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The countdown is progressing — there's less than two weeks of shopping left before Santa graces us with his presence. But just because we're closing in on the big day doesn't mean you have to overspend. There's plenty of deals at Amazon to help you stick to your budget and we've rounded up some of our top picks to add to your cart on Dec. 12.
Here are our top picks for the best Amazon deals of the day. If none of these are your cup of tea, be sure to check out our picks from Dec. 10 and Dec. 11 as well. Many of those are still live, including a $100 Lyft gift card for only $85 and the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 at its best price ever.
Our top pick: Fire TV Stick 4K Max + Luna Controller Cloud Gaming Bundle Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max + Luna Controller Cloud Gaming Bundle $79.98 at AmazonYou don't need to buy a $500 gaming console to enjoy a high-end gaming experience. This Amazon gaming bundle gives you the essentials to get started with Amazon's game streaming service, Luna, for just $79.98. That's 38% off its usual price. The bundle includes the Fire TV Stick 4K Max and a Luna controller, which our friends at PCMag (also owned by Ziff Davis) called "an excellent gamepad that provides the optimal Luna game-streaming experience." The real standout is its separate WiFi connection, which helps reduce input lag as you play. While technically an optional add-on for the Luna gaming experience, they called it a "must-have." The Fire TV Stick 4K Max allows you to access popular games — all you'll need to get started is the Luna app and a Prime or Luna subscription.
Sonos Ace Opens in a new window Credit: Sonos Sonos Ace $349.00 at AmazonThe first Sonos headphones dropped earlier this year and they're a force to be reckoned with. It's unsurprising, given that the brand makes some of our favorite audio equipment. They're aesthetically a 10, boast exceptional sound quality and spatial audio, and have a stellar 30-hour battery life with ANC. While we wish the ear cup seal was tighter to improve noise cancellation, Mashable's Deputy Reviews Editor Miller Kern still said she would recommend the Sonos Ace to "true audiophiles who value incredible sound quality above all else." The price is a bit steep at $449, but they're back down to their Black Friday price of $349 as of Dec. 12. That's 22% in savings.
Check out Mashable's full review of the Sonos Ace.
Yeti Hopper M15 Soft Cooler Opens in a new window Credit: Yeti Yeti Hopper M15 Soft Cooler $210.00 at AmazonIf you've ever tried to haul a full-size hard cooler across a parking lot for a tailgate or worse, a beach, then you know how much of a struggle it can be. That's where the Yeti Hopper M15 Soft Cooler takes the cake. Ideal for everything from overnight camping trips to beach picnics to tailgates, this soft cooler is easy to tote around, even when it's packed to the brim. Speaking of which, it can hold up to 32 cans or 15 pounds of ice in its leak-resistant, puncture-resistant, closed-cell rubber-insulated shell. It's usually $300, but you can save $90 and pick it up for only $210 as of Dec. 12. That's $15 cheaper than it was on Black Friday.
Amazon Echo Hub Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Hub $124.99 at AmazonInstead of keeping smart device control locked inside of someone's phone in your household, Amazon created the Echo Hub. Think of it as our smart home's brain. It offers a full-featured control panel with instant access to all of your gadgets — smart lighting, cameras, switches, doorbells, thermostat, etc. Everyone can play music, stream videos, ask Alexa questions, dim the lights, adjust the temperature, or see who's on the other side of the door in one central spot in your home. As of Dec. 12, it's on sale for $124.99 — that's 31% off its usual cost of $179.99.
Bose SoundLink Revolve+ Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose SoundLink Revolve+ (Series II) $229.00 at AmazonBose is a powerhouse in the audio world and its SoundLink Revolve+ II is further proof. It's one of our favorite portable Bluetooth speakers because of its true 360-degree surround sound experience. The second-generation speaker bumps up the battery life from 12 to 17 hours, is a bit louder, has improved bass levels, and features a convenient handle on top for portability. It's usually $329, but as of Dec. 12, you can pick it up at Amazon for only $229 and get a $10 Amazon credit to spend on a future purchase.
None of these deals catching your eye? Check out Amazon's daily deals for even more savings.
SAVE $35.97: New to Spotify Premium? Sign up now and enjoy three months free. Experience ad-free music, offline playback, and more.
Opens in a new window Credit: Spotify Spotify Premium (3 Months Free) $0.03 at SpotifyIf you’ve yet to sign out of your ex's Spotify account, now's the time.
As of Dec. 12, Spotify’s offering a limited-time deal where you can score three months of Spotify Premium for free. That’s a savings of $11.99/month, or $35.97 total. Once the three months are up, you’ll need to decide whether to continue your subscription or revert to the free plan.
SEE ALSO: When does Spotify Wrapped start tracking for 2025? What we know.With an Individual Premium account, you can listen to music ad-free whenever and wherever you want. You’ll also get up to 15 hours of audiobook listening per month.
This deal is only available to new Premium subscribers, so if you've had a Premium account before, you'll need to use a different email address to take advantage of the offer.
Other Spotify Premium plans include Student ($5.99/month), Duo ($16.99/month), and Family ($19.99/month). The Duo plan is for two account holders living at the same address, while the Family plan covers up to six Premium accounts for people living together.
The ACLU is sounding the alarm on the nation's police forces increasingly leaning on artificial intelligence.
