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SAVE $6: As of May 13, the Lego Botanicals Chrysanthemum set is on sale for $23.99 at Amazon. That's 20% off its list price of $29.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Botanicals Chrysanthemum $23.99 at Amazon
$29.99 Save $6 Get Deal

Lego Botanicals sets always make for lovely displays around the house. This is especially true of the Lego Botanicals Chrysanthemum set, a bright display that's perfect to set up ahead of the summer months. If you've had your eye on it, the good news is that it's discounted right now at Amazon.

The Lego Botanicals Chrysanthemum is currently on sale for $23.99. This is a 20% discount from its list price of $29.99, and even marks a return to its best-ever price according to price tracker camelcamelcamel.

SEE ALSO: Lego just revealed a Pixar Lamp set, and you can pre-order it now

Coming with 278 pieces, the Lego Botanicals Chrysanthemum set features posable leaves and one flower in full bloom, one blossoming, and two in bud. They come in a cute little pot that's sure to look great on a desk, bookshelf, or wherever you choose to put it. What's even better is it doesn't require any maintenance once it's built. Simply set it up and admire the pretty colors for as long as you like.

Enjoy a vibrant pop of color in your home with this discount on the Lego Botanicals Chrysanthemum set at Amazon.

Looking for more Lego flowers at a discount? Right now you can also save on the Tiny Plants set and the Lego Botanicals Orchid is still on sale at Amazon.

The best deals this week, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

• Energizer AA Batteries (24 Count), Double A Max Alkaline Battery — $13.31 (List Price $21.98)

• Roku Ultra 4K Ultimate Streaming Player (2024 Release) — $79.99 (List Price $99.99)

• Beats Pill Bluetooth Speaker — $99.95 (List Price $149.00)

• Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System — $239.00 (List Price $299.99)

• Roborock Qrevo Master Robot Vacuum and Mop — $799.99 (List Price $1599.99)

• Peloton Bike — $1,145.00 (List Price $1445.00)

• Claritin 24 Hour Allergy Medicine, Non-Drowsy Prescription Strength Allergy Relief, 100 Count — $37.49 (List Price $49.99)

SAVE OVER $50: As of May 13, Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds are on sale for $199.95 at Amazon. That's 20% off their list price of $249.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Beats Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 $199.95 at Amazon
$249.99 Save $50.04 Get Deal

Released earlier this year, the new Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are already enjoying a discount at Amazon. If you've been hoping to scoop up these sleek earbuds — which we consider to be the best for fitness in our roundup of the best earbuds — now is a great time to do it.

The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are currently marked down to $199.95 at Amazon, a 20% discount from their list price of $249.99. This deal applies to all of the available color options as well, so you can save on the jet black, quick sand, hyper purple, and electric orange earbuds.

SEE ALSO: Score Sony's WF-C700N earbuds at their best-ever price at Amazon

These earbuds are well worth it if you've been looking for an upgrade for your workouts. They feature both Active Noise Canceling and Transparency mode, so you can choose how much noise you want to hear around you, alongside up to 45 hours of battery life with the charging case to keep you listening for far longer between recharges. These earbuds can even track your heart rate with Heart Rate Monitoring sensors, which is a great bonus.

Treat yourself to the new Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 while they're still listed at 20% off at Amazon.

Alongside these earbuds, there are a few more Beats deals worth checking out right now. You can see our favorites at the moment in our breakdown of Beats headphones deals, which includes a great discount on the Beats Studio Pro.

The best deals this week, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

• Energizer AA Batteries (24 Count), Double A Max Alkaline Battery — $13.31 (List Price $21.98)

• Roku Ultra 4K Ultimate Streaming Player (2024 Release) — $79.99 (List Price $99.99)

• Beats Pill Bluetooth Speaker — $99.95 (List Price $149.00)

• Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System — $239.00 (List Price $299.99)

• Roborock Qrevo Master Robot Vacuum and Mop — $799.99 (List Price $1599.99)

• Peloton Bike — $1,145.00 (List Price $1445.00)

• Claritin 24 Hour Allergy Medicine, Non-Drowsy Prescription Strength Allergy Relief, 100 Count — $37.49 (List Price $49.99)

Google's got a new icon — though you do have to look hard to notice it.

The company started updating the icon on its apps, starting with Google Search on iOS (as noticed by 9to5Google), as well as Google on Android.

The "G" in the icon still consists of red, yellow, green, and blue colors, and still has the same shape, but the colors now blend into each other, making the logo look a bit smoother and, perhaps, more modern.

The Google Search app on iOS sports the new 'G' icon. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Given the change, it's reasonable to expect other Google logos and icons to change in a similar fashion, but so far it hasn't happened. Also, the company is still using the old "G" icon in many places, including in the Google Search favicon on the web, and its Google Search blog. Google's official repository of company logos hasn't been updated, either.

SEE ALSO: How to watch Google's 'The Android Show: I/O Edition' event live

The company introduced the colorful "G" icon back in 2015; originally, the "g" was lowercase, and white on a blue background.

The U.S. economy has been on a rollercoaster ride these past few months thanks to the ongoing tariff war, but at least the president is getting a shiny new private jet from Qatar.

"Qatar is giving us a plane that Trump gets to keep?" asks an incredulous Jon Stewart in The Daily Show monologue above. "He's like the reverse Oprah. 'I get a jet! And that's it.'"

Stewart goes on to play a clip of Trump defending the decision, with the president appearing baffled by the idea that he wouldn't accept the gift.

"It's not a free jet," responds Stewart. "That's the point. You know the expression, 'There's no such thing as a free lunch?' That's about being sceptical of the motives of somebody who gives you a sandwich. A sandwich. A BLT. Now imagine that that BLT has an engine, nine bathrooms, and funds proxy wars."

