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Password sharing keeps getting harder and harder.

After months of updates, Max this week became the latest streamer to crack down on folks sharing passwords, following the lead of competitors like Netflix and Disney+.

On Tuesday, Max announced a new feature, Extra Member Add-On, which is seemingly focused on charging folks for sharing passwords. Similar to other streaming platforms which have put a stop to sharing passwords, the idea is you'll have to pay for someone who uses a Max account outside your home.

SEE ALSO: It was tough, but we found the 25 best movies on Max

Adding a member to your Max account will run you an additional $7.99 per month and you can only stream from one profile on one device at a time. Accounts are also limited to one Extra Member Add-On. The new policy will, however, let you transfer over a profile to be an extra member, meaning that user will keep their preferences and watch history.

In a press statement, Max attempted to make the news sound like a good thing for customers.

"Extra Member Add-On and Profile Transfer are two key Max advancements, designed to help viewers with a new way to enjoy our best-in-class content at an exceptional value, and offer subscribers greater flexibility in managing their accounts," JB Perrette, CEO and president, global streaming and games, Warner Bros Discovery, said in the statement.

"These updates provide a simple way for subscribers to add-on a new member to their account, or for existing subscribers who have users outside of their household to smoothly, and in an uninterrupted fashion, transition their profile so that extra member can continue to access Max."

Featured Video For You The best VPNs for streaming Netflix and Hulu How to navigate Max's password crackdown

In short, there is no simple way to fully get around the crackdown.

If you want to buy an Extra Member Add-On, the option is in Max's subscription settings. If you're looking to transfer a profile, it should be an option when you go to buy the Extra Member Add-On.

As seems to constantly be the case with streamers these days, the answer to your problem seems to be open your wallet. Netflix, Disney, Hulu, and the rest of their ilk have worked in recent years to squeeze dollars out of users. Max certainly hasn't been an exception. Remember when watching an HBO product meant zero ads? Those were the days.

Max upped it prices last summer, charging $16.99 per month for an ad-free plan, with the Ultimate ad-free plan increasing to $20.99 per month. The ad-tier plan will cost you $9.99 per month. Now, if you want to, say, include a friend or family member outside your home, that'll run you an extra $7.99 per month.

If the added cost weren't enough of a bummer, Max — ever since the platform's 2023 merger with Discovery+ — has made it a habit to unceremoniously remove programming from its archives. So forking over that extra cash might not even grant you access to your favorite HBO show.

The Best Lego Star Wars Day Deals Best Lego Star Wars Starship Deal Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon $67.95 (Save $17.04) Get Deal Best Lego Star Wars Character Deal Lego Star Wars Chewbacca $172.90 (Save $27.09) Get Deal Best Lego Star Wars Helmet Deal Lego Star Wars Darth Vader Helmet $65.99 (Save $14) Get Deal

It may not be May 4 yet (May the 4th be with you), but Lego Star Wars Day is already upon us next week. That means it's time to celebrate the Star Wars franchise with a slew of great prices on some of the coolest Star Wars toys around. While that day will be chock-full of announcements, new releases, and other fun Star Wars news, you can get in on the action right now thanks to tons of great discounts on Lego Star Wars goodies.

Whether you want to put together one of the most iconic Star Wars starships of all time or you're a big Darth Vader fan looking to display the man himself's helmet, there's a little something for everyone in store with these discounts. To help you save, we've rounded up some of our favorite deals on offer that you can snag ahead of the big day.

Below, find the best Lego Star Wars Day deals we've found so far.

Best Lego Star Wars starship deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon $67.95 at Amazon
$84.99 Save $17.04 Get Deal Why we like it

This 921-piece kit is the perfect collector's replica of the Millennium Falcon. The 25th anniversary collectible model stands about 5 inches tall, 9.5 inches long, and 7.5 inches wide. It comes with its own buildable stand that tilts it at the perfect viewing angle, with a dynamic look that makes it seem like it's hurtling through space. It's a great, affordable option for adults and little Lego fans who want to help, and for this price, you'll want to snap it up quick.

Best Lego Star Wars character deal Opens in a new window Credit: Walmart Lego Star Wars Chewbacca $172.90 at Walmart
$199.99 Save $27.09 Get Deal Why we like it

Who doesn't love Chewie? Bring home the fearsome (and totally adorable) Chewbacca with this Lego building kit. This model of Han Solo's right-hand man is a whopping 2,319 pieces and stands about 18 inches tall. The non-posable figure comes with a built-in display and a plaque with information about him as well as a special minifigure. The mini Chewie comes with a stud-shooting bowcaster and looks positively tiny next to his big brother. If you want an iconic character from the Star Wars universe to build, this is the best pick out of the current sales, and you'll love seeing him with the rest of your collectibles.

Best Lego Star Wars helmet deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Lego Star Wars Darth Vader Helmet $65.99 at Amazon
$79.99 Save $14 Get Deal Why we like it

What says Star Wars more than the legendary Darth Vader? If you're down with the Sith Lord, you'll want this 834-piece wonder as part of your collection. It's only one of the most iconic parts of sci-fi and movie history, and it can intimidate others from your shelf. It's over 8 inches tall when completed, and comes with a buildable display stand that you can use to show it off proudly. And guess what? It's even nicer now that it's on sale.

