends agency and inquisitive empowerment to its young protagonist, whose "no bullshit" philosophy brings a fresh perspective to portrayals of adolescence.
SEE ALSO: 'Girls Will Be Girls' trailer teases a tale of teen awakeningIt's a period of conflict, anxiety, miscommunication, pressure, and misdirected angst. Don't act like you don't remember.
What is Girls Will Be Girls about? Preeti Panigrahi as Mira. Credit: Modern FilmsAt the core of the film is 16-year-old Mira (Panigrahi), a studious, determined girl whose burgeoning exploration of sexual desire and first love is thrown into confusing, infuriating disarray by her mother Anila (Kusruti), whose own adolescence wasn't as full of such awakenings.
Set in the 1990s, the film introduces Mari as a model student at her conservative boarding school in the Himalayas. She's head prefect, a stickler for the rules, acing her grades, and pulling up other students on their uniform errors. Teachers even trust her with the school keys. But she's quite a solitary person, favouring studies over friendship. When Mira develops a crush on 17-year-old classmate Sri (Kesav Binoy Kiron), she's resolved to follow her physical impulses — importantly, on her terms. However, her mother's constant presence frustrates her, impeding her yearning for maturity and experience with Sri (and remember, this is the '90s, so they've got no social media to chat after school on, only parental landlines).
But it goes further than pure supervision. Anila's strange closeness and (let's be real) flirtation with Sri triggers Mira's jealousy and unease, driving an awkward, loaded wedge between mother and daughter. With Talati's simmering script in the hands of the film's extraordinarily talented leads, director of photography Jih-E Peng uses elegant cinematography to amplify both the tension and tenderness between them.
Preeti Panigrahi and Kani Kusruti are magnificent Kani Kusruti as Anila and Preeti Panigrahi as Mira. Credit: Modern FilmsGirls Will Be Girls paints an exquisite portrait of complicated mother-daughter mechanics in the teen years, with exceptional performances from Panigrahi and Kusruti. As Mira, Panigrahi imbues her character with confidence, determination, and an unwavering stare. She privately defies societal expectations of teen girls while operating well within their parameters publicly. Meanwhile, Kusruti conceals a dynamic force of a woman within Anila, one protective of her daughter while seemingly mourning a teen awakening of her own.
Despite the main narrative concerning Mira's coming-of-age, the constant tension between her and Anila proves the heart of the film. Mira covertly attempts to buy time for sexual experimentation with Sri, frustrated by her lack of freedom. Anila, craving attention within her own marriage to Mira's perpetually absent father, begins to strangely compete with her daughter whenever Sri is around. A subtle and deeply resentful battle of access and maturity is weighed between mother and daughter, in which Anila constantly takes up the space Mira yearns for.
The thing is, both Mira and Anila know exactly what each other are doing. Every time. They don't directly say what they're thinking about each other, but anyone who's had a mother-daughter relationship will know those looks. Their charged interactions, edited to perfection by Amrita David, radiate with annoyance, loaded comments, and fierce glaring, not directly acknowledging their issues but making their disdain or defiance clear. Panigrahi and Kusruti's performances range from playfulness to suspicion to suppressed rage, all without ever screaming at each other. It's impeccable, and a different kind of anger than explored in Everything Everywhere All At Once but just as palpable.
Girls Will Be Girls gently explores early sexual experiences without judgment Director of photography Jih-E Peng uses elegant cinematography. Credit: Modern FilmsAmid this tension over space and maturity, Girls Will Be Girls gives Mira ample time to embrace and investigate her sexual awakening, an awkward, relatable journey performed with bold courage by Panigrahi and Kiron, and sensitively handled by Talati, Peng, and David.
A true academic, Mira is determined to explore her newfound desires with all the scrutiny of an exam to study for. She's both fascinated by all of it and self-conscious of Sri's experience. Captured with handheld, intimate close ups and sound design, Mira's exploration feels non-judgmental. Talati doesn't seek to either glorify or vilify, letting the camera simply sit on minuscule moments of analysis, closeness, forgiveness, and betrayal.
In a confident, considerate performance from Kiron, Sri channels a maturity beyond his years, unfussed by Anila's concerns and easily assuaging her. And in a world saturated with teen dramas and coming-of-age films where girls are robbed of their agency, Mira's confidence and Sri's respect for her boundaries are incredibly refreshing.
Girls Will Be Girls demonstrates how boys are protected, girls are blamedThough it's not the main storyline, one of the persistent realities underlining the film is the double standard of how boys and girls' behaviour is considered within the school environment, a place which fosters misogynistic actions when it should be a vital base for unlearning them. Talati contrasts the strict conservatism of the boarding school — the left-right-left marching orders over the opening credits, wide shots of students standing to attention in perfect order at assembly — with both the burgeoning sexual tension between teenagers and the rampant harassment girls suffer from their male classmates.
Male students' abhorrent behaviour is largely allowed to run by the school while female students are blamed — especially for their skirt length. "Be careful with boys," the girls are instructed by their teacher. "Don't talk to them more than necessary. You're getting older, you need to be careful." Talati wields sound as an important tool here, thanks to sound team Carole Verner, Laure Arto, and Colin Favre-Bulle; boys' whispering is easily audible in the silent classrooms and halls, with only the sound of a camera snapping unmasking the act of upskirting.
Whe Mira rejects the advances of her classmate, his vengeance is supported not only by his male peers but the school environment itself. Mira is shamed by her teacher as being "inappropriate" for hanging out with Sri. When Mira endures a terrifying experience, she doesn't call the police or the teachers, she calls Alina. It's through Mira's experiences that Girls Will Be Girls shows how vital education institutions are to fighting these systems of oppression. As Rachel Thompson writes for Mashable, "Tackling male violence means fighting misogyny on a societal level. That means educating boys and men about masculinity, gender roles, male entitlement, and their behaviour towards women and girls in all contexts, public or private."
Ultimately, the film isn't a lecture on this, but instead uses showing not telling to make it clear. Girls Will Be Girls manages to gently but authentically explore the complexities of girlhood through excellent performances, a minimalist script that trusts its actors, and superb, close cinematography. It's a tough job, to find unique ways to explore teen sexuality in cinema, but Talati defines a new perspective with a truly mesmerising film.
Girls Will Be Girls hits cinemas in the U.S. Sept. 13 and in the UK and Ireland on Sept. 20.
Take a New York Minute to Review Your Recovery Plan Don Henley is right: everything can change in a New York...
I Lost all of my Photos In every disaster I have ever responded to from here to...
Boston's most important responders: Bostonians The people of Boston are to be congratulated for being...
3 Values Your Business Continuity Plan Should Have Your business lives with risk every day from competitors...
Digital Privacy: A Catch 22 Mobility, convenience, accessibility and real-...
Take a New York Minute to Review Your Recovery Plan Don Henley is right: everything can change in a New York...
3 Values Your Business Continuity Plan Should Have Your business lives with risk every day from competitors...
I Lost all of my Photos In every disaster I have ever responded to from here to...