In a six-page white paper released Dec. 10, the nation's largest civil rights group warns that the implementation of popular generative AI tech, like chatbots and drafting tools, is an overstep of technological advancement and poses a threat to American civil liberties.
The organization specifically singles out the use of Draft One, a controversial generative AI tool that assists police officers in drafting reports based on body cam audio and relies on OpenAI's GPT-4 model. Several police departments around the nation have gradually tested AI tools over the last year, including Draft One. That number is on the rise, with cities around the U.S. pitching generative AI features as a solution to budget and staffing constraints.
SEE ALSO: What OpenAI's Sora means for the future of truthExperts have criticized the implementation of this tech, citing the essential role police reports play across judicial decision making, from investigation and discovery to sentencing.
"The forcing function of writing out a justification, and then swearing to its truth, and publicizing that record to other legal professionals (prosecutors/judges) is a check on police power," wrote law expert Andrew Guthrie Ferguson in one of the first law reviews of AI-drafted police reports. The report is cited by the ACLU in its white paper.
The ACLU outlines four major areas of concern in its white paper, including the necessary accountability process of human-written reports Ferguson describes. In its analysis, the organization emphasizes the uncertainty stoked by biases and hallucinations inherent to the tech itself, and questions the transparency of these processes to the public at large — not to mention its data privacy implications. According to the organization, relying more on the interpretation of generative AI tools than human memory and a police officer's subjective observations is to the detriment of a fair judicial process.
If AI is the next frontier for police officers, the ACLU urges, it should be used only after human memory has been recorded. AI tools could transcribe audio-recorded verbal narratives created by the officers involved, the organization explains, which could be submitted in tandem for review.
But, contrary to the recommendations of civil rights groups, AI's leaders are steadily investing in police and military applications of their technology.
"Police reports play a crucial role in our justice system. They are central to the criminal proceedings that determine people’s innocence, guilt, and punishment, and are often the only official account of what took place during a particular incident," the ACLU writes. "AI report-writing technology removes important human elements from police procedures and is too new, too untested, too unreliable, too opaque, and too biased to be inserted into our criminal justice system."
SAVE $130: As of Dec. 12, you can snag a Blink Outdoor 4 wireless smart home security system for $129.99. That's a 50% discount or $130 off.
Opens in a new window Credit: Blink Blink Outdoor 4 (3-camera system) $129.99 at AmazonYou can never be too safe when protecting your home and loved ones, especially during the holiday season when package thieves and burglars are on the prowl. If you haven’t installed a smart security system yet, now’s the time to do it.
As of Dec. 12, the Blink Outdoor 4 (3-camera) wireless security system is available for $129.99 at Amazon. That’s $130 off the list price or a 50% discount.
SEE ALSO: Why a security suite is a must for young familiesThe Blink Outdoor 4 is Blink’s fourth-generation wireless smart camera and a powerful yet affordable home security solution. It has two-way audio, motion detection, night vision, and weatherproof housing that can withstand the elements.
You can enable person detection via the optional Blink Subscription Plan (sold separately), which also gives you cloud storage for your video clips, or you can store recordings locally on the included sync module.
With a two-year battery life and a quick and easy setup, the Blink Outdoor 4 is a hassle-free way to monitor your home. It’s also Alexa compatible, so you can use voice commands to view live footage on your Echo Show or Fire TV device.
SAVE UP TO $200: As of Dec. 12, Best Buy is offering extra savings on Apple products leading up to the holidays. Find all iPad models on sale, including the iPad Pro, for up to $200 off. Get the iPad Pro 13-inch for $1,099, saving 15%.
Best iPad deals Best iPad deal Apple iPad, 10th generation (A14 chip, 64GB, WiFi) $279 at Best Buy (Save $70) Get Deal Best iPad Air deal Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M2 chip, 128GB, WiFi) $499 at Best Buy (Save $100) Get Deal Best iPad Pro deal Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M4 chip, 256GB, WiFi) $1,099 at Best Buy (Save $200) Get Deal Best iPad Mini deal Apple iPad Mini (A17 chip, 128GB, WiFi) $449 at Best Buy (Save $50) Get DealThis year, Apple went all in on iPads, revamping the Air, Pro, and Mini models. The iPad Pro got the M4 chip before any MacBook, making it not just the speediest tablet we've ever tested, but giving it more processing power than many laptops. Plus, the Mini, which still comes in a delightfully compact 8.3-inch size, got an upgrade to the A17 chip and is now compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro.
So with Apple's big year in tablets, it's no wonder they're the darling of the holiday season. If you're looking to gift a tablet to yourself or a loved one this season, iPads are a no-brainer. Not only do they have laptop-level speed and performance, but they're versatile. iPads let you work, design, stream, and read all from one compact device.
In the post-Cyber Week haze, Best Buy has kept the good deals rolling with a special Apple shopping event, offering exclusive savings on devices. Today is the last day, so if you've had something in your shopping cart, now is the time to hit buy. There are exceptional iPad deals, and here are the best deals to shop now.
Best iPad deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad, 10th generation (A14 chip, 64GB, WiFi) $279.00 at Best BuyThe best iPad deal you can find at Amazon is on the brand's base model. The Apple iPad (10th gen) is the best iPad for most people. The 10.9-inch screen is just the right size whether you're working or streaming shows on-the-go. For illustrators and hobbyists alike, this iPad is compatible with the USB-C and first generation of Apple Pencil. The A14 chip, while a few generations behind, still provides performance prowess that won't disappoint.