More Lego Star Wars deals

• Lego Star Wars UCS Razor Crest — $522.19 $599.99 (save $77.80)

• Lego Star Wars Captain Rex Helmet — $55.99 $69.99 (save $14)

• Lego Star Wars The Mandalorian Helmet — $55.99 $69.99 (save $14)

• Lego Star Wars Ahsoka's Jedi Interceptor — $38.99 $44.99 (save $6)

• Lego Star Wars The Clone Wars Captain Rex Y-Wing Microfighter — $7.78 $12.99 (save $5.21)

• Lego Star Wars The Mandalorian Ambush on Mandalore Battle Pack — $16.99 $19.99 (save $3)

• Lego Star Wars BARC Speeder Escape — $24.99 $29.99 (save $5)

• Lego Star Wars Jedi Bob’s Starfighter — $31.95 $39.99 (save $8.04)

• Lego Star Wars The Clone Wars Ahsoka's Jedi Interceptor Spaceship — $38.99 $44.99 (save $6)

• Lego Star Wars: A New Hope Boarding The Tantive IV — $43.99 $54.99 (save $6)

• Lego Star Wars Ahsoka Tano’s Duel on Peridea — $43.99 $54.99 (save $6)

• Lego Star Wars BrickHeadz The Phantom Menace — $44.99 $54.99 (save $10)

• Lego Star Wars Droideka — $51.99 $64.99 (save $13)

• Lego Star Wars: A New Hope Tantive IV — $63.95 $79.99 (save $16.04)

• Lego Star Wars The Phantom Menace Mos ESPA Podrace Diorama — $65 $79.99 (save $14.99)

• Lego Star Wars R2-D2 — $80 $99.99 (save $19.99)

• Lego Star Wars The Dark Falcon Buildable Starship — $154.99 $179.99 (save $25)

It's the ambition of every tech company to be first, but maybe not this kind of first.

Apple and Meta are being forced to pay up hundreds of millions of dollars by the European Commission, making them the first companies to be fined for violations under the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).

SEE ALSO: Meta on trial: Every revelation from the Meta-FTC antitrust trial so far

Announced on Wednesday, Apple has been fined €500 million — about $570 million, or 0.15 percent of Apple's $391.04 billion revenue in 2024 — for charges regarding its "anti-steering" practices that didn't comply with DMA antitrust rules. "Anti-steering" is when the Apple App Store restricts developers from informing their users of optional platforms outside of the Apple App Store where they can make purchases.

Meta was fined €200 million — about $230 million, or 0.14 percent of Meta's $164.50 billion revenue in 2024 — for charges regarding Facebook and Instagram's "pay or consent" ad model, in which users have to pay to get an ad-free experience on the social media platform or consent to the platforms using their data.

Both Meta and Apple can get out of the fines if they comply with the European Commission's ruling within the next 60 days. According to the Verge and The New York Times, Apple and Meta both plan to appeal the ruling.

This follows a rough few months for fellow tech giant Google, with two big antitrust decisions and an action against the platform in Japan.

SAVE $100: As of April 23, get a certified renewed Shark FlexStyle HD430 air styling system for $199.99 at Shark's website. That's $100 off the regular refurb price and $40 less than the current sale price on a brand new FlexStyle.

Opens in a new window Credit: Shark Shark FlexStyle Straight & Wavy (certified renewed) $199.99 at Shark
$299.99 Save $100 Get Deal

Some might say spending money on a new beauty tool is superfluous during Tariff Times. I say it's genius if you find the right deal. When most of the chaos around you is out of your control, counting on a good hair day could do wonders for your attitude.

For those looking into Dyson Airwraps or Airwrap dupes, that "right deal" lies in the refurbished section of Shark's website. There, you can score a certified renewed Shark FlexStyle air styler (the Straight & Wavy model) for $199.99. That's $100 less than the regular refurb price, and $40 less the current $239.99 sale price on the brand-new version of the same FlexStyle.

SEE ALSO: As tariffs invade the apparel market, selling your clothes online is the move — here's how

Coming from someone who bought their Shark FlexStyle used from someone on Mercari for more than $200, I can tell you that this is your cheapest path to a Shark FlexStyle. Plus, the "Certified Renewed" badge means this styler has been professionally tested to be in working condition. If it's not, you have 60 days to return it and get your money back.

Our hot take is that the Shark FlexStyle would still be the move over the Airwrap, even if they were the exact same price. Mashable's Bethany Allard has tested both thoroughly and digs the variety that the plethora of possible Shark attachments bring to the table. They make up for how loud it is.

The renewed version on sale here comes with 1.25-inch auto-wrap curlers that use Coanda technology for that classic blowout look, an oval brush and a paddle brush attachment, and a style concentrator. You could use the money you saved with this deal to buy a few other attachments — the diffuser and Frizz Fighter are crowd favorites.

There's been a lot of talk online about "recession indicators" over the past few months. Now, we have a big one.

Intel is reportedly preparing for its largest round of layoffs ever.

According to a new story from Bloomberg, Intel is set to announce a massive 20 percent reduction in its workforce. This would mark the second time in less than a year that the company laid off employees. In August 2024, Intel cut 15,000 workers. After that round of layoffs, the computing giant had roughly 108,900 employees at the end of 2024.

A 20 percent workforce cut could amount to more than 21,000 employees losing their jobs.

The report says that the layoffs are a part of Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan's vision to restructure the company to "refocus" on an "engineering-driven" approach. Intel is also looking to cut costs and eliminate "bureaucracy."

The last round of layoffs targeted mostly non-manufacturing and non-engineering roles like those working in sales, marketing, and administration. It's unclear exactly what roles would be eliminated in the potential Intel layoffs. CEO Lip-Bu Tan, who took over the company last month, does appear interested in eliminating some managerial positions based on his stated plans.

Intel has struggled in recent years as Nvidia took over as the leading chipmaker, buoyed by the rise of AI. Intel has seen its sales decline for three consecutive years now. Clearly, the company is looking for a reset to get business back on track. As companies like OpenAI promise massive productivity gains from AI technology, the move could also reflect a growing confidence among tech leaders that they can now do more with less.

If Intel moves forward with layoffs, the company will join the growing list of tech companies that have laid off workers over the past year.

As the fate of Chrome hangs in the balance of the Google antitrust trial, one thing is clear: OpenAI wants to buy it.

During the ongoing remedy phase of the Department of Justice's case against Google, OpenAI executive Nick Turley testified on Tuesday that his company would be interested in buying Chrome if Google was forced to sell it. Selling the Chrome web browser is one of the DOJ's proposed remedies for breaking up Google's search monopoly.

Turley, head of product for ChatGPT, was a DOJ witness during the hearing. When asked whether OpenAI would be interested in buying Chrome if Google was forced to divest it, Turley said, “Yes, we would, as would many other parties," as Bloomberg reported.