SAVE $50: As of May 13, the Garmin Forerunner 165 is on sale for $199.99 at Amazon. That's 20% off its list price of $249.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin Forerunner 165 $199.99 at Amazon
$249.99 Save $50 Get Deal

If you lead an active lifestyle, Amazon has some great discounts on a wide range of smartwatches and fitness trackers. This includes a deal on the Garmin Forerunner 165, which has dropped below $200.

As of May 13, the Garmin Forerunner 165 is on sale for $199.99 at Amazon. That's a 20% discount from its list price of $249.99, and marks a return to its best-ever price according to price tracker camelcamelcamel.

SEE ALSO: The best fitness trackers you can buy in 2025: From smartwatches to rings

The Garmin Forerunner 165 is made with runners in mind, with built-in GPS for tracking pace and distance and a heart rate monitor. It even has a morning report that details your sleep from the night, recovery, and your training outlook to help you be as prepared as possible. All of this comes on top of a bright AMOLED touchscreen display and up to 11 days of battery life in smartwatch mode (or up to 19 hours in GPS mode).

Don't miss out on 20% off the Garmin Forerunner 165 at Amazon while the deal is still available.

This isn't the only Garmin deal that's crossed our radar. At the moment, you can also save on the Garmin Forerunner 265 at Amazon and the Garmin Forerunner 965.

The best deals this week, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

• Energizer AA Batteries (24 Count), Double A Max Alkaline Battery — $13.31 (List Price $21.98)

• Roku Ultra 4K Ultimate Streaming Player (2024 Release) — $79.99 (List Price $99.99)

• Beats Pill Bluetooth Speaker — $99.95 (List Price $149.00)

• Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System — $239.00 (List Price $299.99)

• Roborock Qrevo Master Robot Vacuum and Mop — $799.99 (List Price $1599.99)

• Peloton Bike — $1,145.00 (List Price $1445.00)

• Claritin 24 Hour Allergy Medicine, Non-Drowsy Prescription Strength Allergy Relief, 100 Count — $37.49 (List Price $49.99)

Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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

Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Way behind the leader

• Green: Mocking

• Blue: Basketball names

  Purple: Similar names

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

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

• Yellow: In the lowest position

• Green: Heckle

• Blue: NBA teams with singular nicknames

• Purple: Teams with "golden" nicknames

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #232 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• In the lowest position - BOTTOM, CELLAR, LAST, WORST

• Heckle - BOO, HISS, JEER, TAUNT

• NBA teams with singular nicknames - MIAMI, OKLAHOMA CITY, ORLANDO, UTAH

• Teams with "golden" nicknames - CAL, MINNESOTA, TULSA, VEGAS

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

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

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

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

SAVE $300: As of May 13, the Peloton Tread is on sale for $2,695 at Amazon. That's a 10% saving on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Peloton Peloton Tread $2,695 at Amazon
$2,995 Save $300 Get Deal

Peloton is arguably the most well-known name when it comes to home workout machines, especially when it comes to cycling and running. Famed for their remote, instructor-led classes, Peloton allows you to get a serious sweat on from the comfort of your home. And if you've been wanting to add a Peloton to your life, we've found a great deal on the Peloton Tread.

As of May 13, the Peloton Tread is reduced by $300, now priced at $2,695. This is a state-of-the-art treadmill with endless features, access to live classes, and even a 24-inch touchscreen display. The Tread is designed to be easy and comfortable to use. It has handy to reach speed and incline knobs, auto-incline that follows instructor cues, and accessibility features like TalkBack and captions.

SEE ALSO: The Peloton has dropped to its lowest price in 2025

Depending on what your abilities are, or what you're in the mood to do, you can adjust speeds from 0 to 12.5 MPH and incline from 0% to 12.5% using on-screen shortcuts. For safety, enjoy a clip-on safety key that stops the belt if detached and a passcode lock.

And of course, what's a treadmill without data? On-screen metrics allow you to track your progress in real time, follow training programs, or set personal targets.

This is a limited-time deal at Amazon, so don't miss out.

The best deals this week, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

• Energizer AA Batteries (24 Count), Double A Max Alkaline Battery — $13.31 (List Price $21.98)

• Roku Ultra 4K Ultimate Streaming Player (2024 Release) — $79.99 (List Price $99.99)

• Beats Pill Bluetooth Speaker — $99.95 (List Price $149.00)

• Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System — $239.00 (List Price $299.99)

• Roborock Qrevo Master Robot Vacuum and Mop — $799.99 (List Price $1599.99)

• Peloton Bike — $1,145.00 (List Price $1445.00)

• Claritin 24 Hour Allergy Medicine, Non-Drowsy Prescription Strength Allergy Relief, 100 Count — $37.49 (List Price $49.99)

Negotiations over the Columbia River basin could affect the environment in Canada and electrical generation and flood control in the United States.

The Acer Predator Helios 16 comes equipped with internals that’ll keep you sailing smoothly through heavy gaming pressure and everyday tasks. Add its plethora of ports, stellar thermals, and beautiful, matte display with a high refresh rate into the mix, and this laptop proves it’s worthy of its price.

That said, this laptop’s gamer-forward design may not suit everyone’s tastes. With a flashy light bar at the back and a backlit logo on the top lid, no one’s going to second-guess that this is a gaming laptop. You can change the default RGB wave light scheme to something more low-key, but its prominent gamer aesthetic may not go unnoticed in the office.

With its 14th Gen Intel processor, an RTX 4080 GPU, and a top-notch thermal design, this laptop is definitely a serious contender as one of the best gaming laptops Mashable has tested. Sure, there are a few minor features I wish I could improve, but I think the laptop’s positives greatly outweigh its negatives. 

Without further ado, let’s dive into the good, the bad, and everything else about the Predator Helios 16.