During Best Buy's Apple event, you can find the most savings on this device. It's down 20%, bringing it to $279 for $70 off. So if you're looking to get an iPad on a budget, you can score one for under $300 with this deal.
More iPad dealsApple iPad Mini (A17 chip, 128GB, WiFi) — $449 $499 (save $50)
Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M2 chip, 128GB, WiFi) — $499 $599 (save $100)
Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M4 chip, 256GB, WiFi) — $899 $999 (save $100)
Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M4 chip, 256GB, WiFi) — $1,099 $1,299 (save $200)
Apple iPad, 13-inch (M4 chip, 512GB, WiFi) — $1,299 $1,499 (save $200)
Apple Watch users just got precisely one new, added convenience with the latest watchOS update.
According to 9to5Mac, watchOS 11.2 hit the streets this week, and it can be downloaded by anyone with a modern Apple Watch now. Anyone hoping for a massive suite of cool new features will probably be disappointed, though, as this update is primarily focused on bug fixes. That said, there is one new thing you can do with your Apple Watch now.
SEE ALSO: Fitbit vs. Apple Watch: Which should you buy in 2024? SEE ALSO: Apple's iOS 18.2: Here's 4 new features to be excited aboutSpecifically, users who like to use the Camera Control app on watchOS to control their iPhone camera can now pause videos during recording from the watch. That's it. That's the big new feature that's coming with watchOS 11.2. It's not a huge one, but for those who enjoy using Camera Control, it's probably very welcome.
If you want to take advantage of this or any bug fixes or security updates, go to Settings, then General, then Software Update on your Apple Watch. Make sure you plug the watch in before updating, too.
The trailer for the upcoming action-comedy Novocaine sees Jack Quaid (The Boys, Star Trek: Lower Decks) taking all sorts of physical damage. Stab wounds, third-degree burns, gunshot wounds — the list goes on and on. Luckily for Quaid's character Nathan Caine, he can't feel a thing.
SEE ALSO: 2025 movie preview: All the films you'll want to know aboutThat's right: Nathan, who's otherwise just an average dude, cannot feel pain. But when the girl of his dreams (Amber Midthunder, Prey) gets kidnapped, he'll use that ability to fight past every evil henchman who stands in his way. In the trailer alone, we see him grabbing a gun out of a vat of hot frying oil and shoving glass into his hands to create makeshift claws. Gnarly stuff.
SAVE $80: As of Dec. 12, the AncerstyDNA + Traits Genetic Test Kit is just $39 at Amazon. That's a 67% discount and $80 off the list price.
Opens in a new window Credit: AncestryDNA AncestryDNA + Traits Genetic Test Kit $39.00 at AmazonThe holiday season is a time for reflection, connection, and uncovering the stories that make us who we are. This year, AncestryDNA is offering an unbeatable deal to do just that — $80 off DNA kits.
As of Dec. 12, you can get an AncestryDNA + Traits Genetic Test Kit for just $39. That’s a 67% discount or an $80 price cut from the sticker price.
With this specific kit, you can get a closer look at how your DNA influences your traits (e.g., your ear wax type, your ability to smell certain scents, and even your food preferences). AncestryDNA claims the test can reveal more than 40 personalized traits and characteristics, and with the ethnicity estimates and inheritance maps, you can see how your traits relate to your genetic heritage.
All you have to do is send in a bit of saliva, and in a matter of weeks (six to eight), you'll get a detailed report on your ancestry and genetic traits. That’s a pretty good deal for less than 40 bucks.
SAVE $449.01: As of Dec. 12, get the Yeedi M12 Pro+ robot vacuum and mop for its lowest price yet at $549.99. That's a discount of 45% and its lowest price yet.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Yeedi M12 Pro+ robot vacuum and mop $549.99 at AmazonLet's be real: no one likes to vacuum. No one likes mopping, either. That's why robot vacuums are such a boon if you run a busy household and just don't have the time to keep running a traditional unit — and it's even better when it can mop, too. Cyber Monday may have come and gone, but you can still save big on an appliance that can take care of both needs for a major steal.
As of Dec. 12, get the Yeedi M12 Pro+ robot vacuum and mop for just $549.99 at Amazon. That's $449.01 off its usual price of $999, and a discount of 45%. It's also the lowest price we've seen for this unit.
SEE ALSO: The best robot vacuums in 2024This compact robovac and mop offers powerful suction with both flat and outward-rotating bristles that keeps it from getting tangled up in hair and losing its cleaning efficiency. It comes with its own compact station for auto-empty, as well as a one tap self-cleaning option and an auto-refill with drain button for when you take advantage of the mop.
When it's finished sucking up all the dirt and debris in your floor, it can switch from carpet to floors that need to be mopped. It uses its special auto-lift mopping system to keep the mopping plates up out of the way when it detects carpet. And when it's time to use them, it offers great stain removal and powerful scrubbing with a 55mL water tank that can handle stains that have set in.
Whether you hate cleaning or you would prefer to take the day off and let a robot do all the hard stuff, this is a deal worth buying into before it's gone.