OpenAI is one of Google's chief rivals in the artificial intelligence arms race, and acquiring Chrome could be quite the coup for OpenAI. Chrome currently has around 66 percent of the browser market share.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled last summer that "Google is a monopolist" in the search market. Now, the trial is in its remedy phase, where the court will decide how exactly to break up Google. Besides divesting from Chrome, the DOJ has also suggested that Google could share its search data with other companies.

Enter, OpenAI. Turley also testified that OpenAI approached Google last summer to strike a licensing deal for its search data for developing its ChatGPT search product, which connects ChatGPT to the web for real-time search answers. But Google turned down the offer from its rival, which has siphoned off users who prefer using ChatGPT instead of traditional search engines.

Through OpenAI's partnership with Microsoft, ChatGPT's real-time search uses Bing. But Turley (without naming Microsoft) said forcing Google to share its search data would "'allow us to build a better product faster' by 'improving the quality of real-time information,'" according to The Information.

The outlet previously reported that OpenAI was looking into building its own web browser, even hiring two central people from the Chrome division. An OpenAI web browser with ChatGPT at the forefront and increasing agentic capabilities for autonomous web browsing could be a critical new piece in the user experience.

So, while losing Chrome would be a massive blow to Google's business, losing Chrome to OpenAI could have big implications for the future of the internet as we know it.

As Pee-Wee Herman, Paul Reubens delighted generations of children through his series Pee-wee's Playhouse, and movies like Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. Big Top Pee-Wee, and Pee-Wee's Big Holiday. Meanwhile, on late night talk shows and his sold-out stage show, The Pee-Wee Herman Show, he awed adults, by making them feel like kids again. But who was the man behind the bowtie?

SEE ALSO: How 'Pee-wee’s Playhouse' became our home away from home 36 years on

Directed by Matt Wolf, Pee-Wee as Himself is a two-part documentary that features in-depth interviews with Reubens and friends, looking back on his life, his loves, his work, and on the scandals that repeatedly stalled his career. The trailer above addresses the trepidation Reubens had in surrendering his story to the control of Wolf's vision for the documentary. While this conflict between filmmaker and subject is at the core of Pee-Wee as Himself, the resulting doc is the closest fans can come to understanding the late, great Reubens.

In Mashable's review out of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, I cheered, "Pee-wee as Himself is not a simple love letter to the iconic character or Reubens. That would suggest Wolf goes easy on either, fawning over them without reservation. This is something greater."

And you can see all that it is when Pee-Wee as Himself comes to streaming next month.

How to watch: Pee-Wee as Himself: Part One debuts May 23 at 8:00-9:40 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and Max. Part Two will follows at 9:40-11:20 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and Max.

$399.99 VALUE: As of April 23, buying any of the three sizes of the 2025 Samsung Frame Pro unlocks a free Samsung Music Frame (a digital picture frame turned Bluetooth speaker).

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung The Frame Pro Neo QLED 4K Art TV (65, 75, and 85 inches) Get a free $399.99 Music Frame with purchase Get Deal

Spotting an early deal on a big tech item that just came out is always fun. But any promo attached to a flagship product hits different when tariffs are causing most other tech to get more expensive. Samsung's definitely not immune to that tariff aftershock, but somehow, it's still giving away free Dolby Atmos-fueled Music Frames to anyone who buys the new Samsung Frame Pro TV. For reference, that just released to the public a few weeks ago.

As of April 23, all three sizes of the Samsung Frame Pro Neo QLED 4K Art TV announced at CES come with one of Samsung's Music Frames for free, which usually cost $399.99. Here's the full bundle breakdown, compared to paying full price for both:

• Samsung Frame Pro 65-inch — $2,199.99 $2,599.98 (save $399.99)

• Samsung Frame Pro 75-inch — $3,199.99 $3,599.98 (save $399.99)

• Samsung Frame Pro 85-inch — $4,299.99 $4,699.98 (save $399.99)

A savings of $399.99 might seem negligible when the TV still costs thousands regardless. But hey, a free $400 Bluetooth speaker digital picture frame is a free $400 Bluetooth speaker digital picture frame. (Nothing's stopping you from selling it.) That's much cheaper than even the best sale price we've seen on the Music Frame by itself, which was $149.99 in February.

If you have an old TV to trade in or recycle, Samsung has programs for that that could save you an extra $50.

SEE ALSO: The 2025 guide to recycling electronics, beauty empties, and clothing

As a refresher, The Frame's whole bit is looking as close to framed wall art as possible when the TV's not on. Picture a picture frame-like bezel instead of the regular plasticky ones most TVs have, an anti-glare matte screen, and access to a library of high-quality digital versions of famous paintings from museums around the world.

One main difference between The Frame and The Frame Pro is the jump to a Neo QLED panel. "Neo" is essentially Samsung's version of mini LED: Neo QLED panels pack thousands of grain of sand-sized LED bulbs behind the screen, offering vast opportunities for tweaking brightness and color in each scene down to the millimeter. That customization leads to starker details and all around exquisite picture quality — quite the accomplishment, considering the regular QLED Frame still looks pretty damn good.

The Frame Pro can also connect to the Wireless One Connect Box wirelessly within 30 feet.

Politics takes a turn for the entertainingly ridiculous in the trailer for Heads of State, an action-comedy about U.S. president Will Derringer (John Cena) becoming stranded with UK prime minister (and rival) Sam Clarke (Idris Elba) in hostile territory.

With the help of MI6 agent Noel Bisset (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) the pair find themselves fighting for their lives with minimal allies, but guns and explosions aplenty. Carla Gugino (The Fall of the House of Usher), Jack Quaid (Companion), Stephen Root (Barry), Sarah Niles (Ted Lasso), Richard Coyle (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), and Paddy Considine (House of the Dragon) also star.

Heads of State is streaming on Prime Video from July 2.

Imagine an AI video chatbot you can interact with in real-time. Or if you could generate a custom "skin" for Siri, Gemini, or ChatGPT, anthropomorphizing these chatbots in a whole new way. This week, the internet moved one step closer to that reality.