Acer Predator Helios 16 price and specs 

The Acer Predator Helios 16 is a pricey laptop, but it’s equipped with all the necessary internals to run AAA games at high settings. Our review unit costs $2,299 and comes with the following specs: 

• Intel Core i9 14900HX CPU

• Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 (12GB)

• 32GB of RAM

• 2TB of SSD storage

• 16-inch, 2560 x 1600-pixel, 240Hz display

If you like the look of this gaming laptop, but would rather trade slightly lower specs for a more affordable price, take a look at this Predator Helios 16 configuration at Best Buy for $1,699. It comes with the same Intel Core i9-14900HX CPU and 2560 x 1600-pixel display, but comes with only 16GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD storage, and an RTX 4070 GPU.

SEE ALSO: Laptop specs explained: A jargon-free guide to what's inside your computer This won’t easily double as a work laptop in appearance

Constructed with an aluminum lid and keyboard deck and a plastic bottom, the Predator Helios 16 is quite sturdy. I’d love to see an all-aluminum build for durability and even better thermals, but that would definitely raise the laptop’s price.

Decking this laptop out in an all-aluminum chassis would also increase the weight, and it’s already quite hefty. This laptop weighs 5.7 pounds and measures 14.1 x 10.9 x 1 inches, so it's not a very travel-friendly companion. 

Then, in true gaming laptop fashion, there are multiple customizable RGB elements. Compared to its predecessor, this model gains RGB logos on the lid and below the keyboard’s right side. Personally, I’m not a fan because they feel like flashy, battery-draining details that most gamers probably don’t care about.

When you pair these backlit logos with the seven-zone RGB Infinity Mirror bar that sticks out at the back, the Acer Predator Helios 16 simply screams, “I’m a gaming laptop.” For some, that may not be a bad thing. But for those who want to use a single laptop for both gaming and work, this laptop’s design isn’t nearly inconspicuous enough, even after switching off all the lights.

A large, bright, and matte display that’s not super vibrant

The Acer Predator Helios 16 comes with a 16-inch, 2560 x 1600-pixel IPS LCD display with a 240Hz max refresh rate and a three-millisecond response time.

I wish the colors were more vibrant on this laptop's display. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

I love the amount of screen real estate this gaming laptop offers, especially with its 16:10 aspect ratio. The max 240Hz refresh rate made watching content and playing games a stutter-free experience. And for a gaming laptop, its bezels are relatively small.

To scrutinize this laptop’s display, I fired up a YouTube trailer for Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning. 

With the display’s high resolution, I had no issues spotting minute details, like wrinkles and fine lines on the actors' faces and hair strands. However, the colors don’t pop off the screen as much as I’d like. There’s a plane at the beginning of the trailer that I imagine is bright red and grass that should be vibrant green, but these colors come across muted on the Predator Helios 16’s display.

Despite not being colorful, this matte display is quite bright. Officially, it has 500 nits max brightness, which is kind of unheard of for gaming laptops — they tend to hover around 300 or 400 nits max. I found the display easy to see, even in direct sunlight.

The ports of a gamer’s dreams

For a gaming laptop, I’d expect nothing less than a plethora of ports, and the Acer Predator Helios 16 absolutely delivers. 

The left side of the Acer Predator Helios 16. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

On the left: 

• Ethernet (RJ-45) port

• USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port

• microSD card reader

• Headset jack

The right side of the Acer Predator Helios 16. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

On the right: 

• Two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports

• Kensington lock slot

The back side of the Acer Predator Helios 16. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

On the back: 

• DC-in power port

• HDMI 2.1 output port with HDCP support

• Two USB-C (Thunderbolt 4) ports

The charging cable is pretty bulky, but it’s extra long, and the DC-in power port is conveniently located at the center of the back edge. There’s an HDMI port to connect a bigger monitor, an audio jack to hook up wired headphones, and plenty of USB ports to choose from for your peripherals.

The speakers are passable, but not for listening to music

The Predator Helios 16 has a lot of good things going for it, but its audio quality isn’t one of them. 

This laptop’s two built-in stereo speakers deliver sharp in-game dialogue at a volume that’s more than plenty to hear characters over the powerful fans. When streaming media on the laptop, I got the same result. Character voices come through well, but these aren’t speakers you’ll want to listen to music out of.

SEE ALSO: The 8 best Bluetooth speakers, tested for sound, portability, and cool factor

I listened to "Real" by Unprocessed (feat. Polyphia's Tim Henson & Clay Gober) and Bo Burnham's "All Eyes on Me (Song Only)," and both songs utterly lacked that full-bodied, atmospheric depth that comes from bass notes rounding out the soundstage. Pairing some of the best headphones with this laptop is a must if you’re a music lover.

A fairly punchy keyboard and a smooth trackpad You can control the brightness and color of each individual key on the Acer Predator Helios 16. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

This laptop’s keyboard may not satisfy the biggest keyboard snobs (it’s me, I’m the keyboard snob) because the typing experience isn’t as satisfyingly clicky as on other laptop keyboards. That said, I found typing to be relatively snappy overall, and having a laptop with a full-size keyboard with well-sized and well-spaced keys is always a win in my book.

In true gaming laptop fashion, the keyboard offers RGB backlighting. More specifically, the Predator Helios 16 offers per-key RGB mini-LED backlit keys, so you can control the brightness and color of each individual key if you’d like. Or, if you prefer to save battery life, you can turn the lights off completely.

I have no complaints about the trackpad. It’s large, responsive, and feels velvety smooth. Some may care about the trackpad being slightly off-center, but it didn’t hinder performance or bug me at all.

Acer Predator Helios 16 benchmarks and performance

To jog your memory, here are the internals this Acer Predator Helios 16 configuration is working with: an Intel Core i914900HX CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 GPU with 12GB of VRAM, and 32GB of RAM. Those specs work together beautifully to create a smooth overall experience, whether you’re playing a Triple-A title at high presets or hoarding tabs while completing a project for school or work.