Another splashy superhero movie is hitting theaters, and with it, parents less versed in comic books might well be wondering if it's age-appropriate for their kids. After all, there's a world of difference between the violence seen in Shazam! and Logan. Maybe your child loves Harley Quinn on the Batman Animated Series, but are they ready for the sexual violence at play in Birds of Prey?
With so many superhero movies playing safely in the PG-13 sandbox, parents might miss when a rated-R movie slips through the MPAA's chokehold on Hollywood blockbusters. Or hey, maybe your kids are a bit older, and can handle some more mature content? I'm not here to make that call for you. After all, you know your kids better than I, random internet film critic.
I'm just here to let you know what's in store in Kraven The Hunter, with the lightest spoilers possible.
SEE ALSO: A parents' guide to 'Deadpool and Wolverine' What is Kraven the Hunter rated? Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Russell Crowe face off in "Kraven the Hunter." Credit: Jay Maidment / Sony PicturesThe latest in Sony Pictures Spider-Man spinoffs, Kraven The Hunter, is rated R.
For context, other R-rated superhero movies include Logan, Kick-Ass, Watchmen, Punisher: War Zone, and all the Deadpools 1-3, including Deadpool and Wolverine.
How violent is Kraven the Hunter?Well, remember how the red-band trailer showed the titular anti-hero biting the nose off a guy and spitting it at another? That gives a good sense.
The violence in Kraven is often brutal, inventive, and bloody, employing hand-to-hand combat, a tiger tooth as a killing tool, and an array of very gruesome booby traps, including a bear trap to the face. Notably, director J.C. Chandor rarely lingers on the gore. But it's definitely a bloodier film than the Dark Knight trilogy.
What kind of sexual content is in Kraven the Hunter? Aaron Taylor-Johnson smolders in "Kraven the Hunter." Credit: Jay Maidment / Sony PicturesNothing notable.
While the movie centers on a murderous vigilante who plays by his own rules, Kraven as a character is very chaste. His relationship with lawyer Calypso (Adriana DeBose) is friendly, but only very, very vaguely romantic.
While the film is absent of sex, it has sex appeal. Kraven is a big fan of popping his top off, displaying his rippling abs. And the cinematography recurringly leers at the actor's brawny bod.
SEE ALSO: Kraven the Hunter is the horny antihero of our dirty dreams How much cursing is in Kraven The Hunter?By my count, three uses of the F-word, including Calypso dropping a mother— you get the idea. Otherwise, the characters swear casually. But for a movie that involves a lot of gangsters, there are way less F-bombs than the average Martin Scorsese movie.
What should parents know about Kraven the Hunter? Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Fred Hechinger play brothers in "Kraven the Hunter." Credit: Jay Maidment / Sony PicturesThis Spider-Man spinoff is a gleefully violent and pretty gory action movie, involving a vigilante who takes justice into his own hands to kill bad guys. Along the way, drugs will be mentioned — as he battles a pair of nefarious drug kingpins. But most of the horrid crimes of his prey are kept offscreen, save for some poachers cruelly chopping the horns off slaughtered wildebeests.
Porn site Clips4Sale is back with its annual fetish of the year. Pegging ruled in 2023, and giantess stomped on 2024 — but what about 2025?
Chastity — the denial of pleasure — is growing in popularity, so much so that Clips4Sale can't keep it under lock and key.
SEE ALSO: Porn viewers wanted 'demure' tradwife content this year, Pornhub's Year in Review shows"The past twelve months have been full of contradictions when it comes to sex and pleasure," Clips4Sale's blog states. "And from wellness influencers obsessed over semen retention to calls for a global sex strike, a fetish that mines an erotic charge through the renunciation of sexual release seems perfectly fitting." The site refers to several online trends here, both "no fap" (no masturbating, for supposed physical and mental benefits) and the newly-Western interest in the 4B movement (which calls for women to not have relationships, sex, marriage, or children with men).
Along with these trends comes real fears for Project 2025, a far-right wishlist for Trump in his second term. Project 2025 calls for banning porn and threatens abortion access — two outwardly unsexy measures. Perhaps it makes sense, then, that forced abstinence is the fetish du jour.
Credit: Clips4Sale What is the chastity fetish?The core of the fetish, Clips4Sale states, is orgasm denial. Anyone of any gender can participate, and doesn't require a locked cage, but that's certainly a bonus. Chastity play can last for hours or longer, like a whole "locktober." On Clips4Sale the term has grown 193 percent since 2020, and 71 percent this year alone.
SEE ALSO: How growing up in purity culture impacts sexRunners-up for the fetish of the year are gooning, or masturbating and edging for hours, and cuckolding, usually a man watching his wife have sex with another man. The latter was named one of Clips4Sale's 10 fetishes that defined the last 20 years — but in 2025, porn viewers will lock it up.
The Critics Choice Award nominations have been announced, and several much-talked-about movies have gotten a slew of nods. But there's also some astonishing commissions.*
Both the humanely hilarious Anora and the polarizing body-horror offering The Substance scored seven nominations. The universally praised drama The Brutalist received nine nominations, while the controversial musical Emilia Pérez and the epic Dune: Part Two earned 10. And tied for most nominations at 11 is the box office smash that is Wicked and the sensational (and slyly funny) thriller Conclave.