On Monday, April 21, Character.AI revealed AvatarFX, a new AI video generation tool that will allow users to create realistic, long-form video from 2D images, the company said in a blog post. Character.AI users can apply for early access to AvatarFX now. The product is in private beta for now, with an exact launch date yet to be announced.

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Character.AI has more than 10 million "AI characters" that users can chat and roleplay with in real-time. Now, with AvatarFX, users can "make images come to life — and speak, sing, and emote — all with the click of a button." Character.AI promises that users will even be able to generate long-form videos with these characters. For now, users can't interact with their creations in real-time, but it's not hard to imagine that becoming a standard feature for AI chatbots in the very near future.

Do you want your AI chatbot to be a beautiful man or woman? A sci-fi-style robot companion? A vaguely erotic centaur?

A collection of AvatarFX-generated videos on the Character.ai website. Credit: Character.ai

Character.AI is already showing off the capabilities of its new tool, including some videos that will make AI critics very depressed. Not only do the sample videos include a controversial Studio Ghibli-style video podcast, but also a video based on Al Pacino in Scarface and a popular portrait of Albert Einstein.

To prevent deepfakes, the company has put several safety measures in place, including a watermark that will be applied to all videos. In the blog post announcing the new tool, the company outlined a "one-strike policy" for users who violate the terms of service, which "prohibit impersonation, bullying, deepfakes, and use of protected IP without permission."

Interested users can head to the AI chat site to join the waitlist for the AvatarFX beta.

WhatsApp just launched a new level of privacy: Advanced Chat Privacy.

WhatsApp has always had end-to-end encryption, a feature on many messaging apps, including Signal and Facebook Messenger, that ensures your message can't be read while it's being sent. WhatsApp also has other privacy features, like disappearing messages and chat locks. But on Wednesday, the app launched "Advanced Chat Privacy."

SEE ALSO: WhatsApp video calls now have backgrounds and filters

"Advanced Chat Privacy," available in one-on-one chats and group chats, blocks users from exporting chats, auto-downloading media, and using messages for AI features.

"WhatsApp groups are increasingly an extension of our real-world networks, some of which are far closer than others," the Meta-owned app said in its blog post about the feature. "We think this feature is best used when talking with groups where you may not know everyone closely but are nevertheless sensitive in nature, like talking about health challenges in a support group or organizing your community about something important to you."

How to use WhatsApp's Advanced Chat Privacy

To use the feature, make sure your app is updated, tap the chat name, and then tap "Advanced Chat Privacy."

Of course, it's important to remember that even the most advanced privacy measures can't help you if you add a high-level journalist to your text conversation and start talking about imminent military plans.

SAVE 33%: As of April 23, you can get the Soundcore Anker Life Q20 hybrid ANC headphones for just $39.99, down from $59.99 at Amazon. That's a 33% discount and a savings of $20.

Opens in a new window Credit: Soundcore Soundcore Anker Life Q20 $39.99 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $20 Get Deal

If you need a little peace and quiet but aren’t willing to spend Sony- or Bose-level money on a pair of noise-canceling headphones, we’ve got a deal for you.

As of April 23, you can score the Anker Life Q20 hybrid ANC headphones for just $39.99, down from $59.99, at Amazon. That’s 33% off the list price and a savings of $20 on an already budget-friendly pair of headphones.

SEE ALSO: The 9 best headphones of 2025

But don’t let the low price fool you. These headphones have some pretty impressive features, including Soundcore’s BassUp technology, which analyzes and intensifies bass in real-time for an even better listening experience (think: EDM or hip-hop). And thanks to the hybrid active noise cancellation, the Life Q20 headphones can detect and cancel out a wider range of low- and mid-frequency noises, such as cars and airplane engines.

You’ll also get up to 40 hours of non-stop playtime in ANC mode, or 60 hours in standard mode, and if you’re low on juice, you can get four hours of listening from a quick five-minute charge.

SAVE $17.04: As of April 23, get the Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon for $67.95, down from is usual price of $84.99, at Amazon. That's a 20% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon $67.95 at Amazon
$84.99 Save $17.04 Get Deal

If you spend your time daydreaming about what it's like to hang out in a galaxy far, far away, one of your favorite ships is likely the Millennium Falcon. It's an iconic Star Wars staple. Now, you can build your own with a collectible Lego kit. Right now, you can get one on sale, so you can spend some time putting together your own miniature version of the starship that everyone knows.

As of April 23, get the Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon for $67.95, down from is usual price of $84.99, at Amazon. That's a discount of $17.04, or 20% off.

SEE ALSO: Get a Kindle Colorsoft at its new all-time low price at Amazon

This model is meant to be built and displayed, as it comes with a special buildable stand and nameplate that you can use to show off your hard work. It's meticulously detailed, with all of the most important parts of the Millennium Falcon represented, brick by brick. That includes the cockpit, satellite dish, cannons, and every single little detail. It's up to you to bring it all together.

The set itself is 921 pieces, so it's a bit of a detailed job, meaning you can put it together yourself or grab a friend to help. If you do choose to build with a kid, though, you'll have to supervise the job: this is a kit meant for adults. When it's finished, it'll stand 5 inches high, 9.5 inches long, and 7.5 inches wide.

If you want a new Lego challenge, or you know someone who does, this is a great gift for any Star Wars fan.

SAVE 20%: As of April 23, you can get a Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition (32GB) for $224.99, down from $279.99 at Amazon. That's a 20% discount and a savings of $55. It's also the lowest price we've seen on this model yet.

Opens in a new window Credit: Kindle Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition (32GB) $224.99 at Amazon
$279.99 Save $55 Get Deal

If you’re tired of relying on your phone for everything, why not upgrade to a Kindle? Then you can read the news, follow recipes, listen to audiobooks, and so much more without being interrupted by work emails, social media notifications, or any other distractions.

As of April 23, the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition (32GB) is at a new all-time low price at Amazon. You can get it with or without three free months of Kindle Unlimited for $224.99, down from $279.99. That’s a 20% discount and a savings of $55. The sale coincides with Amazon’s annual Book Sale that lasts through April 29, with up to 80% off select e-books.