On our traditional laptop stress test, which involves opening 20 Chrome tabs with a mix of static and video content and a few background apps, this laptop passed with flying colors. Because it has a discrete GPU, I even doubled the number of Chrome tabs, and it still refused to stutter. With all that open, I was able to type in Google Docs and load a new page with no issues.

To stress test this gaming laptop’s internals, I played Cyberpunk 2077 for an hour at high presets and native resolution (2560 x 1600) with DLSS turned off. Shooting and moving around in the game felt silky smooth, and I averaged around 80 frames per second.

While looping a video to run down the battery, going about my regular workday tasks, or playing Cyberpunk 2077, the laptop’s top-notch thermal design kept everything cool. After an hour of gaming, the laptop’s hottest points were barely warm. Of course, with excellent thermal design comes fan noise, but the only time the fans were noticeably noisy was during gameplay — and even then, I could easily hear the in-game audio over the fans.

This laptop has a very "gamer" look. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

Real-world performance tests show how a laptop functions in the day-to-day, but if you’re comparing laptops before buying, standardized performance benchmarks reign supreme.

On 3DMark’s TimeSpy benchmark, which assesses graphical prowess, the Predator Helios 16 delivered a staggering score of 16,837, far surpassing many of the other gaming laptops we’ve tested. The HP Omen 17 and Alienware m16 R2 delivered scores of 12,105 and 12,224 with an RTX 4070 GPU, respectively.

To test CPU performance, I ran Geekbench 6. In Performance mode, the Predator Helios 16 earned a multi-core score of 17,462. Switching over to Balanced mode, the laptop earned a slightly lower score of 16,817. For comparison, the 2024 HP Omen 17 received a multi-core score of 12,781.

Lastly, our Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark tests the laptop’s in-game performance with DLSS off, the presets notched at high, and typically, the resolution set to 1080p. Then, we switch DLSS on and report the recorded frame rates. However, this laptop consistently delivered puzzling results when set to 1080p, which could have something to do with recent DLSS upgrades and the new model.

With the resolution set to 1080p, our Cyberpunk 2077 delivered 111.8 frames per second with DLSS off and 109.7 frames per second with DLSS on. The only way I was able to up the frames per second at 1080p resolution was by enabling AI-powered frame generation, which then churned out over 200 frames per second. 

Turning DLSS on traditionally gets you more frames per second, not less, which was reflected in running the same benchmark at native resolution (2560 x 1600). At native resolution, our Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark scored an average of 79.4 frames per second with DLSS switched off. Turning DLSS on notched an impressive 109.3 frames per second.

Acer Predator Helios 16 battery life

If you’re looking for one of the best laptops for battery life, the Acer Predator Helios 16 isn’t the one for you.

In our battery test, which involves looping a 1080p version of Tears of Steel at 50 percent brightness, the Predator Helios 16 only lasted 5 hours and 34 minutes. And believe it or not, that’s with all of its RGB LEDs turned off. With the RGB light bar on and blue, static lights under the keyboard, the laptop eked out a mere 3 hours and 42 minutes.

Considering the HP Omen 17 (with slightly lower specs) lasted 8 hours and 13 minutes on the same video rundown test, these results aren’t great. Granted, for gaming purposes, you’ll be using the Predator Helios 16 plugged in. But don’t expect to use this laptop at a library or coffee shop cord-free — at least, not for very long.

No one’s surprised by this grainy, dull webcam

The Predator Helios 16 is a gaming laptop, and as such, the webcam is far from impressive.

The webcam is nothing special. Credit: Screenshot: Sarah Chaney

Looking at myself through this laptop’s 1080p webcam, I wasn’t surprised a bit to see dull colors amidst a grainy reflection. I even gave the webcam the best chance possible and positioned myself in front of natural sunlight that wasn’t too bright.

The webcam is relatively sharp, proven by the individual strands of hair I could pick out in my selfie, but overall, it’s quite mediocre. Plus, there’s no privacy shutter.

Is the Acer Predator Helios 16 worth it?

The Acer Predator Helios 16 is an amazing gaming laptop, packed with a 14th Gen Intel CPU and an RTX 4080 GPU that are quite capable of playing AAA titles at high settings with remarkable ease and not a lot of heat, thanks to an adept thermal design.

I even think that this laptop’s prominent gamer aesthetic is easy to ignore if you’re simply looking for the best internals you can get at the best price. If you want a more subtle gaming laptop that could double as a work laptop, check out the HP Omen 17 instead.

The biggest potential flaw with this laptop, depending on what your needs are, is its lackluster battery life. You won’t be able to stray far from an outlet for long, even around your own home. Granted, if you don’t plan to ever play unplugged because it often means sacrificing higher frame rates, then this probably isn’t an issue worth considering for you.

If your top priority in a gaming laptop is overall performance at a great price (and you don’t mind the “gamer” look), I believe the Acer Predator Helios 16 is definitely worth it.

Acer Predator Helios 16 Starting at $1,699.99 at Acer
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Samsung announced a new phone on Monday, so you know what that means: It's time to do some comparing and contrasting.

This time, we'll be looking at how the ultra-thin Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge matches up against old reliable, the iPhone 16 from Apple. One of them is the meat-and-potatoes base model for an entire lineup, while the other is the flashy new member of the family with a specific selling point. Let's hash them out.

SEE ALSO: Apple might increase iPhone prices this fall Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge vs. iPhone 16

Besides the obvious (iOS vs. Android), here is how the new Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge and iPhone 16 compare to one another. And if you're looking for the tl;dr version: the iPhone 16 is the standard iPhone of the moment, while the S25 Edge is a thinner version of the flagship S25 Ultra. The S25 Edge doesn't sacrifice many flagship features, but it's smaller, thinner, and more affordable.