Notable snubs include Babygirl, Halina Reijn's torrid thriller that won Nicole Kidman the Volpi Cup out of the Venice International Film Festival, Problemista, Julio Torres' critically heralded comedy about the red tape of immigrating to America, and Love Lies Bleeding, Rose Glass' harrowing and gnarly thriller.
SEE ALSO: The 25 best movies of 2024, and where to watch themDid your favorite movie of 2024 make the cut? Check out the Critics Choice Awards full list of movie nominations below:
BEST PICTUREAnora
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
The Substance
Wicked
SEE ALSO: 'A Complete Unknown' review: Timothée Chalamet infuriates as Bob Dylan BEST ACTORAdrien Brody – The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown
Daniel Craig – Queer
Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes – Conclave
Hugh Grant – Heretic
SEE ALSO: 'Queer' review: Daniel Craig tackles William S. Burroughs in hot, heart-wrenching romanceCynthia Erivo – Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez
Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Hard Truths
Angelina Jolie – Maria
Mikey Madison – Anora
Demi Moore – The Substance
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Yura Borisov – Anora
Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain
Clarence Maclin – Sing Sing
Edward Norton – A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce – The Brutalist
Denzel Washington – Gladiator II
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESSDanielle Deadwyler – The Piano Lesson
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor – Nickel Boys
Ariana Grande – Wicked
Margaret Qualley – The Substance
Isabella Rossellini – Conclave
Zoe Saldaña – Emilia Pérez
BEST YOUNG ACTOR / ACTRESSAlyla Browne – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Elliott Heffernan – Blitz
Maisy Stella – My Old Ass
Izaac Wang – Dìdi
Alisha Weir – Abigail
Zoe Ziegler – Janet Planet
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLEAnora
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Sing Sing
Wicked
BEST DIRECTORJacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez
Sean Baker – Anora
Edward Berger – Conclave
Brady Corbet – The Brutalist
Jon M. Chu – Wicked
Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
RaMell Ross – Nickel Boys
Denis Villeneuve – Dune: Part Two
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAYSean Baker – Anora
Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, Alex David – September 5
Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold – The Brutalist
Jesse Eisenberg – A Real Pain
Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
Justin Kuritzkes – Challengers
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAYJacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez
Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox – Wicked
Greg Kwedar, Clint Bentley – Sing Sing
RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes – Nickel Boys
Peter Straughan – Conclave
Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts – Dune: Part Two
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHYJarin Blaschke – Nosferatu
Alice Brooks – Wicked
Lol Crawley – The Brutalist
Stéphane Fontaine – Conclave
Greig Fraser – Dune: Part Two
Jomo Fray – Nickel Boys
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGNJudy Becker, Patricia Cuccia – The Brutalist
Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales – Wicked
Suzie Davies – Conclave
Craig Lathrop – Nosferatu
Arthur Max, Jille Azis, Elli Griff – Gladiator II
Patrice Vermette, Shane Vieau – Dune: Part Two
BEST EDITINGSean Baker – Anora
Marco Costa – Challengers
Nick Emerson – Conclave
David Jancso – The Brutalist
Joe Walker – Dune: Part Two
Hansjörg Weißbrich – September 5
BEST COSTUME DESIGNLisy Christl – Conclave
Linda Muir – Nosferatu
Massimo Cantini Parrini – Maria
Paul Tazewell – Wicked
Jacqueline West – Dune: Part Two
Janty Yates, Dave Crossman – Gladiator II
BEST HAIR AND MAKEUPChristine Blundell, Lesa Warrener, Neal Scanlan – Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Hair and Makeup Team – Dune: Part Two
Hair and Makeup Team – The Substance
Frances Hannon, Sarah Nuth, Laura Blount – Wicked
Traci Loader, Suzanne Stokes-Munton, David White – Nosferatu
Mike Marino, Sarah Graalman, Aaron Saucier – A Different Man
BEST VISUAL EFFECTSMark Bakowski, Pietro Ponti, Nikki Penny, Neil Corbould – Gladiator II
Pablo Helman, Jonathan Fawkner, Paul Corbould, David Shirk – Wicked
Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salcombe, Gerd Nefzer – Dune: Part Two
Luke Millar, David Clayton, Keith Herft, Peter Stubbs – Better Man
Visual Effects Team – The Substance
Erik Winquist, Stephen Unterfranz, Paul Story, Rodney Burke – Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
BEST ANIMATED FEATUREWallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
BEST COMEDYA Real Pain
Saturday Night
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILMEmilia Pérez
Flow
I’m Still Here
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
BEST SONG“Beautiful That Way” – The Last Showgirl – Miley Cyrus
“Compress / Repress” – Challengers – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
“El Mal” – Emilia Pérez – Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Camille
“Harper and Will Go West” – Will & Harper – Kristen Wiig
“Kiss the Sky” – The Wild Robot – Maren Morris
“Mi Camino” – Emilia Pérez – Selena Gomez
BEST SCOREVolker Bertelmann – Conclave
Daniel Blumberg – The Brutalist
Kris Bowers – The Wild Robot
Clément Ducol & Camille – Emilia Pérez
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – Challengers
Hans Zimmer – Dune: Part Two
To see who'll win Critics Choice, tune into E! Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, where the Critics Choice Awards will air live, hosted by Chelsea Handler.