SEE ALSO: The best e-readers to shop during the Amazon Book Sale

The Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition has a seven-inch, glare-free display that’s designed to be easy on the eyes with “paper-like color.” The screen adapts to your surroundings for comfortable reading indoors and out. Unlike the Paperwhite, the Kindle Colorsoft is optimized for reading in color, and you can invert the black text and white background for easier nighttime reading. Plus, it’s waterproof, so you can take it to the beach, the pool, or the bathtub without worry.

The Signature Edition comes with 32GB of storage, which is enough to hold thousands of books, comics, and audiobooks.

TL;DR: Live stream select NBA games for free on Ran.de. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The NBA is a unique sport. There's nothing else in which incredibly tall athletes can be made to look tiny by aliens who could probably touch the sun if they stood on tip toes. And almost all of these shockingly tall athletes display a skillset that mere mortals can't even fathom.

The NBA could make a legitimate argument that it hosts the very best athletes in the world. Sure, the NFL might disagree. And rugby definitely attracts some special specimens. But the NBA has a bunch of seven footers dunking on each other. That's tough to beat.

If you are interested in watching the NBA for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

What is the NBA?

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America made up of 30 teams (29 from the United States and one from Canada). The reigning league champions are the Boston Celtics.

When is the NBA?

The NBA regular season runs from Oct. 22 to April 13. The play-in tournament is scheduled to be played on April 15-18, followed by the playoffs on the next day, and concluding with the NBA Finals in June.

How to watch the NBA for free

Free-to-air channel ProSieben airs select NBA games, with free live streaming available on Ran.de. Fans can watch two NBA games every weekend during the regular season, with many playoff and finals fixtures also available to watch for free.

Ran.de is geo-restricted to Germany, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Germany, meaning you can access this streaming service from anywhere in the world.

Stream the NBA for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Germany

4. Connect to Ran.de

5. Watch the NBA for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer money-back guarantees or free trials. By leveraging these offers, you can watch NBA live streams without actually spending anything. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch select NBA games before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for the NBA?

ExpressVPN is the best service for streaming live sport on Ran.de, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Germany

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy

• Fast streaming speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Watch the NBA for free with ExpressVPN.

Google is guilty. So, now what?

Last summer, Google lost a landmark antitrust case. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta declared that “Google is a monopolist,” finding the company acted illegally to maintain dominance over the search engine market.

SEE ALSO: Google just lost a big antitrust case for running illegal ad tech monopoly

Now, Google is back in court — this time for the remedy phase of the case, where the U.S. government argues what actions Google should be forced to take to dismantle its monopoly.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) wants to break up the tech giant. Google is fighting to convince the judge that less drastic steps would address concerns, without handing an advantage to foreign rivals. No matter the outcome, this trial is likely to reshape how the internet works.

What this trial isn't about

This case is separate from the antitrust suit Google lost earlier this month over its ad tech monopoly (not to mention a recent antitrust action against Google in Japan). So, these remedies don’t involve Google Ad Manager or its advertising tools.

Instead, this trial’s outcomes could affect nearly everyone who uses the internet.

The DOJ's proposed remedies

To break Google's hold over the search market, the DOJ has proposed several potential remedies:

1. Sell off Chrome

At the top of the DOJ’s list: force Google to divest Chrome, its dominant web browser.

The government argues Chrome gives Google an unfair edge by directing users to Google Search by default. With around 66 percent of the global web browser market share, Chrome is tightly integrated with Google’s search engine, reinforcing the company’s dominance. Already, AI rival OpenAI has expressed interest in buying Chrome.

Selling Chrome would be a worst-case scenario for Google, but it’s not the only remedy on the table.

2. Share user data

The DOJ also wants Google to share some user data with rival companies to help foster competition in the search market.

3. End exclusive deals Credit: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images

A core issue in the original case was Google’s whopping $20 billion-per-year deal with Apple to be the default search engine on iPhones. The DOJ wants to ban such agreements going forward, not just for search, but also for emerging technologies like AI.

For instance, the government wants to prevent Google from paying device makers to exclusively use its AI assistant, Gemini, as generative AI becomes a standard smartphone feature.

4. Unbundle Android

Rather than forcing Google to sell Android, its mobile operating system, the DOJ is pushing for a different remedy: unbundling.

If approved, this would mean third-party Android phone makers could ship devices without pre-installed Google apps like Search or the Play Store, giving users more freedom to choose alternatives.

Google's response

Google has made it clear: it disagrees with the verdict. Now, it's focused on fighting the proposed remedies and appealing the ruling.

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In a post on its official blog, the company said the DOJ’s proposals would hurt consumers, weaken the U.S. economy, and damage America's position as a tech leader. It called the remedies an example of an "interventionist agenda."

Google’s defense is that People use its products because they like them, not because they’re forced to. It argues that breaking up its services or changing default settings would only inconvenience users.

To support its case, Google is expected to call on allies like Apple, Microsoft, and Mozilla. Mozilla, for instance, has said it depends on Google’s funding for its Firefox browser — a relationship Google will highlight to show that its partnerships support the broader internet ecosystem.

Google will also heavily emphasize user safety and privacy in its defense. Chrome is based on Google’s open-source Chromium platform, which powers browsers like Microsoft Edge and Opera. Google will argue that a forced sale of Chrome would make it harder to maintain security updates and protect user privacy, not just for Chrome but also for all Chromium-based browsers. The company will likely utilize the same security and privacy argument to fight back against the DOJ remedy that would force Google to share its search data with competitors.

Google is also expected to stress the implications of sharing user data with foreign competitors. It wouldn't be surprising to see Google point to AI companies like China's DeepSeek to make the case that the U.S. government would be ceding ground to these foreign competitors by breaking up Google.

As for remedies, Google has its own suggestions. The company says it would provide smartphone makers with more "flexibility" in choosing which apps are pre-loaded on Android devices. Google will also argue that partnerships like the one with Apple should be allowed to exist, but again, with more "flexibility" regarding the exclusivity of such a deal.