Specs and price Love the pink iPhone. Credit: Kimberly Gedeon/Mashable

There's one thing we need to get out of the way immediately: The $1,099 Galaxy S25 Edge is a substantially more expensive phone than the $799 iPhone 16. As such, the expectations for specs and features are a little different for these two phones. Here is what Samsung is working with:

• 6.7-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate

• Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset

• 12GB RAM

• 256GB/512GB storage

And here is what you get from the iPhone 16:

• 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display with 60Hz refresh rate

• A18 chip

• 8GB RAM

• 128GB/256GB/512GB storage

If we were declaring winners and losers here, obviously the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge would win in the specs department because it's a more premium phone. You get a much bigger display with a significantly better refresh rate, more RAM, and more starting storage.

Design Super thin. Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable

The big selling point of the Galaxy S25 Edge lies here, but first, we need to talk about colors.

The iPhone 16's color palette is a lot more interesting than the Galaxy S25 Edge's. You can choose from black, white, pink, teal, and blue. Samsung, on the other hand, is offering three looks for the S25 Edge: Black, silver, and blue. Boring.

But color isn't the big reason to pay attention to the S25 Edge. The entire gimmick with Samsung's new phone is that you get premium specs in an unbelievably thin body. At 5.8mm of thickness, it's a good deal thinner than the 7.8 mm-thick iPhone 16. Samsung's phone is also lighter, clocking in at just 163g compared to the iPhone 16's 170g.

Aside from that, the two phones actually look fairly similar at a glance. Both of them have two rear camera lenses situated at the top left corner of the phone's backside, for example. Neither company is really pushing the envelope here, outside of Samsung making a flagship phone that's really, really skinny. It should be noted that Apple is reportedly working on the same thing.

Performance

This is one category that's impossible to really evaluate right now because we don't have both phones in hand yet.

That said, the iPhone 16's A18 chip is a really solid performer, rarely slowing down or introducing any kind of noteworthy issues in day-to-day life, which I can confirm as an iPhone 16 owner. And the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset in the S25 Edge was similarly brilliant in the other S25 phones, which launched earlier this year. There may be differences that emerge in testing, but there's no reason to believe either of these phones has severe performance problems.

Battery

The one big knock against the Galaxy S25 Edge is that its 3,900mAh battery is smaller than any of the other Galaxy S25 phones, even the cheaper base model. That's a compromise Samsung had to make in order to achieve that level of thinness. Still, impressively, it's bigger than the 3,561mAh cell in the iPhone 16.

That doesn't necessarily mean the Galaxy S25 Edge will outpace the iPhone 16 in practical battery testing, which we haven't done yet. It could be poorly optimized or inefficient, for all we know. Speaking from personal experience, you can get about 24 hours out of one charge of the iPhone 16, so the S25 Edge needs to match that number to stay competitive.

Camera Can't wait to test these out. Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable

Lastly, the cameras. One more time for those who just got here: We haven't done any head-to-head testing yet, so a final evaluation will have to wait.

We can compare specs, though, and Samsung's phone will win every time if that's the fight. The Galaxy S25 Edge comes with a staggering 200MP wide lens on the back, to go along with a 12MP ultra-wide lens. The iPhone 16 also has a 12MP ultra-wide lens on the rear, but you only get a 48MP wide lens to go along with it.

Samsung packed the same premium lens from the Galaxy S25 Ultra into the Edge, which could certainly be a selling point. We can't wait to find out how the photos actually look, in practice.

If you're interested in all things Android, then you'll want to watch Google's The Android Show: I/O Edition event on Tuesday, May 13.

Usually, we learn about all the new Android updates during the annual Google I/O event, but this year, Google's doing things a little differently. Google is carving out a spotlight for Android ahead of its Gemini-saturated Google I/O event on May 20, 2025.

Enter: The Android Show, designed to let the world’s most ubiquitous operating system stretch its legs.

Hosted by Android Ecosystem President Sameer Samat, the event is teed up to deliver a rapid-fire preview of what’s on deck for Android. Expect Android 16 announcements, Wear OS updates, and all things Android-adjacent. And yes, it could be the perfect time for Google to go in-depth on Android XR — the software layer powering Samsung’s upcoming Project Moohan mixed reality headset, which is slated to land later this year.

Where to watch The Android Show: I/O Edition

Google’s Android Show is set to stream live on Tuesday, May 13, at 10 a.m. PDT via the Android Developers YouTube channel. You’ll find the livestream embedded below.

Mashable will be covering this event live, so keep checking back for more Android news and updates.

Astronomers have zoomed in on Jupiter's poles to get a better look at the gas giant planet's auroras — 100 times brighter than the Northern Lights on Earth.

These alien light shows are not only humongous compared to the ones people are used to seeing in our own skies, but also, they're powered by an extra source. Jupiter's strong magnetic field reels in charged particles from its immediate space environment. That means it's not just grabbing solar wind from the sun to create these luminous displays but particles spewed from nearby Io, one of Jupiter's 97 moons and the most volcanically active world in the solar system.

A team of scientists used the James Webb Space Telescope, a partnership of NASA and its European and Canadian counterparts, to study the auroras. What they found was a cause-and-effect puzzle: When they zoomed in with Hubble, which can detect ultraviolet light, they thought they'd find signs of the incoming electrons bombarding Jupiter's upper atmosphere, said Jonathan Nichols, the lead researcher from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom. 

But that's not what they got.

"What we're seeing is an incredibly bright afterglow with not much evidence of the original impact," Nichols told Mashable. 

SEE ALSO: A NASA probe has just spilled secrets about Jupiter and a fiery moon

The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, which operates the Webb and Hubble telescopes, released a video of Jupiter's tempestuous roiling auroras, which you can watch above. 