*Full Disclosure: Kristy Puchko is a member of the Critics Choice Association, which holds the Critics Choice Awards.
It's that time of year again, folks. The Game Awards are upon us.
Geoff Keighley's hybrid awards show and announcement livestream is back in its usual mid-December slot. As always, it'll be a celebration of the best games of 2024 for part of its runtime, and a series of trailers for both known quantities and big surprises for the bulk of its runtime. Some of 2024's heaviest hitters like Astro Bot, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, and Black Myth: Wukong are up for the big Game of the Year award, so you'll want to tune in to see who gets the big prize.
SEE ALSO: The Game Awards 2024 nominations: Which games are up for the gold? The Game Awards 2024: When time it starts and how to watchIn order to do that, you'll need to know when and where to go to see the actual event. The good news is that couldn' t be simpler. The Game Awards 2024 air at 7:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 12. You can watch the event on any of the official Game Awards social media feeds, but the simplest and best options will most likely be either YouTube or Twitch.
Enjoy the show, and don't get too mad if your favorite game doesn't win anything.
In November, Apple announced a new feature called Share Item Location, allowing users to share real-time coordinates of lost or misplaced items with airlines.
Now, United Airlines has announced it will start integrating this feature into its baggage process today, on Dec. 12.
The Share Item Location tool, which went live with iOS 18.2, works with supported Apple and third party accessories, as well as Apple AirTags. So if you have an AirTag in your baggage, and the baggage gets lost, you can open Find My on your iPhone, generate a Share Item Location link, and send it to the airline to expedite its recovery.
SEE ALSO: Apple Watch Ultra 3 might get this life-saving featureIn United's case, customers will be able to add this link to their delayed baggage report in the United app. According to United, this should help its customer service agents "to more quickly find delayed bags and reunite them with customers."
The company says the shared location will be disabled as soon as you get your bag back. Customers will also be able to stop sharing the location at any time, and location tracking will automatically expire after seven days.
To use the feature, customers will need to have an iPhone running 18.2 or later and, of course, have a Find My accessory (such as Apple's AirPods Pro 2, Chipolo One Spot, Apple's iPhone Wallet, etc) or an AirTag, placed into their luggage.
United is just one of many airlines that are joining the program. More than 15 airlines said they would start accepting Find My item locations as part of their customer service, including Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Eurowings, Iberia, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and Vueling. Apple says more airlines will be added "in the coming months."
During the dark days of lockdown, we all found ways to connect. Some of us ran Zoom quizzes with mates. Some of us hit play on the same movie as our family on the other side of the world. Some of us staged an immersive, independent, multi-location production of Shakespeare's Hamlet within the world of Grand Theft Auto Online.
The latter is exactly what filmmakers Pinny Gryllis, Sam Crane, and Mark Oosterveen did, filming the ideation, rehearsal, location scouting, casting, and eventual performance of the tragedy befalling the Prince of Denmark all within Rockstar Games' online universe. Grand Theft Hamlet is nothing short of a groundbreaking work of cinema, one that explores the connections between players in online multiplayer action-adventure games, embodies the difficulty of creative pursuits and making theatre, and just how important online spaces were to us during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
SEE ALSO: ‘Grand Theft Hamlet’ review: 'Grand Theft Auto' meets Shakespeare in hilarious, moving docIn the film, we meet friends Crane and Oosterveen playing GTA online during the third lockdown in the UK. It was a bleak time. They're both theatre actors who found themselves out of work when venues closed (Crane was just about to start his run as Harry Potter in The Cursed Child on the West End). In the film, we never see them in real life — only as their avatars, running around stealing cars and generally causing chaos. During one fateful session, they stumble across an outdoor theatre, and naturally find themselves quoting Shakespeare to the empty crowd while standing onstage.
Crane and Oosterveen started capturing these moments in-game and posting short videos on YouTube, after which Gryllis also joined the game and encouraged them to up their efforts and make it into a large-scale project — Gryllis found a smartphone in her avatar's pocket which could film close up shots; you can see her character filming on her phone during some scenes. From here, the idea snowballs, and the trio start to produce a production of Hamlet just like you would in real life — only here, strangers might just wander through your rehearsal and shoot everyone. Respawning becomes part and parcel of the whole gig.
Grand Theft Hamlet joins the leagues of machinimaThough it's a landmark moment for mainstream cinema and video game overlap, Grand Theft Hamlet isn't the first work of machinima — the art of making narrative films within video games or using video game engines. Artists have dabbled in this arena for decades.
"Machinima has been around for a while. It was one of the kind of early things on YouTube," said Crane onstage at BAFTA, in London in October.
"There was a series called Red vs. Blue, it was very popular in the early noughties... [Machinima] has been around for a while, and I think there's interestingly been quite a resurgence in it in recent years, maybe as video games have got more sophisticated and visually more impressive. And also, I think generally, as video games as a cultural medium have gained a bit more respect, maybe amongst people beyond the traditional gaming audience as well."
Grand Theft Hamlet reminds viewers of high art/low art hypocrisyWhile staging the production inside the game, Grand Theft Hamlet manages to expose age-old, insufferable, pointless high art vs low art snobbery by fusing Shakespeare with video games. Crane, Oosterveen, and Gryllis spoke about how people have forgotten how Shakespeare's plays were seen as entertainment for the masses in his time, while dismissing the sophistication, intricacy, and timely creativity of modern video games.