The future of the web Credit: Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

This case isn’t just about today’s search engines. It’s about the future of AI and how we access information online.

Google has warned that the DOJ’s remedies could "chill" its innovation in AI, which it calls “perhaps the most important innovation of our time.” In court, Google may downplay its AI dominance and point to OpenAI’s growing influence in the search business as proof of a competitive market.

OpenAI, for its part, is watching closely. During the trial, one executive even said the company would be interested in buying Chrome if Google is forced to sell. That raises a question: Would replacing one tech giant with another really solve the problem?

Whatever the courts decide, this trial and its verdict will likely cause reverberations across the internet.

Lately, AAA games have left me feeling a little uninspired. There’s a sameness to it all — big budgets, bigger expectations, and not a lot of heart. So when an AA game comes out of nowhere, clearly made out of a love for the game, it’s a real breath of fresh air.

That game is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the debut title from French studio Sandfall Interactive. A Western JRPG that proudly wears its Final Fantasy and Persona influences on its sleeve; it first turned heads at the Xbox Games Showcase back in June 2024. Since then, it’s quietly built momentum thanks to its gorgeous visuals and a combat system that fuses turn-based mechanics with real-time elements.

SEE ALSO: 'Bionic Bay' Review: A speedrunner's delight

After spending 24 hours with the game on PS5, I can confidently say that the hype is real, and the game delivers.

The greatest expedition ever Credit: Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive

Make all the jokes you want about the name, but Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 isn’t trying to be subtle. The title actually makes sense once you get into it. Set in a surreal, living painting of a world, you play as Gustave (played by Daredevil: Born Again’s Charlie Cox), a citizen of the fractured city of Lumière and a member of a group known as Expedition 33.

In this universe, every year, a mysterious, god-like being called The Paintress paints a number onto her monolith. That number is the age of the people who will be erased from existence that year. They call it the gommage (French for "erased"). However, the catch is the number descends each year — and when the game starts, it’s 33.

That’s where Expedition 33 comes in. It's made up of volunteers who are all 32 years old, giving them exactly one year left before their number comes up. Every year, a new Expedition sets out in a last-ditch effort to stop The Paintress and break the cycle. And yeah, it’s been happening for a while (for about a century now, in fact).

As you’d expect, the latest Expedition doesn’t exactly go smoothly. Things go sideways almost immediately, thanks to the arrival of Renoir, a cryptic older figure who basically steamrolls the group. Gustave survives and ends up joining forces with the few remaining members: Lune, the mage and inquisitive scholar; Sciel, a calm and friendly fighter; and Maelle, Gustave's adopted sister/daughter and a 16-year-old who just wants to see the world while she still can.

You’ll meet a whole cast of odd, memorable characters on your journey, but I won’t spoil those moments here. Just know the writing hits. It balances weird, poetic world-building with grounded, emotional storytelling. Sure, it leans into the melodrama now and then, but it earns it.

They’re written with care — serious people with real motivations, not just vehicles for snappy dialogue. Gustave is just trying to find Maelle and make it home. Lune is focused on finishing the mission, no matter what. Sciel, who’s already lost her husband, seems oddly at peace with the idea of death and mostly just goes with the flow.

They don’t always agree, but when conflict comes up, they actually talk things through like adults. No sarcastic barbs, no forced jokes — just people under extreme pressure, trying to deal with it the best they can. I appreciated that the writers trusted you to pick things up without over-explaining.

I’ll admit, a few story beats near the end didn’t quite sit right with me. Not dealbreakers, but enough to make me pause and go, "hmm, really?" Still, I went along for the ride. For a game heavy on narrative, that’s one of the few complaints I can point to. As for the world itself, the game makes a point of never spelling anything out.

Everyone talks about Gesterals like it’s common knowledge (news to me), and apparently, every kid in Lumière was raised on the legendary exploits of Esquie — whatever that is. It’s all intentional, there's a bigger picture here, but let’s be clear: if you feel like the game hasn’t explained a single damn thing, you’re not wrong.

Fight for tomorrow Credit: Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive

High fantasy has never really done it for me. Whether it’s a lack of imagination or just too much bad writing, the genre usually doesn’t click. Expedition 33 managed to change that. The world is so well-realized that I found myself fully immersed once the story settled in.

Expedition 33 is a turn-based action game with some light RTS mechanics. You take turns attacking enemies, but quick-time events can increase your damage during your moves. Timing also matters on defense—you’ll need to dodge and parry attacks to stay alive.

The dodge and parry system ended up being one of my main frustrations. Enemy attack timings often felt like they were tuned specifically to be annoying. Late-game bosses, in particular, use fake-outs and stuttered attack patterns, making reacting in time unnecessarily difficult. The design reminded me of Elden Ring, where bosses seem capable of reacting to your inputs and adjusting their combos mid-animation. The fact that I accidentally played half the game in Quality mode at 30FPS didn’t help. It made those already tight windows feel even worse.

SEE ALSO: 'Andor' Season 2 review: The best Star Wars show goes out with a brilliant bang

Performance on PS5 was mostly solid, aside from a few technical hiccups. Sound design was inconsistent — cutscene transitions were occasionally off, and during battles, the music would sometimes cut out entirely, like the audio file ran out and wasn’t set to loop. It's not a dealbreaker, but noticeable enough to mention.

Combat in Expedition 33 will feel familiar to anyone who’s played a classic JRPG. On their turn, each party member can use items, perform a basic attack, or trigger special abilities that consume Attack Points (AP). Every character also has a large skill tree, allowing you to shape their playstyle to fit your preferences.

Gustave plays like a paladin — he can hit hard but also brings passive buffs to support the team. His signature ability, Overcharge, builds energy in his mechanical arm with each attack. Once it hits 10 charges, he can unleash a powerful electric strike for serious damage.

Credit: Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive

Lune fills the mage role. She has access to healing spells but leans heavily into elemental damage. Her special system, Stain, lets her stack magical effects, which she can later convert into boosted attacks or stronger healing.

Maelle acts as the rogue archetype. She uses different stances to increase her damage output, though each stance also raises the amount of damage she takes in return. She’s high risk, high reward.