For three decades, scientists have delved into how Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus interact with space by looking at light emitted from charged molecules in their upper atmospheres. Recently, astronomers even got a glimpse of Neptune's strange auroras. These studies help scientists understand what’s going on high above a planet’s surface and deep within its magnetic field.

When the sun blasts out radiation, charged particles travel along a planet's invisible magnetic field lines. When these particles strike gases, they heat up and glow. The results are colorful light displays. 

On Earth, the colors differ depending on the type of atmospheric gas and its altitude. Oxygen glows red or blue, while nitrogen can create green, blue, or pink. The recent strong solar storm conditions — a byproduct of the sun being at solar maximum — are causing auroras around the North Pole to sprawl, allowing people who live farther south to see them. 

Regarding Jupiter's auroras, scientists were interested in discovering how quickly the light displays flickered, expecting them to fade in and out over 15 or more minutes. Instead, they saw speedy, erratic shifts. The whole auroral region seemed to be "fizzing and popping" like a soda, changing on a timescale of seconds. These findings were published this week in the journal Nature Communications.

On the left, dancing lights on Jupiter are hundreds of times brighter than those in Earth's Northern Lights. On the right, the aurora is layered over a James Webb Space Telescope image of Jupiter to indicate its location and scale. Credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / STScI / Ricardo Hueso / Imke de Pater / Thierry Fouchet / Leigh Fletcher / Michael H. Wong / Joseph DePasquale / Jonathan Nichols / Mahdi Zamani

At the heart of this study is a molecule called trihydrogen cation. (For the record, it sounds like "CAT-eye-on," not the last two syllables of "vacation.") When particles have enough energy to rip an electron off a hydrogen molecule, the mangled molecule rapidly reacts with other hydrogen and forms the special molecule. Before trihydrogen cation is destroyed, it gives off infrared light. That's what Webb observed, Nichols said.  

Knowing how quickly trihydrogen cation dissipates matters to scientists because of the role it would play in how Jupiter’s upper atmosphere is heated and cooled. But the researchers simply don't know how Webb detected the exceedingly bright light of the molecule without ample high-energy particles detected to create it in the first place. 

"The explanation currently eludes us," Nichols said. "Either the particles can in fact rain down in high numbers without requiring much acceleration, or there is something about Jupiter’s auroral atmosphere and generation of aurora missing from our calculations."

The team will continue to study the paradox of Webb and Hubble's data with follow-up observations. Their work may help the European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer spacecraft, or Juice. The mission is intended to focus its research on Europa, Callisto, and particularly Ganymede, three large moons orbiting the gas giant planet a half-billion miles away. These moons have intrigued scientists for years because they're thought to have liquid oceans trapped beneath icy shells.

The spacecraft, launched two years ago, is expected to reach Jupiter in 2031. 

TL;DR: For just $34.97, get lifetime access to Qlango and learn up to 56 languages through fun, game-like lessons — no subscriptions, no pressure, just lifelong learning.

Opens in a new window Credit: Qlango Qlango Language Learning: Lifetime Subscription (All Languages) $34.97
$119.99 Save $85.02 Get Deal

Tired of language apps that feel more like homework than fun? Qlango turns learning into a game — literally. 

With its playful, question-and-answer style, you can dive into any of Qlango’s 56 language options and actually enjoy the process. And right now, a lifetime subscription is just $34.97 (reg. $119.99).

Say goodbye to boring language lessons

We’ve all tried to learn languages the boring way…how’s the high school Spanish holding up? If you’ve been meaning to pick it back up and actually have it stick, or you’re hoping to tackle Thai or understand Uyghur, try Qlango. 

There are tons of language-learning apps on the market, but Qlango sets out to make learning enjoyable. Fifty-six languages are available, all taught with a unique gamified approach. Their question-and-answer method prompts you to think and respond in the new language, with hints that move you along when you get stuck. 

Customize your lessons by choosing between words or sentences, multiple-choice, dictation, translation, sentence formation, or matching. It also offers flexibility to fit your busy schedule. Set weekly study goals and progress at your own pace with no deadlines or penalties. 

Qlango uses a scientifically proven spaced repetition technique, presenting words at strategic intervals to help you retain them more effectively. And they focus on 6,679 essential words you’ll actually use, with six difficulty levels to keep you challenged as you progress.

Unlike many language-learning apps, Qlango lets you enjoy a lifetime subscription for a one-time low price with no recurring subscription fees required. 

Happily learn 56 languages with Qlango Language Learning. A lifetime subscription is now just $34.97, $80+ off the usual price, through June 1. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: For just $79.99, this grade-A refurbished Sony BT Speaker delivers booming bass, 24-hour battery life, and a beach-proof build—just in time for summer soundtracks.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Refurbished Sony SRS-XB33 Extra Bass Bluetooth Portable Speaker $79.99
$149.99 Save $70.00 Get Deal

If you’re looking for the perfect speaker to enhance your summer soundtrack, this may be the one. This refurbished Sony Extra Bass Bluetooth Portable Speaker is going for just $79.99 (reg. $149.99), and it’s everything you want in a warm-weather sidekick: big sound, long battery life, and a build tough enough for the beach, pool, or spontaneous dance floor.

It’s got Extra Bass™ and dual passive radiators that punch up your playlists, whether you’re listening to mellow acoustic sets or house party bangers. The X-Balanced Speaker Unit helps deliver clarity and impact without distortion, and built-in LED lighting keeps the vibe alive when you’re jamming after the sun sets.

Worried about splashes or drops? Don’t be. This speaker is IP67-rated, which means it’s waterproof, dustproof, and shock-resistant. Toss it in your bag without a second thought — it’s made for summer adventures. And with up to 24 hours of battery life, you can play DJ all day (and well into the night).