"It was considered low art for the masses in Shakespeare's day in much the same way not all but many people from the theatre establishment look at people who play video games and take them seriously and look down on that and think, 'What are you doing with that juvenile nonsense?' I think that is how Shakespeare was viewed," said Crane.
"Shakespeare was, in his day, originally, a very kind of rough, popular entertainment. It was kind of rowdy and a bit naughty, and rough, funny, sweary, and violent," said Oosterveen.
Grand Theft Hamlet is a truly independent, bedroom-made filmWhen people throw the word "independent film" around, there can be some grey areas. But Grand Theft Hamlet was quite literally made in Gryllis, Crane, and Oosterveen's homes.
"We had a screening at the IMAX last week for London Film Festival, which was just sort of surreal, because I was like, I made this in my bedroom on a Mac with Adobe Premiere," said Gryllis. "We had a capture card, which we captured everything in 4K you know, we didn't have sophisticated post production. It was really, really handmade and on quite a low budget. It was an experiment, but that gives you a lot of freedom, right?"
"We were filming everything. We were always recording. It annoys me a little bit, because a lot of people are like, 'Oh, you couldn't have possibly, that looks like it might be staged or set up. It genuinely happened, like we did have an argument, and it was a continuation of an argument we'd had the night before in real life, but it was still an argument," she said.
Gryllis also pointed out the incredible accessibility gaming provided her as a filmmaker who is deaf, with the technology empowering her where other mediums may not.
"Filmmaking still is really an inaccessible artform to a great number of people — women, it's getting a bit better, but not people who are excluded because of their disability. Gaming does provide you know, anyone can do that, anyone can jump into a gaming server and start filming and recording something and making a story and then editing it," she said.
"I, as a deaf person, had live captioning, when I was interacting with people, I was able to read the captions on my phone with Otter. I stopped making films completely in 2016 when I lost my hearing, because I thought well that's it, it's an audio visual medium, it's over for me. So it's been a really accessible form of filmmaking for me. And I think you'll see from the film, a lot of people who we met, I think, felt very included in the process — maybe they wouldn't have been in theater."
And speaking of the people featured in the film, really, the cast — they're a major part of what makes Grand Theft Hamlet so uniquely online and disruptive to an industry that's notoriously hard to get a foot in the door: acting.
Credit: TullStories Grand Theft Hamlet has a truly miscellaneous, marvellous castWhile I won't spoil exactly how Grand Theft Hamlet recruited its cast, one of the most intriguing elements of the film is how the band got together. Players show up and take auditions and rehearsals seriously, others stand silently by, intrigued by the project, others simply shoot everyone and leave — as is the GTA way. But from a production perspective, it was a challenge for the team to actually lock down, request and get permission for the cast to appear in the final film.
"You've obviously got access to these incredible characters but then it's that thing of they're wearing a mask because they're avatars. Some even had voice changers. We didn't include it in the film, but some of them talked through live translation software, which was actually a digital voice. So the only thing you've got to go on is their gamertag," said Gryllis.
"We made sure that everybody knew that we were recording our footage. We asked them is it OK, do you want to be in this documentary? Can we contact you through PlayStation, and again to verify that? So we had to do everything that you would have to do in a normal documentary. I certainly knew about that from my own background. Sometimes people said no, and there was a lot of kids on the server. We had to go and change servers quite a lot, actually, because we've got people underage that we couldn't include."
The team recruited characters both in game (you should watch the film for their brilliant techniques) and outside the game, from their contacts in theatre. "I think it's me that said it, there's a line in the film, but there's a Venn diagram of people who are into theatre and people into GTA, and there's this tiny, tiny overlap. That's not a joke," said Oosterveen.
NPCs served a higher purpose in Grand Theft HamletIf you've ever played GTA, you'll know the NPCs (non playable characters) are crucial to the game's environment — and it turned out, the same went for performing Hamlet within it.
"They sort of became a bit like a Greek chorus in that you could put onto them through filming and editing, almost like a mirror of the emotions of the main characters that I was filming. And they were really moving, they would really listen to you and respond," said Gryllis.
Especially in scenes where the performers get angry or have an argument (one is a real argument between Crane and Gryllis), you can see the NPCs in the game become intrigued, scared, and even cower during these exchanges.
"They're also a tool for us as performers learning about that world and seeing them as a lens to understand Shakespeare within that world. You see when we're trying to work out how to do 'to be or not to be', and discovering all these NPCs and a dive bar and the way they they talk to us and respond to us in the way they exist in that world," said Crane.
When you eventually do get to experience Hamlet within GTA through Grand Theft Hamlet, it's overwhelming, moving, and a one-of-a-kind production. I'm not going to tell you anything, because this is theatre. You just have to experience it for yourself.
Grand Theft Hamlet is out now in UK cinemas. It will release globally in 2025 before streaming on Mubi.
SAVE $150: As of Dec. 12, the Apple AirPods Max are on sale for $399.99 at Best Buy. That's $150 off their list price of $549.99.
Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Max $399.99 at Best BuyThere are still some great deals available at different retailers after the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale events. If you're looking to pick up some Apple devices ahead of the holidays, look no further than Best Buy. The company currently has an Apple Shopping Event going on that features an incredible deal on the Apple AirPods Max headphones.
All colors of the AirPods Max are currently discounted to $399.99, $150 off their retail price of $549.99. That's a fantastic discount on such high-quality headphones, and even comes with a couple of bonus offers: three months of Apple Fitness+ for free and up to three months of Apple Music for free.
SEE ALSO: Act fast: Save $80 on an Apple Watch Ultra 2 with Best Buy's Deal of the DayFrom a comfortable fit to excellent noise cancelation, these headphones are great for audiophiles wanting something reliable to listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks on. In our AirPods Max review, writer Brenda Stolyar said, "When it comes down to it, the AirPods Max check off almost all the boxes for what makes an excellent pair of headphones: great sound quality, ideal battery life, easy controls, and a stylish design (sans Smart Case)."
Best Buy's Apple Shopping Event ends after today, so act fast to scoop up the AirPods Max headphones for $399.99.
If you're curious to see some more Apple discounts, it's worth checking out our roundup of Apple Cyber Monday deals. While quite a few offers won't be as low as Cyber Monday, there are still some worthy discounts in there to look at.
SAVE $80: As of Dec. 12, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is on sale for $719 as part of Best Buy's Deal of the Day. That's $80 off its original price of $799.
Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Ultra 2 (GPS, Cellular) $719.00 at Best BuyBlack Friday and Cyber Monday may be over and done with, but Best Buy's keeping the seasonal savings alive through its Deal of the Day program. This one-day-only event always has some fun surprises up its sleeve, and today is no different, as you can save $80 right now on a 49mm Apple Watch Ultra 2.
This has dropped the price of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 from $799 to $719, which is a very nice discount if you've had your eye on this smartwatch. It also comes with bonus offers of four months of Apple Fitness+ for free and up to three months of Apple Music for free. What better way to get set up with your new smartwatch?
SEE ALSO: Apple's iOS 18.2 arrives: Here's 4 new features to be excited aboutThe Apple Watch Ultra 2 is for those with a very adventurous lifestyle as it features a rugged design and more advanced features than its counterparts. In our comparison of Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Ultra 2, writer Alex Perry said "Apple Watch Ultra 2 is bigger, more durable, longer-lasting, and has more features than Series 9. It's also not for everyone. Ultra 2 is definitely made with outdoorsy adventuring types in mind."
As Best Buy's own page states, this Deal of the Day only lasts through Dec. 12, so act fast to save on the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
If you're looking for even more tech deals like this one, it's worth having a look through our list of Cyber Monday deals to see if any options that caught your eye are still available. And if Apple deals are on your mind, check out our Apple Cyber Monday deals list to see if any are still live.
Nikki Glaser may have received rave reviews after roasting Tom Brady, but she apparently doesn't kill every set.
Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the comedian — who is hosting the Golden Globes in January — told a story about performing in a surprise standup set at a conference for "35 billionaires that literally run the media" — and bombing hard.
"The show is a surprise standup comedy show. No-one knows about it. Standup is the worst thing to surprise someone with. It's been a long day, they've just eaten dinner, they want to have a fun night, the DJ is setting up, you can like see the fun is coming, the child sacrifice is being arranged in the corner, the goats blood margaritas are being whipped up," Glaser tells Kimmel in the clip above.
"I walk up to a smattering of applause. The first joke I made was something about, 'I thought if I performed in front of billionaires it would be you guys bidding on my body' — just crickets. It was right before the election, I said, 'Oh it's so cool to meet all the people who are deciding who's going to be president' — no laughter, in a way that was like, how does she know?"
Glaser's only joke that got a laugh? "When I told them how much money I was making for it."
SAVE $100: As of Dec. 12, the 48-inch LG B4 TV is on sale for $699.99 at Best Buy. That's $100 off its retail price of $799.99.
Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 48-inch Class B4 Series OLED 4K UHD TV (2024) $699.99 at Best BuySome of this year's best OLED TVs are still on sale after Cyber Monday. If you've had your eye on an upgrade this year or have been hoping to pick up a brand new model, it's definitely worth checking out this deal on the 48-inch LG B4 TV at Best Buy. It's currently down $100 from its retail price of $799.99 to $699.99, which is excellent value for what you're getting.
This mid-size TV is a great fit for bedrooms or smaller living spaces. Its OLED display is where it really shines, offering vibrant colors and contrast with any picture on your screen. This is made all the better with crisp 4K resolution that brings it all together.
SEE ALSO: Play Xbox games without a console with this Fire TV Stick 4K, Xbox controller, and Game Pass Ultimate bundleLG's B4 TV offers a little something for gamers and movie lovers alike, too. For the former, this TV features NVIDIA G-Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium, and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) for smooth gameplay. And for the latter, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and Filmmaker Mode are here to transform your favorite movies into an immersive, unforgettable experience.
Don't miss out on this excellent deal on the 48-inch LG B4 TV at Best Buy ahead of the holidays.
While a lot of Cyber Monday deals aren't quite as low as they were during the sale event, there are still quite a few discounts worth taking advantage of. If you're interested to see if something that caught your eye during the sale is still discounted right now, have a look through our roundup of Cyber Monday deals.
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