Sciel rounds out the group as a warrior. Her mechanic, Foretell, is built around Sun and Moon cards. She applies these effects in battle, then consumes them to enter a Twilight phase, which temporarily boosts her damage, sometimes doubling or even tripling it.

You can only bring three characters into battle at a time, so party composition does matter — but it doesn’t take long to figure out who pulls their weight and who can sit out. The enemy design is one of the game’s real highlights. The Paintress’s creations, known as Nevrons, shift in form depending on the environment, and the art direction here is genuinely impressive.

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In one early area, Flying Waters — a visually striking inverted seafloor with an ocean suspended above you — the Nevrons resemble crab-like sea creatures with antique diving helmets. They don’t exactly switch up their attack patterns much, but they look cool as hell and fit the surreal tone of the game perfectly.

The worst of the bunch are flying enemies. You can’t hit them with standard attacks or most skills. Instead, you have to use a mechanic called Free Aim, which lets you manually target and shoot enemies. It’s also the only way to hit weak points or apply marks, which makes targets more vulnerable to follow-up damage. Every shot costs AP, so it’s not something you can spam without consequences.

The issue is when the game leans too hard into this. Some areas are stacked entirely with flying enemies, and since they can’t be touched by normal attacks or skills, your options become frustratingly limited.

Credit: Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive

The last major layer of Expedition 33’s combat system comes in the form of Pictos and Luminas. Pictos are passive upgrades you can equip — each character gets three slots. These range from basic boosts like acting first in combat or increasing healing effectiveness to more strategic ones like earning extra AP for pulling off a perfect dodge.

Then there’s Luminas, which is where things start to get interesting. After winning four battles with a Picto equipped, you unlock the option to permanently add it to a character using Lumina points. So, if you’re using the “Dodger” Picto, which gives +1 AP on a perfect dodge, you can burn a Lumina point to keep that bonus forever, even while equipping a different Picto in its slot.

Lumina points themselves can be upgraded at camps using items you collect throughout the world. It’s a solid system that rewards experimentation without locking you into one build. The more you play around with it, the stronger your team gets and the more flexibility you have in fights.

Weapons are upgradeable, too, but honestly, this felt like the least interesting part of character progression. As you find or level up weapons, they’ll come with passive bonuses and elemental effects — some useful, some situational. It’s worth swapping them out depending on who you’re fighting, but compared to the depth of Pictos, Luminas, and the skill trees, the weapon system doesn’t leave much of an impression.

Exploring the continent Credit: Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive

The world outside of Lumière is a freaky little place that feels both alien and familiar. Floating islands hang in the sky, surrounded by swirling clouds and strange glowing light. Forests and fields mix with ancient ruins and overgrown tech, creating a space that feels lived-in but mysterious. One area is filled with calm meadows and flowers, while another is littered with massive broken machines and glowing coral-like structures.

It’s a strange mix, but it works. The environments feel like they’re telling a story even when nothing is happening. One moment you're standing in a peaceful glade carpeted in violet wildflowers, and the next you're navigating a biomechanical graveyard littered with the remnants of titanic constructs and crystalline growths. It’s a visual fever dream, but with just enough grounded naturalism to make you believe you could actually step into it

Exploration will undoubtedly draw many comparisons to Final Fantasy X, and it’s pretty spot-on. The areas look big and open at first glance, but they’re mostly linear, with a few branching paths here and there. Sometimes, you’ll find a side character tucked away or stumble into a group of unsettling mime-like enemies that feel like they wandered in from someone’s nightmare. But don’t expect wide-open zones or massive side quests early on.

Between these areas, you travel across a tilt-shifted overworld map. It’s a nice visual change, and it’s not just for show — the overworld has enemy encounters and scattered NPCs you can interact with. Most of them are Gestrals, odd little creatures modeled after those wooden drawing mannequins. They’re a bit dim but extremely friendly, and they live for combat. You can trade with them and sometimes challenge them to fight for bonus loot.

The overworld stays pretty restricted until Act 3, where it finally opens up and offers a bunch of optional dungeons and extra areas to explore. Until then, it’s more about moving from point A to B, meeting a few oddballs, and occasionally punching them for treasure.

While exploring the continent, you’ll occasionally be able to set up camp. This is where you can rest, upgrade Luminas, and enhance your weapons with the help of the Curator — a skeletal, hollow-like figure who rescues Maelle early on and eventually takes up residence in your camp after leaving The Manor. He’s vaguely unsettling to look at, but he makes my weapons hit harder.

Camp is also where you can check in with your party members. Don’t expect Baldur’s Gate 3-level character interaction here. Dialogue is limited, and most of the deeper camp-related content doesn’t even unlock until well into Act 2. Can’t say much more without spoiling it, but just know that even when it opens up, the camp system is more of a light touch. Still, it’s a nice moment of calm between the heavier parts of the game, giving you a chance to connect with the group more groundedly.

Jeu magnifique, magnifique

Despite the sound issues, Expedition 33’s music rules. The orchestral strings, the moody piano motifs—it all just works. The soundtrack elevates every moment, whether it’s a quiet walk through a dreamlike landscape or a boss fight that’s making you question your reflexes and life choices.

Visually, the game is just as strong. Beyond the high fantasy setting, it leans heavily into Belle Époque-era France, the supposed golden age of the nation from 1874 and 1914. So yes, if it wasn’t obvious already, this game is unapologetically French. Lumière, the main city, is essentially just Paris with a new name. ("Lumière" literally means "light," and Paris is the City of Lights — subtle, it is not.)

Even in Performance mode on PS5, the game looks great. The world design is gorgeous, full of painterly detail, with environments that feel like they were made to be PC wallpapers. The paint-themed aesthetic extends to the characters and enemy design, which often draws directly from art history. Don’t be surprised when a YouTube video essay titled "An Art Historian Plays Clair Obscur" drops a year from now.

Suffice to say, the game hits like crack in all the right ways.