Use the Fiestable and Music Center apps to customize your lighting and tunes, or connect it with up to 100 other speakers using Party Connect for a massive wall of sound.

This grade-A refurbished unit is like new — tested and cleaned, and with only the possibility of minor blemishes — just with a way better price tag.

Get the high-quality refurbished Sony Extra Bass Bluetooth Portable Speaker for just $79.99 (reg. $149.99) while you can.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Get $50 worth of international eSIM data for just $24.97 with aloSIM and enjoy cheap, flexible mobile data in 200+ countries — no roaming charges.

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

When traveling internationally, avoiding expensive roaming fees can be tricky, and traditional SIM cards often become inconvenient, especially when moving between different countries. That’s why you use an eSIM like aloSIM as a digital alternative, eliminating the need for physical SIM swaps while allowing you to connect to data networks seamlessly across regions. Plus, it’s only $24.97 to get aloSIM for life, and it even comes with a $50 credit for mobile data plans. 

So, how does aloSIM’s eSIM work? Once you’ve purchased a data package from aloSIM, the eSIM is activated digitally on your phone. There’s no need to wait for a physical SIM card to arrive. Through a simple setup, you download the eSIM profile directly to your device via a QR code or by manually entering the necessary details.

This eSIM profile acts like a local SIM, letting you access mobile data in over 175 countries without paying for international roaming. Unlike standard SIM cards that need to be physically inserted and removed for each country, an eSIM allows you to switch between regions effortlessly. You can even have multiple eSIM profiles stored on your phone, though only one can be active at a time.

One key feature of aloSIM’s service is its flexibility in adding data whenever needed. Let’s say you’re visiting a country and your initial data allocation runs out — there’s no need to worry. You can log into your aloSIM account via the app or website and top up your data package instantly.

You don’t need to visit a local store or insert a new card; everything happens digitally. Data packages are prepaid, meaning there are no surprise charges at the end of your trip. You only pay for the data you need, which is calculated based on the country you’re in, and prices start at $4.50 for a 7-day package. That’s what the $50 credit is for, and it can take you pretty far. 

No more travel charges

You can roam, but make sure your phone feels right at home. 

Get an aloSIM Traveler’s Mobile Data Plan for $24.97 (reg. $50). 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Save 66% on lifetime access to this webcam privacy software for peace of mind from prying eyes on up to three Windows devices.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ashampoo Ashampoo WebCam Guard: Lifetime License $9.99
$30 Save $20.01 Get Deal

Covering your webcam with tape might seem like a clever DIY privacy fix, but it’s also a good way to make your sleek PC look quite drab. If you’re the type who double-checks your mic settings before every Zoom or side-eyes your laptop when it’s closed, there’s a smarter, easier way to lock things down.

Ashampoo WebCam Guard lets you control your webcam and microphone with just one click, eliminating the need to trek through ten different settings panels to make sure they’re truly off (or on). A one-time $9.99 payment gets you the Microsoft Partner-program for life, good for use on three PCs.

Control your privacy with a single click

Instead of wondering whether a background app has hijacked your webcam (or if your boss can see you lying in bed during that meeting), this lightweight tool gives you hardware-level control. That means it works directly with your camera and mic, not just a software layer, so you can trust it’s doing what it says.

The dashboard is minimal, user-friendly, and refreshingly drama-free. Need your camera on? Click. Done with a call? Disable your webcam with one click. No lingering processes, no ambiguity, just real-time status indicators that show exactly what’s running.

Want even more peace of mind? This app supports auto-launching and real-time monitoring, so you can keep things locked down by default and only turn them on when needed. It’s especially handy if you frequently use video conferencing tools or just want to make sure your devices aren’t snooping behind the scenes.

Save $20 on an Ashampoo WebCam Guard lifetime license for three PCs.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Tuesday, May 13, 2025:

Across"Pointer" used to highlight a talking point

• The answer is Laser.

Submit a C.V.

• The answer is Apply.

Get behind the wheel

• The answer is Drive.

"Oh boy, that's not good!"

• The answer is Yikes.

"___ Misérables"

• The answer is Les.

Down"___ Madonna" (Beatles song)

• The answer is Lady.

When March Madness ends, curiously

• The answer is April.

Sudden increase

• The answer is Spike.

Legolas and Galadriel, in "The Lord of the Rings"

• The answer is Elves.

Spirits akin to bourbons

• The answer is Ryes.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

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

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

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

SAVE $30: As of May 13, the JBL Clip 5 is on sale for $49.95 at Amazon. That's a 38% saving on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: JBL JBL Clip 5 $59.95 at Amazon
$79.95 Save $20 Get Deal

JBL is one of the best names in the audio game if you're looking for a great product at a low price, and we've found a particularly strong deal on the JBL Clip 5 at Amazon.

As of May 13, this impressive speaker is on sale at Amazon for $49.95, saving you $30 on list price. This deal is available in all nine color options. This is the lowest it has been priced since December 2024, so you know you're getting a great deal here.

SEE ALSO: The 8 best Bluetooth speakers, tested for sound, portability, and cool factor

Despite its small size, this is a powerful speaker. The driver and passive radiator give you a bigger, better (and louder) JBL Pro Sound. Known for its handy clip design, this speaker is perfect for listening on the go. Just clip it onto your backpack, belt loop, or whatever you want, and make the most of the 12-hour battery life.

And when running low on battery, press the Playtime Boost button to add up to three more hours to your battery life.

This speaker is IP67-rated, meaning it’s both waterproof and dustproof, so it’s built to handle outdoor adventures and beach days. Plus, with JBL’s Auracast feature, you can connect multiple JBL speakers to expand your sound for an even bigger, more immersive listening experience.

Grab this great deal from Amazon without delay.

The best deals this week, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

• Energizer AA Batteries (24 Count), Double A Max Alkaline Battery — $13.31 (List Price $21.98)

• Roku Ultra 4K Ultimate Streaming Player (2024 Release) — $79.99 (List Price $99.99)

• Beats Pill Bluetooth Speaker — $99.95 (List Price $149.00)

• Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System — $239.00 (List Price $299.99)

• Roborock Qrevo Master Robot Vacuum and Mop — $799.99 (List Price $1599.99)

• Peloton Bike — $1,145.00 (List Price $1445.00)

• Claritin 24 Hour Allergy Medicine, Non-Drowsy Prescription Strength Allergy Relief, 100 Count — $37.49 (List Price $49.99)

SAVE $80: As of May 13, the Braun IPL Silk·Expert is on sale for $299.94 at Amazon. That's a 21% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Braun Braun IPL Silk·Expert $299.94 at Amazon
$379.99 Save $80.05 Get Deal

If you want to save money on salon treatments, why not give an IPL device a go? IPL is one of the best long-term solutions for hair removal that can be done at home. It stands for Intense Pulsed Light and is a hair removal process that uses light pulses to target hair follicles, so it reduces hair growth over time. It's not a laser, but works similarly by focusing on the pigment in hair. It's a relatively painless, long-term solution for hair removal.

Laser hair removal uses a concentrated single wavelength of light, making it more precise and powerful. IPL, on the other hand, uses a broad spectrum of light, covering a larger area but with less intensity. IPL is slightly less effective than laser but is much gentler on the skin, and can be done from home, which is always a bonus.

SEE ALSO: All the best Dyson beauty dupes we've tested

And as of May 13, you can treat yourself to the Braun IPL Silk·Expert for 21% off. The package includes the actual device, a Venus razor, a changeable cap, and a vanity travel case. The Braun device also benefits from skin tone sensors, a handy tool that optimizes the power of every flash to your skin tone.

This is a limited-time deal at Amazon, so don't delay and miss out.

The best deals this week, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

• Energizer AA Batteries (24 Count), Double A Max Alkaline Battery — $13.31 (List Price $21.98)

• Roku Ultra 4K Ultimate Streaming Player (2024 Release) — $79.99 (List Price $99.99)

• Beats Pill Bluetooth Speaker — $99.95 (List Price $149.00)

• Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System — $239.00 (List Price $299.99)

• Roborock Qrevo Master Robot Vacuum and Mop — $799.99 (List Price $1599.99)

• Peloton Bike — $1,145.00 (List Price $1445.00)

• Claritin 24 Hour Allergy Medicine, Non-Drowsy Prescription Strength Allergy Relief, 100 Count — $37.49 (List Price $49.99)

Prime Video has renewed Beast Games, the controversial Squid Game-inspired game show created by YouTuber Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson. It looks as though the class action lawsuit by Season One contestants hasn't done much to deter Amazon from doing it all over again.

Announced on Monday, Beast Games will be getting two more seasons, enabling yet more struggling people to battle it out for a significant cash prize. The first season featured 1,000 contestants competing in various challenges for a sum which grew to $10 million by the last episode. 

SEE ALSO: Contestants of MrBeast's Amazon show allege unsafe conditions during filming

"Y’ALL ARE NOT READY FOR THE BIG STUFF WE HAVE PLANNED," Donaldson wrote in a post on X.

Donaldson also addressed his previous revelation that he lost "tens of millions" of dollars on Beast Games' first season, which cost over $100 million to produce.

"Going bigger is my specialty, [going bankrupt is] the least of my concerns haha," wrote Donaldson, responding to an X user's query on the matter. "Yeah ideally don’t lose 8 figures though."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Amazon claims that Beast Games is its most-watched unscripted show ever, with 50 million viewers within less than a month of its premiere last December. However, these viewership numbers may have come at the expense of participants' wellbeing, with Beast Games' production having faced significant criticism regarding the issue. 

Beast Games contestants' lawsuit claimed production 'void of humane standards'

Alleged problems with Beast Games' production first surfaced when the first round of games was filmed in Las Vegas last July. At the time, Vital Vegas reported that multiple contestants and at least one staff member alleged poor conditions, while a source at a local hospital further claimed that "countless" participants were admitted due to lack of food and water. 

A representative for MrBeast denied such reports, stating that there were three medical events, two of which were unrelated to the production and one of which involved dehydration.

However, The New York Times reported one month later that Beast Games contestants had accused the production of severe mismanagement. Specifically, contestants claimed that they suffered physical injuries and were provided with inadequate food and medical care. The production also allegedly took possession of contestants' medicine, which was then difficult to access when needed, while participants who were menstruating reportedly weren't provided with underwear.

Several contestants further claimed that they had been told there would be 1,000 participants, only to discover twice that number upon arrival. This large number of people halved contestants' odds at winning the grand prize. The original 2,000 were subsequently cut down to 1,000 for a video on Donaldson's YouTube channel, not even making it to Prime Video's Beast Games series proper.

A MrBeast representative told The New York Times that the "promotional video shoot… was unfortunately complicated by the CrowdStrike incident, extreme weather, and other unexpected logistical and communications issues, which we are currently reviewing."

Then in September, several past Beast Games contestants filed a lawsuit in a California court accusing MrBeast's production company and Amazon of a laundry list of offences. These allegations included failure to pay minimum wages or overtime, failure to provide uninterrupted meal or rest breaks, sexual harassment, negligent infliction of emotional distress, unfair business practices, and false advertising. The lawsuit even claimed that the production was "so void of humane standards" that MrBeast's production crew allegedly offered to cover the cost of contestants' therapy.

All of this isn't even to mention the questionable premise of basing a reality show on Squid Game's dystopian capitalist death game. Considering the cruelty of Beast Games' inspiration, it's unsurprising that real contestants allegedly didn't have a great time.