Is Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 worth it? Credit: Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive

Expedition 33 isn’t perfect — combat can be frustrating, especially with the parry system and flying enemies, and some of the deeper mechanics don’t fully open up until later in the game. But what Sandfall Interactive has built here is something genuinely unique.

The story is slow-burning but rewarding, with grounded, well-written characters who don’t deflect with quips. The world is strange, stylish, and unapologetically French, backed by a gorgeous soundtrack and painterly visuals that make even the quiet moments feel intentional.

It’s not perfect, but it's bold, weird, and full of heart. If you're into character-driven RPGs with a distinct vibe and don’t mind a few rough edges, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is absolutely worth your time.

From photo timers to music identifiers, here are a few new iPhone and Android tools to make your life easier.

Wednesday Addams is back to torment the citizens of Jericho alongside the students of Nevermore Academy for another semester, with Netflix releasing the first teaser trailer for Wednesday Season 2.

Back in the braids for Tim Burton's series is spooky star Jenna Ortega, alongside Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán as Wednesday's parents Morticia and Gomez Addams, Emma Myers as teen werewolf Enid Sinclair, Fred Armisen as everyone's favourite freaky uncle Fester Addams, and Joy Sunday as teen siren Bianca Barclay.

In the horror-packed trailer, Wednesday very much fails an airport security check with every blade and weapon in the book, reunites with her Nevermore roomie and a very creepy doll, casually wields an axe, appears to be playing some kind of school sport?!, and generally "does her best work in the dark." Click click!

Wednesday Season 2 will launch in two parts on Aug. 6 (Part 1) and Sept. 3 (Part 2) this year on Netflix.

On many roads across the U.S., this is a familiar scene: Drivers talk, text, click, scroll, read, and even film themselves to make social media content — all while piloting what is essentially a dangerous, or deadly, machine.

Maybe you are even among these drivers. After all, your phone and its apps are built to keep you engaged. And that console on your dashboard constantly needs your attention with its alerts about slowdowns, incoming calls, and missed messages.

A new survey commissioned by the location-based service and app Life360, which tracks driver behavior, puts some numbers to the problem of chronically online drivers. You might be surprised to learn that it affects every generation, not just the youngest motorists.

SEE ALSO: Smooth, silent, strange: What it's really like to hail a robotaxi

The survey results, paired with Life360's own proprietary data, indicate that some drivers are taking shocking risks on the road in order to stay on their phone. Even if they get to their destination without harming themselves or someone else, scientific research has shown that the human brain simply can't safely manage the simultaneous demands of driving and phone.

How bad is distracted driving, really?

Life360's recent survey of 1,000 U.S. drivers between the ages of 16 and 65 found that more than a third texted, 19 percent scrolled through social media, and 16 percent watched online videos while driving, with varying degrees of frequency.

These figures were higher for Gen Z drivers; 13 percent of them said they frequently viewed online videos behind the wheel, while only 4 percent of all respondents did the same. Similarly, while only 7.5 percent of all participants texted often on the road, that jumped to 16.5 percent of Gen Z drivers. Only roughly a third of Gen Z drivers rarely or never texted.

But older respondents were also guilty of the same behavior — they just do it less frequently.

Between 5 and 6 percent of Millennials in the survey admitted to frequently texting, scrolling, and watching while driving. Overall, between 6 and 29 percent of Gen X respondents text, scroll social media, and watch online videos, frequently, often, or occasionally.

Though less than a percent of Baby Boomers texted frequently or often while driving, 20 percent of them did so occasionally.

Life360's analysis of its own data from 55 million opted-in users, over the period between January 2024 and early April 2025, also provides insight into aggressive driving patterns, which may be affected partly by delayed or sudden reactions due to being distracted.

Life360 found that Gen Z drivers indeed speed 84 percent more often than Baby Boomers, and that speeding and rapid acceleration both peak for users around age 20. The company also saw an 8 percent year-over-year nationwide increase in trips with rapid acceleration between January 2024 and January 2025.

More than 3,200 Americans were killed in crashes that involved distracted drivers in 2023, according to the latest data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

The trick distracted drivers play on themselves

Dr. Paul Atchley, a professor of psychology at the University of South Florida who studies distracted driving, says the simple truth is that driving wears the human brain out.

"We're used to driving, so it seems easy, but frankly, there's a lot going on during the process of getting from point A to point B safely as a driver," says Atchley, who was not involved in Life360's survey and research. "When you try to combine that with a secondary task that also requires a lot of your brain, your brain has to make compromises."

As a result, a distracted driver scans the environment less well, doesn't perceive objects, and can be slower to react, or not react at all.

Atchley says drivers continue to pick up their phones on the road because of a concept called "perception as the grand illusion."

Typically, when someone is behind the wheel, their expansive field of vision can make it feel like they're observing everything. The reality, however, is that the brain processes only a fraction of what someone sees.

So when a distracted driver doesn't notice the pedestrian at the crosswalk and there's no accident, they have no evidence to counter their perception as a grand illusion. Instead, they start to believe that "they drove perfectly well," Atchley says.

Yet years of research shows this generally just isn't true. Even asking a hands-free voice-command assistant to compose and send a text message while driving distracts the brain long enough that it takes 27 seconds to regain full attention.

"These infotainment systems can present the same kinds of distracting information that you get with your phone." - Dr. Paul Atchley, professor of psychology at the University of South Florida

Atchley says drivers are also fooled by interactive consoles in their cars. His own research on console-based systems found that people were far more willing to interact with them, even for the same type of activity they'd do with a handheld phone. They believed them to be safety-tested, but that's not the case, according to Atchley.

"These infotainment systems can present the same kinds of distracting information that you get with your phone," he says.

Atchley says there's a small percentage of drivers who simply can't limit their phone use while in the car. For those individuals, he recommends restricting their access to a connected device every time they drive, by turning it off or putting it out of reach.

"Once that phone's in the car...it's very difficult for a driver whose brain is trying to pay attention to the road and doesn't have a lot of willpower left over to not interact with it," Atchley says.

For all drivers, he says that any activity on a phone or hands-free system that takes longer than two seconds — or the amount of time you'd spend turning the AC on or switching radio stations — just isn't safe.